The Department of Lands and Forestry’s decision to secretly delist Owls Head Provincial Park prompted applicants Bob Bancroft and Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association to take the case to court on behalf of concerned Nova Scotians. This legal case has Read more…
Re: “Secret Owls Head deal could haunt Rankin” (March 6 column by Jim Vibert). Nova Scotians need another golf course like a hole in the head! It appears we have approximately 65 golf courses in our province and one would think that would be enough, given our small land mass and population.
The people of Nova Scotia own Owls Head Provincial Park and we all have a stake in what happens to our Crown lands! I am extremely disappointed that Premier Iain Rankin, as former Minister of Lands and Forestry, delisted and planned to sell our asset without consultation with Nova Scotians. So much for transparency! Is this going to be his modus operandi?
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Dear Premier Iain Rankin,
Thank you for paving the way for wealthy visitors, and perhaps even some Nova Scotians of modest means, to own ocean-front property at very affordable prices. The sales agreement you signed as Lands & Forestry minister with Lighthouse Links to sell Owls Head Provincial Park for $336 per acre is truly groundbreaking. Wow, 744 acres of lovely Nova Scotia coastal land for just $250,000. And the way you managed to keep the transaction away from prying eyes for nine months was wonderfully innovative. Too bad that nosy CBC reporter had to stick his oar in and blow your cover.
Contributed by Fred F. Blois and Clifton & JimHarpell
The Chronicle Herald
March 13, 2021
Read on the Chronicle Herald’s Website>
Iain Rankin says he’ll make respect for the environment a pillar of his policy-making as premier. Did a heavenly vision trigger this remarkable change of heart?
As a cabinet minister in Stephen McNeil’s government, Rankin’s record in environment and lands and forestry was troubling. He rubber-stamped Lafarge’s plan to burn used tires at its plant in Shortts Lake. He quietly delisted protected lands like Owls Head and opened them to private development. He failed to follow his department’s own laws to protect endangered species. He dragged his feet implementing the Lahey report’s recommendations on forestry.
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Re: “Climate action, prosperity promised,” March 10 story. I read with great interest your report on Premier Iain Rankin’s first throne speech. There are many exciting promises with respect to climate change and the environment.
But whatever happened to his intention to complete the designation of the remaining properties still languishing on the “Our Parks and Protected Areas: A Plan for Nova Scotia” of 2013? He promised to complete the plan when he ran for leadership of his party.
(more…)Our Premier supposedly represents all Nova Scotians, so when he talks about “quality of life” and “sustainability” we assume he means for all citizens, not just the wealthy few. So I am struggling with his government’s determination to proceed with Read more…
As a 268-hectare coastal landscape on the Atlantic Flyway, Owls Head Provincial Park is an important habitat for native bird species and a refuge for migratory birds.
The coastal headland supports a variety of habitats, including a beach, estuaries, bogs, and salt marshes. Last summer, CPAWS NS and a team of biodiversity experts set out “to identify bird species across these habitats and document the ecological significance of this unique region.”
(more…)“The Applicants’ legitimate expectations that they would be informed and consulted before a park would be removed from the PAPA Plan and sold for private development further elevates the duty of fairness owed.”
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