HALIFAX — A Nova Scotia minister has stated that she is not interested in permitting a prominent golf developer to construct a course in a provincial park in Cape Breton. However, she remains open to discussing other potential projects on protected land. Natural Resources Minister Kim Masland made these remarks on Thursday, which drew criticism from the Opposition. They accused her of being inconsistent in her stance.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender expressed her concerns, saying, "We saw (Masland) double down on the idea that she'll have a conversation with anyone, presumably any company or corporate interest about any provincial park, and then say (the land is) protected at the same time."

The Toronto-based company Cabot has attempted three times to develop a golf course on Cape Breton's West Mabou Beach. Premier Tim Houston has previously described Cabot's proposal as unreasonable and not in the best interests of Nova Scotians.

On Thursday, Masland reiterated her disinterest in the West Mabou golf course proposal, even if the company were to modify its plans. She emphasized that a responsible government should be open to discussing various development proposals, including those on protected land.

"As a minister, from the very beginning, (I) have been open to conversations with Nova Scotians. And we look at each proposal case by case. Just because you listen to someone, doesn’t mean you agree with them," Masland stated after a cabinet meeting.

When asked if land can still be considered protected if the government is willing to entertain development proposals, Masland responded, "Absolutely. It's protected, but we can still have conversations. It doesn't mean that it's going to change the (protected) designation, but you can still have a conversation."

According to a Nova Scotia environment and climate change website, a protected area is defined as "a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature."

Chender criticized Masland's position as contradictory, noting that while she has ruled out golf development on West Mabou Beach, she is open to considering other protected areas for development. Chender is advocating for legislative changes to strengthen Nova Scotia's protected land rules to ensure they remain conserved.

"We need to understand that parks are in fact protected, and we didn’t really get assurance (from Masland) on that," Chender said.

Liberal member Derek Mombourquette also weighed in, stating that if protected lands are subject to development discussions, they cannot be considered truly protected. "We protect lands for a reason," he said. "This government has shown multiple times that they’re willing to reverse that, which is very problematic."

In 2021, the government committed to protecting 20 percent of Nova Scotia's land and water by 2030. As of July 2024, the province reported that 13.6 percent of its land was protected. On November 5, the province announced the designation of an additional 12.7 square kilometers of land in 16 parks and wilderness areas as protected.