Nova Scotia’s treasures are in danger and the McNeil government’s culture is the problem
Zack Metcalfe
Halifax Magazine
February 5, 2020
The sanctity of Nova Scotia’s protected areas has taken a beating in recent yeras, especially those of the Easter Shore, their significance dragged through either corporate or political mud in order to justify their dismantling, a sharp contrast to the multitudes of money and time once invested in their longevity.
Consider Owls Head, the provincial park reserve slated for enduring protection by virtue of its unique ecology. Our provincial government quietly stripped its legal safeguards then cunningly defended the action as economic development. At present they’re negotiating the sale of Owls Head to a developer, keen to turn this unspoilt wilderness into a golf course.
The uproar against this impropriety has been spectacular, resulting in hundreds of disappointed letters to the provincial government, coming from private citizens and from groups so humble as the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society. Will the government change course or double down? Either way, this is a blow to the security of proteced lands across Nova Scotia and it’s not the only one.