Provincial Parks are Sad Enough

Letter submitted by Sarah Turnbull The Inverness Oran - October 22, 2025

Dear Editor,

I am not from Mabou, but I have chosen to make this place my home. As a student, outdoor third spaces free from admission fees mean the world to me, as some place I can go without having to spend what little money I have.

Do you intend to buy up every beautiful place on the island and turn it into a money grab, inaccessible to the general public? Do you truly believe that you can lead the people without listening to what it is the people want? That just seems ignorant and awfully arrogant. These people fought you once before, not long ago. This whole bid to buy the beach seems to lack any real logic or critical thinking whatsoever. You already have two world class golf courses just twenty minutes down the road! Why on earth would you add another one so close by? At least give the golfers some variety if you are going to insist on building so many.

Shouldn't the island focus on building up its industries, investing in them in order to be more self-reliant and not live to cater to visitors from away? This seems like a classic case of the upper classes and the greedy feeding each other while telling the rest of the community that they don't know what is good for them, that they should just sit quietly and let those whose hearts are full of greed make decisions that drain natural resources and take away the land that has been a large part of this community for generations.

The provincial parks in Nova Scotia are sad enough as it is, the state of them and the funding they lack is embarrassing compared to other provinces, so wouldn't it be a good idea me parks, hire people to maintain them, and draw in tourists who will actually come to the village and interact with the community and the culture, rather than build some big fancy golf course that drains the resources to cater to people who are too uppity to interact with the people and culture? Too good to come and spend money in the actual village? Provincial parks were created for a reason. This is protected land that you are attacking, ecosystems and habitats you are destroying.

Why not come and talk to the community, the people you intend to take this place from before you make such a big decision? Look into the eyes of the generations who will not get to feel the beauty and the power of such a wonderful place. Shake hands with the people you are lying to and using before you steal from many to satisfy a few. Because the many will not forget. We have seen that time and time again throughout history.

The Gaels have had this happen over and over again, they serve as a painful reminder of what happens when those in power are driven by their own personal greed. The generational trauma and cultural damage that these situations bring. That is why every time those in power take what is sacred to the people to benefit the rich, the Gaels remember, the people from all different walks of life remember. They grow more hurt, frustrated and angry each time it happens. Yet each time, they are expected to just quietly move on, find somewhere new.

Why not break such a vicious cycle? This land has more value than the money it could possibly put in your pocket. Every time I go down there the beach is packed, people old and young out enjoying the outdoors, playing and talking. It is beautiful to see how a place can unify generations and people from all different walks of life, yet you want to remove any chance of that happening to put in a golf course of all things.

There is nowhere like West Mabou Beach, so do not try to argue that those people can just find a new place. Do not let greed drive you, because the people will remember.

Sarah Turnbull 

Beinn Mhàbu student