Press Release: East Coast Environmental Law

Today, Justice Christa Brothers of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia will hear arguments in a judicial review of the Minister of Lands and Forestry’s decisions to de-list Owls Head Provincial Park from the Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan and to enter into an agreement to sell the land to a private company, Lighthouse Links, for development into a golf resort.  
 
The applicants, Robert Bancroft and the Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association, have argued that the province should have consulted the public before de-listing Owls Head. The park, while not legally designated under legislation, had long been thought to be a park. Additionally, it has been managed by the Department as a park for many years under its Parks Program. 
 
“For forty years the people of Nova Scotia have trusted successive governments which assured us that Owl’s Head was protected as a Provincial Park. Governments must be required to tell the truth about public land, and to consult the public when such a major decision is contemplated”, says Barbara Markovits, a director of the Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association.

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Press Release: Filing of a Lawsuit to Stop the Sale of Owls Head Provincial Park

Press Release Announcing the Filing of a Lawsuit to Stop the Sale of Owls Head Provincial Park. Includes profiles of participants and links of resource sources.

Opponents of the provincial government’s decision to sell Owls Head Provincial Park to a wealthy American investor to build 3 golf courses has launched a lawsuit at the end of January in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in an effort to stop the sale. The applicants are the Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association (ESFWA) and Robert Bancroft.

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Provincial parks legislation needs update on pending protected land: NDP Press Release

January 30th, 2020 Halifax — The NDP Caucus will table legislation this upcoming session to strengthen the Provincial Parks Act to ensure pending protected land cannot be delisted without public consultation. The Wilderness Areas Protection Act already requires public consultation when changing designation of significant areas. “As we’ve seen with Owl’s Read more…

Press Release – 1st Community Information Meeting

Save Little Harbour/Owls Head Nova Scotia from Becoming a Golf Course is a Facebook public discussion group with 900+ members

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Owls Head Provincial Park – First Community Information Meeting

(SHIP HARBOUR, NOVA SCOTIA, 15 January 2020) The first community meeting to inform Eastern Shore residents about recent government actions which impact Owl’s Head Provincial Park is scheduled for Sunday 26 January at 2 pm in the Ship Harbour Community Hall. In late December CBC reported that the NS government had secretly de-listed Owl’s Head Park from the province’s Parks and Protected Areas Plan where it has been awaiting final Park designation. There was no public consultation. Our understanding is that sale of the Park to an American developer for golf course(s) is pending.

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