letter

Owls Head from the air

Letter: Unfinished Homework by Lindsay Lee

Lands and Forestry Minister Iain Rankin teased that he’d be making an “exciting announcement” on Monday. Here are some truly exciting announcements that he could (and should) have made before declaring his intention to run for premier: 

  • That Owls Head Provincial Park Reserve would be rightfully reinstated to Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan. 
  • That Nova Scotia would protect all of the properties in Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan.
  • That Lands and Forestry would adopt ecological forestry by reducing clearcutting, protecting old-growth forests, introducing a silent season to protect nesting birds, and finally, implementing the recommendations of the Lahey report. 
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By Lindsay Lee, ago

Letter: Very Slippery Slope by Verna Higgins

All Nova Scotians should be aware that, in 2013, our province published an “Our Parks and Protected Areas” map for comments by the public. 

Owls Head Park appeared under the heading “Park Lands for Review” along with 281 other parks! That list included such well-known provincial parks as Wentworth, Porters Lake, Martinique Beach, Five Islands, Blomidon Lookoff and Taylors Head.

If Owls Head is sold, which of the others might be next?

Verna Higgins, Middle Musquodoboit

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By Save Owls Head, ago

Letter: Steeped in Secrecy by Beverlee Brown

When did “secrecy” become the provincial byword for the governing Liberals? 

There is a review of Northwood and its recent COVID-19 problems going on, but we’ve been told the results will be mostly kept secret. Confidentiality is needed in order to protect those named in the review. Wouldn’t it be easier just to not publish their names? 

And then there’s Owls Head and the delisting of that area as a reserve in order to quietly sell that land for a golf course. That’s not the premier’s land to sell, especially by changing the rules behind the scenes. It belongs to the province and therefore to the citizens. There should have been a transparent process. If the deal is a good one for Nova Scotia, then secrecy wouldn’t have been needed; a public meeting on the proposal should have been the way to go, allowing full knowledge of the province’s intentions.

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By Save Owls Head, ago
Canada's Ocean Playground

Thoughts on Doing Tourism Differently: Celes Davar

The Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia has the opportunity to address tourism, economic development and land conservation in a different way than any other area of Nova Scotia at this time.

As a trained biologist, tourism operator and community economic development facilitator, I’d like to invite a deeper think about the news article above and its implications. My hope is that we embrace a more openly democratic discussion and assessment of tourism and economic development opportunities.

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By Save Owls Head, ago

Don’t let our beautiful, unspoiled natural parks become another lesson in greed

June 19, 2020

Dear Premier McNeil,

To date, there have been no updates on the possible sale of Owl’s Head Park. I hope that means that the Province is reconsidering that decision. After witnessing all that nature can throw at us throughout this pandemic, I find it disconcerting that we would be willing to hand over pristine, protected crown owned lands to American billionaire investors to spoil and corrupt to their ideals instead of keeping this land for wildlife and for regular Nova Scotians who need it for healing and for physical and mental health.

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By Save Owls Head, ago

Thank You Letter to the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

Dear Minister Wilkinson,

The Save Little Harbour/Owls Head Facebook group is a grassroots movement of over 3000 concerned citizens and scientists, passionate about saving the ecologically significant property known as Owls Head Provincial Park.

We are writing to thank you for your role in transferring the federal parcel of land (PID: 00555284) adjacent to Owls Head Provincial Park, Little Harbour, Nova Scotia, to Environment and Climate Change Canada. We appreciate your commitment to honour the best and highest use of these lands.

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By Save Owls Head, ago