What's different this time?

On April 20, 2023, Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton stated that there would be no golf course at West Mabou Beach Provincial Park.​ This position was reinforced by Premier Houston's office:

"The land is protected under the Provincial Parks Act, and we have no plans to change that."

But all of a sudden, Minister Rushton is saying something very different: "We’ve been very clear with Nova Scotians since day one, when we were elected with a majority government in 2021 and again in 2024, that we will entertain any conversation with any reputable person who wants to come to Nova Scotia and help build our economy."
 

What has changed since the Houston government dismissed Cabot's last attempt? What's different this time around? Those are questions that none of our politicians have answered, but the people of Nova Scotia deserve full transparency as to why this is now being considered.

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​The crux of the issue:

Building a golf course in this Natural Environment Park would have dire impacts on the sensitive dune ecosystems, jeopardize the rare and endangered species that depend on this habitat, and set a dangerous precedent for the province, as former government park planner Dale Smith explained:
 

"The Cabot Group’s proposed golf course development would not only be devastating in its impact on West Mabou Beach Provincial Park but also threatens all provincial parks in Nova Scotia... The recent contention around golf course proposals for West Mabou and Owls Head surely must have Nova Scotians, locally in the Mabou area and across the province, wondering if our provincial park properties will ever be truly protected from the ambitions of private developers and the presumed entitlements of political operatives."

Local resident Sivan Hogden is similarly concerned: "If Cabot were to build a golf course on private land that they purchase at fair market value from a landowner, this would be a completely, completely different conversation. The issue is protected land, and it sets a precedent for every other park in the province."​

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​The last time around:

In October of 2022, the Cabot Group launched a second run at our treasured provincial park, despite having already been turned down by a different provincial government in 2018. This time, the company was looking to lease (yes, lease) part of West Mabou Beach Provincial Park to develop a private golf course, and they hired former Conservative Premier Rodney MacDonald to try to push this proposal through.

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Once again, local champions and their allies across the province stood up to protect West Mabou Beach Provincial Park from becoming a golf course. But that wasn't the first time we had to save the park—and clearly, it wouldn't be the last.

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A public purpose:

 

In 1983, the government appropriated 532 acres of the land for "a public purpose, namely the purpose of establishing a recreational area for the public." As people learned more about biodiversity, they recognized that this land is also important for its rare ecosystems and endangered species.
 

Even though the land was expropriated for a clear, public purpose, a local campground owner submitted a proposal in 1999 to build a golf course there. The government of the day turned the proposal down, and the Department of Environment and the Department of Natural Resources recognized the park's outstanding conservation and tourism values, leading to its designation as a Natural Environment Park.

In 2001, West Mabou Beach Provincial Park (now 672 acres) was finally designated under the Provincial Parks Act because of its “significant beach and dune system, rare plants and outstanding scenic views.”

 

When the John Hamm Government legally protected West Mabou Beach Provincial Park, Ernie Fage (who was the Minister of Natural Resources at the time) emphasized the importance of the site: "This property contains one of Nova Scotia's finest coastal beach and dune systems in a spectacular scenic setting and is a prime example of the type of Crown Land that needs to be protected for future generations. We recognize the need to protect this area in order to preserve its ecological integrity and values."

It's important that the land is still—and must remain—free for all to enjoy.

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An important legacy of protection:

West Mabou Beach Provincial Park on Cape Breton Island is the result of a community-led campaign to ensure that this ecologically significant area would be protected for generations to come.

West Mabou Beach Provincial Park is site 777 in Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan. And yet this core park—which is a "priority ecosystem for conservation"—has been at risk of becoming a private golf course three times since being legally protected.

In 2017/2018, the Cabot Group took its first swing. Thankfully, the McNeil government rejected the outlandish proposal. In 2023, Premier Houston's government also delivered a firm "no," but the Cabot Group appears to have taken that as a mere suggestion.

 

West Mabou Beach Provincial Park has an important legacy of protection and community advocacy. This time, we intend to save it once and for all.  

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18 more reasons to save the park:

West Mabou Beach Provincial Park is home to at least 18 rare and endangered species, including the critically endangered piping plover. This is one of the very few provincial parks in the province where piping plovers breed. West Mabou Beach Provincial Park has been identified as "Critical Habitat" necessary for the survival and recovery of the species. 

Other species that depend on this habitat include the Canada warbler (endangered), barn swallow (endangered), bank swallow (endangered), and the olive-sided flycatcher (threatened). West Mabou Beach Provincial Park is the only known location in the Maritime Provinces where the upswept moonwort fern grows, making this species even rarer than a species at risk.

The park has a high potential for additional rare and/or unique species because of its unusual ecology, from its nationally unique gypsum karst topography, uncommon dune forests, and the fact that it features "one of the most unique and extensive dune systems in the province." In fact, it's one of the very few large, undisturbed coastal dune systems left in Nova Scotia.

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Free for all to enjoy:

It's not only the flora and fauna that depend on West Mabou Beach Provincial Park—local residents and tourists also benefit from all that the park has to offer.

From swimming and picnics in summer to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in winter, this incredible park is worth visiting in every season. Visitors can try bird watching, photography, kayaking, fishing, cross-country running, and more thanks to this expanse of protected land and the park's 10 kilometres of hiking trails.

In a province where only about 10% of the coastline is public and protected, having public access to this spectacular beach is important to the local communities and the province as a whole. West Mabou Beach Provincial Park has been the beloved summer playground for generations of kids—and should be protected for generations to come. 

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