Protesters in rural Nova Scotia challenge cabinet decision on whale sanctuary project

A group of landowners in eastern Nova Scotia is speaking out for the first time about their opposition to an ambitious plan to create North America’s first coastal refuge for whales retired from theme parks.

But their complaints about the way the project received approval from the province stand in stark contrast to the views of two other landowners, who insist the project has received widespread support beyond their small, seaside village.

Last week, the Nova Scotia government issued a cabinet order granting the US-based Whale Sanctuary Project a 20-year lease for 83 hectares of Crown land and coastal waters in Wine Harbour, NS, a move that marks a step forward for the much-delayed, privately funded project.

The project gained international attention this month when the owners of the shuttered Marineland theme park in Ontario said they could no longer afford to feed their 30 belugas after the park was denied federal permission to sell the whales to buyers in China.

This led to speculation that some of the whales might be moved to a proposed Nova Scotia refuge, but construction there has not yet begun and the project, announced five years ago, still requires several permits and a lot of fundraising to cover the $20 million cost.

In Vine Harbour, a seaside community about 150 kilometers east of Halifax, some of those opposing the project have come forward to argue that Premier Tim Houston and his Cabinet have ignored a provincial policy that states the Cabinet cannot grant a Crown lease unless there is unanimous consent from affected landowners.

‘You have lost the trust of Nova Scotians’

Tracy Burns-Gagnon and her sister Maureen Fraser, whose family and other relatives own such properties, sent a protest letter to Houston on Thursday, saying they are outraged.

“You have lost the trust of Nova Scotians by putting the interests of an American (organization) above those of property owners in this province,” the letter said. “A unanimous reversal is unfair and procedurally unfair.”

The sisters say that if the sanctuary becomes reality, their families will lose access to the ocean, limiting fishing and boating opportunities.

“Please tell me how many Nova Scotian landowners will freely give up their water rights for 20 years?” Said in his letter. Both women say they have consulted a lawyer.

On Wednesday, Houston issued a statement saying that achieving consensus is often difficult.

“We need to get to a realistic place,” Houston said. “There is an incredible amount of support in the region and across the province for the project, and we thought there was enough support to move forward with the lease.”

When a government spokesperson was asked to respond to the sisters’ allegations on Friday, he pointed to Houston’s previous statement.

Residents’ question received widespread support

Burns-Gagnon and Fraser argue that it would be wrong to assume that there is widespread support for the project in Wine Harbor.

“Apart from a select few, the community’s largest landowners and longest-serving residents are opposed to it,” their letter said. “Our family owns the largest plot of land that will be directly affected by this project, and (we) have been here for several generations.”

The sisters are members of the Burns family, which is well-known in the Wine Harbor area. His mother and his aunt live there for most of the year. Most of the extended family have cottages in the area.

The project has a stake in supporters in the community of St Mary’s District and the surrounding municipality.

Local business owner Tammy Vautour, a Wine Harbor resident since 2013, said she is one of four permanent residents of the community. She doesn’t own one of the affected properties, but said she visits the site of the whale refuge almost every day.

Vautour, who owns Benny’s Bistro in nearby Sherbrooke, NS, said there is solid opposition to the project among people concerned about Burns-Gagnon and Fraser, but she argues there is broad support among the broader municipality’s 2,200 residents.

“We have fought for this project and will continue to fight to ensure its success,” he said in an email. “We also need this project for our success. Without it, we will continue to fade away.”

Vautour said life in a rural community can be difficult with a growing population and fewer employment opportunities.

The area’s largest employer is Sherbrooke Village, a “living museum” where dozens of costumed interpreters walk around a site that depicts rural life in the late 19th century.

“We have seen most of our children leave because there is no opportunity to stay,” he said. “We need something that is consistent with the future of ecotourism, which is a sustainable industry.”

For many years, Vautour said, Vine Harbor has been little more than a place for motorists to stop during the long, though picturesque, drive between Halifax and Cape Breton.

“Nobody lives. Nobody spends. Nobody really engages in one of the most magical areas around. (This project) will allow us to start developing.”

When the whale sanctuary project was first announced, the municipality pledged its support, saying that it could attract visitors and would be consistent with its goals of sustainable development and conservation.

The project also received support from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs in April 2024. Additionally, its board and advisors include a long list of whale and dolphin experts from around the world, including some high-profile professors from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Wine Harbor property owner and local real-estate agent Jake Chisholm said he supports the project because it will help protect the area from mining and major development.

Like Vautour, he believes the sanctuary could spur economic transformation, and he stressed that the project represents a historic opportunity.

“What an honor and a privilege it would be to be close to him and learn from him,” he said in an interview Saturday.

“It’s absolutely unprecedented. It would be a first.”

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