“Whatcha think of the whole West Mabou thing?”

Nicole Fawcett

The Reporter  - October 31, 2025

Find the piece in full in the Port Hawkesbury Reporter

It’s a question I’m asked nearly every day — often more than once — and the honest answer is that it’s complicated. Frankly, I wish we had more clarity. 

... Let’s be clear: this is not merely a discussion about land use. It’s a matter of ethics, commitments, and the values that define us as a province.

This is not just a West Mabou issue. It is not even solely a Cape Breton issue. It is a Nova Scotia issue, one that challenges the values we claim to uphold: community, conservation, stewardship, and integrity.

Much of the land that now forms West Mabou Beach Provincial Park was either expropriated under the commitment of conservation — with compensation that would be considered minimal by today’s standards — or donated with the understanding that it would remain protected in perpetuity. This land wasn’t simply taken — it was entrusted. So how can we even begin to entertain the idea of development?

Some may call it old-fashioned, but I still believe in the power of a promise. In this case, that promise came from the Province of Nova Scotia — to the families who gave up their land the community that embraced the park’s creation, and to the future generations of Nova Scotians and visitors alike.