News

Groups Unite to Oppose Owls Head Park Sale

By Richard Bell In a show of province-wide opposition to the government’s controversial decision to sell Owls Head Provincial Park, 23 groups submitted a joint letter to Premier McNeil on Tuesday, March 10 calling on the government to do three things:

March 12, 2020

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Owls Head Golf Course Supporters Getting Organized

By Richard Bell The fight over the fate of Owls Head Provincial Park has taken a new turn with the appearance of signs supporting the building of golf courses, and a gathering of golf course supporters on March 8 at Webber’s Store in Lake Charlotte. Roughly 50 people showed up in response to an invitation from long-time boat builder Bob Rosborough, one of the founders of a new group called the Eastern Shore Economic Development Association (ESEDA). The invitation was intended for “Eastern Shore folks in Favour of the Lighthouse Links Golf Complex project,” and with a few exceptions, most of those in attendance favoured the project.

March 08, 2020

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Owls Head FOIPOP documents

The provincial office of Information Access and Privacy Services (IAS) has posted the results of three FOIPOP requests concerning Owls Head. After IAS has responded to a FOIPOP request, IAS then posts a copy of the response on a public website that anyone can download. All responses since April 1, 2018 are online.

March 07, 2020

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Videos from the Whale Sanctuary Project Announcement

On February 25, the Whale Sanctuary Project announced the selection of Port Hilford near Sherbrooke as the site for North America’s first sanctuary for captive beluga whales. (Click here for the Cooperator’s announcement article. ) The videos below are from the announcement press conference. Charles Vinick, executive director, and President Dr. Lori Marino made the announcement at the Maritime Museum. After an introductory film, they talked about why they selected the site, and took questions from the press. Dr. Stephen Flemming, Executive Director of Sherbrooke Village, Minister Lloyd Hine, Sue Henry from Sheet Harbour also spoke.

March 01, 2020

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Finding Common Ground Through Local Development

By Karen Bradley From the United Nations Sustainable Development program on down, there’s surprising agreement that developing locally based businesses, especially businesses founded by young people, is a key to reducing rural poverty.

February 26, 2020

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Open-pit Gold Mines Threaten Wild Salmon

By Richard Bell The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) has opened a new front in its battle against the proposed Cochrane Hill open-pit gold mine in Guysborough County with an unprecedented underwater video of salmon spawning in a stream immediately downstream from a tailings pond that would millions of tons of mine waste.

February 26, 2020

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Whale Sanctuary Project Picks Sherbrooke Site

By Richard Bell The Whale Sanctuary Project announced this morning at a press conference at the Maritime Museum in Halifax that it had selected Port Hilford at the site of the world’s first sanctuary for captive beluga whales, working with Sherbrooke and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s. The Project had narrowed the choice down to the Sherbrooke site and a site off Malagash Island in Mushaboom.

February 25, 2020

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Politicians Speak at Save Little Harbour/Owls Head rally

The leaders of the New Democratic Party and the Progressive Conservative Party both spoke at the Save Little Harbour/Owls Head rally at Province House on February 20, 2020. Gary Burrill, leader of the NDP, got boos when he condemned the use of a "minute letter" to keep its decision secret, and a warm reception when he promised to introduce legislation that would require the province to hold a public consultation before disposing of land like Owls Head. Tim Houston, leader of the Progressive Conservatives, said his party also objected to the province's secret process for taking land intended for a provincial park and selling it to a wealthy American who wants to build three golf courses there. (More videos of other speakers to follow). [Note: it was a very cold day, which affected the visual quality of the video recordings. Next time we'll bring a hot pack!] Video of Gary Burrill at the Save Little Harbour/Owls Head rally Video of Tim Houston at the Save Little Harbour/Owls Head rally

February 24, 2020

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Churchill Considering Combining High School and Junior High

By Richard Bell (February 21) In a surprising development in the long-running dispute over replacing Eastern Shore District High School, Education Minister Zack Churchill has suggested that the department is looking in to combing a new high school with a new junior high school.

February 21, 2020

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Opposition to Owls Head Sale Growing Fast

By Richard Bell The controversy over Owls Head Provincial Park began on December 18, 2019, when CBC reporter Michael Gorman reported the province had secretly decided on March 13, 2019 to sell Owls Head Provincial Park to a wealthy American who planned to build three golf courses on the site (Lighthouse Links). The decision put in jeopardy hundreds of other parcels of Crown land that the public had previously believed were protected lands that could not be removed from protection without a public hearing.

February 18, 2020

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