Opponents took fight against proposed golf course development all the way to N.S. Supreme Court
Paul Palmeter
CBC News
June 14, 2022
Originally published here
Owls Head, a pristine piece of land along the Eastern Shore, was announced as Nova Scotia’s newest provincial park Tuesday, more than three years after a decision to remove it from a list of Crown properties awaiting legal protection touched off protests and a Supreme Court challenge.
“I’m very pleased and I think it’s a step in the right direction,” said Bob Bancroft, a biologist who sought a judicial review of the former Liberal government’s decision to delist Owls Head from the Parks and Protected Areas Plan.
“There were a lot of supporters to save Owls Head.”
… Bancroft said he hopes lessons will be learned in the process.
“I hope that all the underlying measures of how this all happened are dealt with. We need to protect this from happening again.”
Bob Bancroft, Former Provincial biologist
The Crown lands include a variety of coastal barrens and wetlands. Owls Head is home to the piping plover and the barn swallow, two species at risk.
“This corrects the wrong and ensures that the coastal ecosystems and wildlife will be protected,” said Chris Miller, executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-Nova Scotia.
“It ensures that the coastal ecosystems and wildlife will be protected and guarantees that this very special place will remain in public ownership.”
