Chris’s Corner

Christopher Trider worked for the Department of Natural Resources (now DNRR) for 21 years. As a provincial park planner, Christopher specialized in acquiring and protecting coastal properties. He designed well-loved coastal parks including MacCormacks Beach Provincial Park, Rainbow Haven Beach Provincial Park, Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park, Pomquet Beach Provincial Park, and many more.

“I know how hard these coastal properties are to find, how hard they are to come by, how important they are for the long-term public good,” he says.

Weasel Awards

The starting point for this group was a CBC article by Michael Gorman. That article, on December 18, revealed that a secretive process was underway to remove Owls Head Provincial Park from the list of protected lands in the Nova Scotia Parks and Protected Areas Plan, and sell it to a private developer… reportedly for the development of three golf courses. It was revealed in that story that there was absolutely no public consultation nor scientific basis for removing the 661 acres of pristine coastal barrens from the protection and public ownership it had enjoyed for 45 years.

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By Christopher Trider, ago

Coastal Heathland Communities

Coastal heathland communities have been found to have greater species richness and variation in community type than previously thought. The rare plants found in heathlands are not restricted to any particular community type. Rather, rare coastal plants in Nova Scotia occur in a wide variety of community types. Coastal heathlands add diversity to the mostly forested landscape of Nova Scotia and provide habitat for rare species.

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By Christopher Trider, ago

Lies, Deception, and Failure

When the officials involved lie and try to sanitize online information, then you can rest assured that all is not above board. When discussions are moved to phone calls and plans are heavily redacted, again the alarm bells start ringing. Those in my profession are called “stewards of the land” and that really is what I am trying to be, to do. We must all be the voice of this land. I also know from the many years I worked with DNR (now Lands & Forestry) how difficult it is to acquire public coastal lands, and how precious the few that we have truly are.

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By Christopher Trider, ago

Now vs Then

Every property that made it onto the list of Parks and Protected Areas Plan had a reason to be there. Each had a history. Owl’s Head Provincial Park was property #694 until an arrogant, duplicitous Minister and Cabinet removed it. Now the government is trying to erase Owls Head from the public record. The initial CBC article by Michael Gorman, published on December 18, points to a backroom deal fabricated by lobbyists and political dinosaurs who think that anything is for sale. A secret deal, a Letter of Offer to sell 661 acres of public coastal land to a private developer. At this time, two Ministers have made misleading public statements in attempts to cover the smell of a deal that would not stand the light of public scrutiny or professional review.

Pristine coastal barrens, rare plants, endangered species, water frontage on 5 coves and a lake, sand beaches, ideal coves and inlets for coastal kayaking, did I mention publicly owned? (more…)

By Christopher Trider, ago