Letter from Lew Page in support of Jacob Fillmore’s environmental protest. Lew Page, originally from East Ship Habour, is an outdoor enthusiast and environmentalist. Lew has backgrounds in marine biology and finance.
To: Thomas Trappenberg (Green Party), Gary Burrill (NDP), Tim Houston (PC) and Liberal leadership candidates Randy Delorey, Labi Kousoulis, and Iain Rankin
December 17, 2020
Good evening gentlemen: I have been watching with interest and profound disappointment as our successive governments fail to address Nova Scotians’ concerns about and take any significant action toward finding solutions to climate change, global warming and environmental degradation. Consistently, government has failed to listen to and follow the voices and advice of Nova Scotians, scientists and consultants (eg. Lahey Report) and consequently we find ourselves increasingly frustrated and in need of meaningful change at the leadership level.
We have the Save Owls Head group, protesting your secret delisting of provincially owned land, identified 45 years ago as ecologically significant and worthy of protecting. We have Extinction Nova Scotia blockading the clear cutting of Mainland Moose habitat in the New France area of Digby County, against whom an injunction was placed last week to take down the blockade. We have the Saint Mary’s River Association protesting Atlantic Gold’s proposal to develop an open pit mine at Cochrane Hill located at the headwaters of the Saint Mary’s River and if Atlantic Gold’s devastating blight at Moose River is any indication, government will rubber stamp Cochrane Hill.
The list goes on and now, we have Jacob Fillmore camping out in the Grand Parade, in a snowstorm, in an effort to engage Premier Stephen McNeil in a meaningful discussion of the issues. While I am not hopeful for a positive outcome given the Liberal Government’s track record, I, in addition to many other environmentally conscious Nova Scotians, am supportive of Jacob’s mandate and his effort.
Consequently, and on behalf of Jacob and all Nova Scotians: I am asking that this government take the climate crisis seriously. Citizens want this, have asked for this repeatedly, and I ask that government, and specifically, the Liberal Leadership hopefuls, begin by immediately addressing the following five demands which have been ignored and even supported for years, by government, despite widespread citizen support for action to the contrary.
- Stop forestry clear-cutting (and all other cutting under new terminology that has the same effect) WestFor proposal at New France as a start.
- Protect species at risk without delay (Federally mandated).
- Cancel the Alton Gas storage facility,
- Cancel the Atlantic Gold open pit mine proposal at Cochrane Hill.
- And Save Owls Head Provincial Park.
I will share my thoughts with other supporters from the Save Owls Head, Extinction Rebellion NS and St Mary’s River Association groups so you should hope for more calls for your support.
[…] It is my understanding that environmental groups intend to be much more politically active going forward than has perhaps been the case historically. Since you can’t hear our voices, perhaps our actions will speak louder than our words. 2021 will certainly be interesting.
Lew Page
Republished with permission of the author.
