Nova Scotia government gives Whale Sanctuary Project approval to build coastal refuge

Organizers behind a plan to establish North America’s first coastal refuge for captive whales say the Nova Scotia government has granted them approval.

Organizers behind a plan to establish North America’s first coastal refuge for captive whales say the Nova Scotia government has granted them approval to start construction on the province’s eastern shore.

The U.S.-based Whale Sanctuary Project announced Tuesday that Premier Tim Houston’s cabinet had granted the organization a 20-year lease for 83 hectares of Crown lands and coastal waters near Wine Harbour, N.S.

“This is a great day for the Whale Sanctuary Project and for the whales,” the group said in a statement on its website. “We look forward to pressing ahead in every way to establish the whale sanctuary.”

The organization’s online announcement links to a cabinet order on a government website. It confirms the government’s approval, which Houston’s government had yet to announce by late Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Houston shuffled his cabinet and removed three ministers, including Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton, the man who recommended cabinet approve the project.

Project organizers say the approval means they can start building a huge, floating net enclosure for whales and dolphins retired from marine theme parks like Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont.

They say the new lease also means the non-profit group can ramp up its private fundraising to pay for the $20-million project, which will require about $2-million annually to operate.

Charles Vinick, the project’s executive director, has said the proposed 40-hectare enclosure could hold up to 10 of Marineland’s 30 belugas, and he has suggested the refuge could open as early as next year.