Francis Campbell
The Chronicle Herald
March 11, 2021
Full Article Here>
Opposition MLAs Lisa Roberts of the NDP and Tim Halman of the Progressive Conservatives challenged several department officials on the department’s core activities.
… [Opposition MLA Lisa] Roberts asked about the parks and protected areas plan that had detailed more than 150 areas that awaited protection.
“Is there anything to prevent another Owls Head from happening,” Roberts said. “For example, Herring Cove provincial park is a site that many people would assume is fully protected but in fact has also not gone trough the full designation process like the Owls Head provincial park. Is there anything to prevent it from being quietly delisted if economic interests (emerged) that government chose to listen to.”
Rankin, then Lands and Forestry minster, made the decision to delist 285 hectares of Crown property at Owls Head on the Eastern Shore in March 2019 and to enter into sale negotiations with Lighthouse Links Development, which planned to build two or three 18-hole golf courses in the Little Harbour area.
LaFleche responded to Roberts’ question by saying there would be no comment because the judicial review of the Rankin decision is to be heard in court April. 1.
