Owls Head. A pretty name for a provincial park. Not anymore, as it was delisted by Iain Rankin who was Land and Forestry Minister at the time. This was done without public notification or consultation in March 2019. It took a CBC reporter two years to discover this. Politics done this way always has a smell to it, completely opposite to an open and accountable government.
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If the government’s secret deal to sell and destroy Owls Head Provincial Park (and the surrounding marine environment) to build a golf course goes through, then that will give a green light to every greedy developer and their attached politicians to try to sell off these gems. These areas should be protected for me, my children, my grandchildren, and generations to come.
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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?
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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.
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Nova Scotia residents and tourists could take part in many activities that would allow them to be active in the present environment. Camping, diving, kayaking, bird-watching and hiking are becoming more attractive to more people than golf. All of this could be made available, while maintaining ownership for present and future Nova Scotians.
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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.”
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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.
Harsh words have been spoken. Neighbours have been pitted against each other. The Owls Head/Little Harbour community and concerned Nova Scotians are divided.
Was this the ultimate goal? By conducting business in secret and providing no consultation, the Nova Scotian government has created two sides.
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