Speak Your Piece

We welcome submissions from anyone who wants to explain in their own words why the sale of Owls Head must be stopped. Anyone who has an articulate and valuable opinion to add to the cause of protecting this special place may submit articles to be published here.

Bev Isaacs’s Speech: Save Owls Head Demonstration

We are here to speak for something which cannot speak for itself – Owls Head Provincial Park.

Hello everyone, I am Bev Isaacs, a resident of Little Harbour/Owls Head, thank you for supporting us in this fight. We are here to hold our government accountable for their unfair, secretive backroom deal to sell Owls Head Provincial Park to a non-resident. Their decision to delist a Provincial Park without public consultation was disrespectful to the citizens of Nova Scotia. Our government owes this to the people of Nova Scotia, to provide an environment that we all can be proud of. An environment that will be sustainable, an environment with ecosystems that will provide clean air, clean water for the next generation.

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago

Lindsay Lee’s Speech: Save Owls Head Demonstration

Environmental activist Jacob Fillmore has been inspiring a lot of people lately. Jacob inspired me when he said, “Change will not happen simply because you believe in something; it happens when you stand for something.” 

So I’d like to thank you all for standing up for Nova Scotia’s Parks and Protected Areas today. 

I’d also like to acknowledge our supporters across the province. Concerned citizens, passionate about saving Owls Head Provincial Park, have contributed over $27,000 so that Bob Bancroft and Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association can stand up for transparency, fairness, and public consultation in court.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Kevin Coady wrote, “The public had every reason” to believe that Owls Head Provincial Park was formally protected.

Unfortunately, our government identified this property as Owls Head Provincial Park, but it did not follow through on the inherent promise of that title.

(more…)
By Lindsay Lee, 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
Cartoon by Matt Dempsey

Letter: Money grows on trees

This does not bode well for the renewed promises on the environment that came out of the Liberal leadership race. I also read Bill Black’s puffery piece on Owls Head last week, and still fear for the outcome of that nefarious scheme. If it goes ahead, the messages will be clear: “Business as usual” and “Wealth Trumps all” — pun intended. Has this pandemic failed to teach us anything about looking after this planet and the public good? 

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago

Letter: Against public interest

On April 1, the government of Nova Scotia will be arguing in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in favour of its secret deal to remove Owls Head from the protected areas plan and sell the 700-acre public park to a private development company. 

They are essentially fighting the public interest in favour of the American developer. It’s not a pretty picture, is it? A government forcing its citizens to fundraise and go to court to seek fairness, truth and transparency.

Ironically, the taxpayers are also paying the developer’s costs since the government has chosen to argue on his behalf. The government lawyers are paid by all the taxpaying public, not just the few who stand to profit privately from this development.

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago
Editorial Cartoon by Bruce MacKinnon

Letter: Golf giveaway

Re: Bill Black’s March 20 column, “Give golf course bid at Owls Head fair shot.” Give them a “fair shot,” Bill? Right between Nova Scotians’ eyes, maybe! 

Mr. Black certainly has a way with numbers, but in his one-sided defence of the sale of Crown land, he neglects to mention the biggest number of all: the fact that at a time when real estate prices are rapidly rising, our government is doing its sneaky best to sell our Owls Head Provincial Park, without any consultation, to two wealthy Americans for a paltry C$326 an acre!

I can see it now on CNN Breaking News: “Nova Scotia’s dumb government is doing its utmost to sell its priceless waterfront parkland to Americans for only US$238 an acre.”

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago

Letter: Too foggy, buggy

If the public land is destroyed, do folks really believe that the golf course owners will let you wander down the fairways? Do they really believe that buyers will flock to purchase very high-end houses or stay in swanky hotels built around the “links”?

Picture this as you tee up, preparing to drive a long one down to the rocky cliff: The fog is so thick your caddie pulls out his GPS to show you where and how far to aim. After a few practice swings, you step up to the ball, take a deep breath, and after swallowing a dozen or more blackflies, you cough and spit up all you can as you try to steady yourself and catch your breath.

(more…)
By Save Owls Head, ago