On July 30, the court dismissed a petition for judicial review on how the former Liberal government in Nova Scotia withdrew. owl head From the list of Crown properties requiring protection.
The 285-hectare provincial park is a rare ecosystem that is home to many endangered species.
In March 2019, it was quietly removed from the list of protected locations to allow the province to reach an agreement to sell it to the developer. Lighthouse Link Development, a company belonging to beckwith at kitty gilberto, two Americans.
Their ambition is to convert a Nova Scotia Provincial Park into a golf course and build housing there for potential tourists.
The appeal of the recent Supreme Court decision was filed on Friday by the retired biologist bob bancroft and group Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association.
He believes that the judge Christa Brothers a mistake in law
By rejecting the request.
He also reprimanded him for not implementing the principle of public trust.
Aerial view of Owl Head Provincial Park in Nova Scotia.
Photo: Nova Scotia Nature Trust, CBC. Through
The question underlying this appeal is whether the government has the right to inform Nova Scotians before making decisions affecting the fate of lands of ecological importance, particularly lands that were once classified as protected.
, the lawyer representing the association says, Me Jamie Simpson, in a written statement.
The group believes that the population has a right to be informed and that the courts should lean in favor of the decision-making process right now
from government.
act in secret
judge in his decision Brothers It claims that the court could not interfere, as the government, in its opinion, had the right to withdraw owl head List the protected lands and initiate negotiations with developers interested in the park.
Opponents of the proposed sale of the provincial park disagree.
Government should not have the right to act unilaterally and do whatever it wants with public land in secret
, declares Lindsay Lee, on behalf of the union Eastern Shore Forest Watch.
Protesters protest the sale of owl heads in Halifax on August 7, 2021, during a provincial election campaign.
Photo: Radio-Canada
bob bancroftThose who have worked for the government of Nova Scotia for nearly 30 years, see this as a dangerous precedent.
sales ofowl head for private interests and would encourage its transformation into a golf course, he said, encouraging other promoters to lobby the province to acquire the protected spaces.
Recent election campaign stakes
The file and the controversy that accompanies it have complicated the task of the provincial Liberal Party, which was defeated in the election last summer.
owl head Provincial parks and protected areas were removed from the plan for inclusion on the recommendation of the future Liberal leader. Ian Rankin, the then Minister of Lands and Forests.
Ian Rankin was the Premier of Nova Scotia from February to August 2021.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Héloïse Rodriguez-Qizilbash
When CBC Revealed in Nova Scotia (new window) The steps that were kept secret by the Liberal government in December 2019, Minister rankin at least did biodiversity value
of the park owl head And insisted that its safety was not a priority.
The Progressive Conservative Party, which had been elected, was condemned during the election campaign. secret deals
from the Liberal government, but made no commitment to end the proposed sale, only to place it pending environmental assessment and public consultation.
Minister of Natural Resources, Tory Rushton, said he was reviewing the previous government’s decision and was waiting for the moment to see what happens with the appeals process.
Based on the report of Jean Laroche and Michael Gormanhandjob CBC