Tourism industry says parks and protected areas should be off limits for development

The head of Nova Scotia’s tourism industry association says it is “almost incomprehensible” that the provincial government would entertain a proposal for a golf course within the boundaries of a provincial park or development in any other protected area.

Darlene Grant Fiander said the government’s contemplation of an 18-hole golf course in West Mabou Beach Provincial Park, which would be developed by a private company, overlooks the tourism draw of parks and protected areas.

“While we very much support new tourism investment and new development — not in our protected areas, not in our public parks,” said Grant Fiander, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia, in an interview.

“There’s lots of land available for sale in Nova Scotia and we feel very strongly about that for this one and every other protected area.”

Natural Resources Minister Kim Masland confirmed last week that her department was entertaining a proposal from Cabot Cape Breton. It’s a proposal that Cabot, which already owns three golf courses in Inverness County and others in locations around the world, has previously tried to advance without success and in the face of stiff community opposition.

Masland’s predecessor and Premier Tim Houston told the company two years ago not to bother. But last week, Masland and Houston said the province is open for business and they’re willing to listen to development proposals for anywhere.

Grant Fiander said the new position of the Progressive Conservatives overlooks the economic development that already comes from parks and protected areas. Adventure tourism and recreation is one of the fastest-growing segments of tourism, and Grant Fiander said natural assets were among the pillars of the recently launched tourism strategy for the province.

Last year, the tourism sector was worth $3.5 billion to the provincial economy, she said.

“The natural assets we have are a tremendous driver of that activity, and low-impact recreational activities are important. We want people to get in and experience the parks,” said Grant Fiander.

Cabot Cape Breton’s general manager, Mark Steenge, has not responded to multiple interview requests from CBC News. To date, the only details the company has released publicly about its proposal, which was submitted to the province in August, are what’s contained on a website it created.

Kyle MacQuarrie, the MLA for Inverness and ministerial assistant to Masland, said in an interview Tuesday that he has not seen the proposal. He expects to receive some information as soon as it's available.

“As far as the depth of that information, I really don’t know,” he said.

The PC MLA said he’s not talked with Cabot officials and wouldn’t say if he would seek out a meeting. Any communication with the company should be "at the proper time and under the proper circumstances," he said.

MacQuarrie said he is talking with residents who like the idea and see the “economic and social benefits that occurred in Inverness,” the centre of Cabot’s Cape Breton operations.