Articles

RICHARD BELL: Owls Head Goes to Court

The Executive Summary states, “With these changes, the new parks and protected areas system will include: 205 provincial parks.” And “Appendix A: Lands” presented “a complete list of new protected areas, as well as provincial park properties.” The list included 782 properties, listed alphabetically. In position 694, the document lists “Owls Head Provincial Park” as an “existing” park.

What the public was not aware of  was that the province had never gone through the formal process of designating Owls Head Provincial Park as a “park.” And in fact, more than 100 of the other properties in the Plan were in the same undesignated category.

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago

Court to decide the future of Owls Head

Justice Brothers has reserved her decision.

Meanwhile, Premier Iain Ranking appears not to be considering reversing the de-listing of Owls Head.

“On the plaza of the Law Courts, demonstrators have convened in support of the judicial review and they have done so with a sense of great hope,” said NDP leader Gary Burrill during Question Period yesterday.

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago

Environmentalists and locals rally at Law Courts to defend pristine Owls Head from turning into golf courses and resort

“Our government identified the Owls Head property as a provincial park, but unfortunately, it did not follow through on the inherent promise of that title,” said Lee. “If Owls Head Provincial Park isn’t safe then none of these provincial parks that are awaiting formal designation are safe.”

“The government has a choice. They can either do this the easy way or they can do this the hard way,” said Tynette Deveaux of the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club. 

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago

FRANCIS CAMPBELL: Owls Head decision, a hot topic in the court of public opinion, goes before a judge

“We’re saying that the minister ought to have let the public know and consulted the public before making the decision to remove Owls Head provincial park from the parks and protected areas plan, in other words to remove its status as protected public land,” said lawyer Jamie Simpson, who is representing applicants Bob Bancroft and the Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association in court.

“It’s been represented to the public as a provincial park for over 40 years and it’s been serving that role, doing what it was set up to do, that is protecting a special part of the province and a special habitat for wildlife and certain rare plants and species at risk. 

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago

Liberal government assailed for ‘lack of action’ on Lahey report, mainland moose

“Is there anything to prevent another Owls Head from happening,” Roberts said. “For example, Herring Cove provincial park is a site that many people would assume is fully protected but in fact has also not gone trough the full designation process like the Owls Head provincial park. Is there anything to prevent it from being quietly delisted if economic interests (emerged) that government chose to listen to.”

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago
Aerial View of Owls Head - Vision Air

JIM VIBERT: Secret Owl’s Head deal could haunt Rankin

…Owl’s Head presents problems for Rankin, and not just because he was the minister who recommended delisting and selling it.

In his bid for the Liberal leadership and as premier since, Rankin has positioned himself as a champion of the environment. How he, and his government, handles the Owl’s Head controversy from here out will influence whether he can retain claim to that title.

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago