LETTER: Government needs to preserve park experience

Letter to the Editor by Doug Lowry

PNI Atlantic/Saltwire - Nov. 10, 2025

Permission for commercial use within a provincial park in Nova Scotia requires approval from the Department of Natural Resources and any such application for the use of park land may be accommodated only if it does not “negatively [impact] the overall management of the park or the park experience.”

Further to this, the application document on Non-Food Concession Opportunities within Nova Scotia’s provincial parks highlights that “unacceptable” commercial uses of the park are those “that do not support the provincial park mandate and [that] may have a negative impact on the visitor experience [or, that may] negatively impact other visitors”

The very large and vocal group that has organized to oppose a golf course at West Mabou Beach Provincial Park suggests that many Nova Scotians feel that a golf course would, in fact, negatively impact their experience.

Further still, the application document states, in no uncertain terms, that “any activity that alters the park land base or infrastructure” is an unacceptable use of a provincial park. Thus, the situation at West Mabou Beach Provincial Park, and the onus of responsibility between citizens and government, seems a tad bit backwards.

Rather than Nova Scotians having to fight time and time again to justify the ongoing protection of West Mabou Beach Provincial Park, responsibility should really fall on the government to justify why they are even entertaining the conversation when, by all appearances, the proposed use of the park does not meet the criteria outlined in the vendor application process.

This may suggest that the conversation taking place is not actually about the details and consideration of the merits of the proposal, but rather about which laws, regulations and policies require doctoring to make a golf course within a provincial park compliant. Instead of questions and withholding information, Nova Scotians would be better served by a government committed to transparency, as this government has a great deal of explaining to do.

Given all that has taken place, one might wonder how a private enterprise is able to garner the ear of government to have a conversation on this topic in the first place. This is especially pertinent considering that the proposal of a golf course within a provincial park clearly fails to meet the requirements that are necessary for an application’s approval and the fact that this government, just prior to its snap election call, made clear that they agreed as much; just as past governments before them have done.

Additionally, one might also wonder whether just any business would be able to have this sort of conversation with government, or if conversations of this nature are reserved for the privileged few with ties to the government’s leadership? It is hard to say anything about anything because Premier Tim Houston’s government has been one of secrecy and deception.

It is about time the premier and his government start honouring their duty to represent those they have been elected to serve. It is also time to ensure – once and for all – that West Mabou Beach Provincial Park, and other protected spaces like it, are actually protected in a meaningful way and that this protection is in perpetuity, as was always the spirit and intention of the Provincial Parks Act.

A government that has demonstrated its ineptitude by spending beyond its means is no justification for selling out the province’s residents or the public’s protected lands, as the premier and his minister of natural resources have put forward as a pitiful economic rationalization. It is time this government stops catering to corporate friends and starts playing by the rules by doing what is best for Nova Scotians.

Doug Lowry

West Mabou