Nova Scotia breaches conditions of $28.5 million nature agreement with Ottawa
- savewestmaboubeach
- Oct 23
- 2 min read
Joan Baxter The Halifax Examiner - October 23, 2025 Originally published here
Fears are growing that Premier Tim Houston’s government is losing interest in its own legislated goal of protecting “at least 20% of the total land and water mass” by 2030, and in fulfilling the terms of the Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement.
The agreement was a gift – worth $28.5 million – from the federal government to Nova Scotia. It was intended to help the province reach its goal of protecting 20% of its land mass by 2030, while helping Canada meet its goal of protecting 30% of its land and inland water that same year.
‘Crossing a line that’s never been crossed’
[Senior Wilderness Coordinator Raymond] Plourde fears that should the government allow Cabot Golf to use the park for a private golf development, it could mean the beginning of the end for genuinely protected areas and public parks in the province.
“If the government were to allow Cabot to have what it wants, to take that site for its use, it would cross a line that’s never been crossed before,” Plourde told the Examiner. “It would be the first time a government un-protected land for an economic actor who wanted to develop it. If this place is unprotected, all of our parks and protected areas are vulnerable,” said Plourde.
“And with the supermajority that Tim Houston has, he seems to feel he has the right to do just about anything, even if it is abhorrent to the majority of Nova Scotians, and would sacrifice some of these iconic places that are public protected land and available to our visitors.”
Plourde pointed to a study the provincial government commissioned in 2017 that shows the many commercial benefits of protected areas, while noting how much parks like West Mabou contribute towards tourism, the preservation of biodiversity, and endangered species habitat.
“These are priceless assets that are already generating economic activity,” said Plourde.
That Houston’s government is even entertaining the idea that such a provincial public park could be used for a private golf course is, in Plourde’s words, “just so colossally wrong.”
Plourde concluded that this, and the lack of progress and transparency on the Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement, point to a complete and profound “new disrespect for the environment in general and land protection” by Houston’s Progressive Conservatives.
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