The Pyrrhic Victory
A quick update. In short - it's over for now. There will be no golf course in West Mabou Beach Provincial Park. I was getting texts about it as the Premier was saying the words.
So the park is safe, for now. But Nova Scotia isn't. There is still a push in this province to create an "energy powerhouse" and use our natural resources to do it, by blasting through any objections in the name of economic progress. "Special interest groups" have been holding back business.
Bill 127 still exists, making it illegal for anyone (cough, Indigenous groups) to set up any barricade as a protest on their own lands as it is now a criminal offense to do anything that "is harmful to the economic interests of the Crown or any person lawfully using Crown lands."
We "won" with the West Mabou Beach Provincial Park because the Government and Cabot were exposed on October 3rd by Michael Gorman's CBC article. They were found out early, opposition mobilized, and they looked bad, so now it's over.
We have been working hard here. I, and many others, have seemingly spent every waking hour thinking about this and working on this for weeks. We had a public information session ready to go tonight. And we had a rally ready to go on Sunday. One can't help but think that the announcement today was made to get the jump on how much worse everything would look after the community events.
The Premier said today, "As a government, we're just trying to make a decision that is this, does this benefit Nova Scotians and then is it worth taking to the next step? And this one never got, won't get to the next step." That's not "this is over forever," just "this is over for now."
What Nova Scotia needs is real protection for Parks and public land that stops this kind of thing at the door, because we have to keep dealing with this over and over again, and it hurts the community every time. It has hurt us this time. I did not want to "fight" anyone here, I did not want to be an enemy to people who would welcome a golf course. I did not enjoy this.
I'm tired, a little disoriented. But I owe you an update.
We did indeed go to Hunters Mountain a couple weeks ago. Myself and my husband Morgan Murray, and our friends Kenneth and Jenny MacKenzie. We brought supplies that they were looking for, because they are winterizing there. We were honored to meet the Land Protectors. Especially Marian Nicholas, and Kuku'wes Wow'kis, who were there and showed us around. Marian Nicholas is keeper of the Sacred Fire, and has been defending land since Oka, when she was only a teenager.
The situation at Hunters Mountain is not resolved. Nova Scotia in general is still waiting to see how hard the Houston government will come down on their plans for fracking, uranium mining, lithium mining, you name it. The Alton Gas fiasco is back, of all things.
It's not over.
But you have helped.
Adding Patreon fees to my donation to Hunters Mountain, I was able to send a nice round $5000. So that was from me, but it is from you, too. Thank you. Anyone who upped their membership for the month to help donate to this, please bring it back down to the $1.50 or whatever it is.
And I am glad to help winterize the camp, especially because one person I talked to was just getting over pneumonia. I hope they can keep that girl cozy from now on.
I'm inspired by what my Mi'kmaw neighbours are doing. Their strength and their determination to protect, at great personal cost.
This is me at the encampment, no one else wanted to get in a picture lol. But I did want to show you I was there!
More later. Today is good, but it's not all there yet.
Comments (12)
It’s a continuous fight, but gotta celebrate victory where you can - hats off for stepping into the fray. Oh I saw the Canada Post graphic novel artist stamps, very cool!
We just got back from touring the highlands in September and it was absolutely gorgeous. reminded us of our roots in BC (only the trees are different) infuriating that they'd want to ruin it with a golf course.
So glad it went this way. And of course you're right, it's "this time." I'm not optimistic that the Powers That Be will ever give up options for future attempts, but one can hope -- and act. Thank you for all you did and continue to do!
Thank goodness!
✊
Oh wow, a real life Local Hero!
Thank you for your report. I'm glad that people are protecting this land and hope that decision makers with clear eyed vision of the future will choose to protect the land for the 7 generations to come. It is a sad state when it is a criminal offence for indigenous people to protect their own land. What happened to UNDRIP? The struggle to stop clear cutting is ongoing here on Vancouver Island too.
Is it too much overhead to have a patreon tier that allows for consistent pass along, should that be a direction you want to go in? Like hey $2 for Kate, $8 for preservation? Idk if that's like.... Patreon fraud or gets into weird tax stuff for anyone, but all to say if we want to give to you, but are okay if you pass along the funds to something important to you? It's been a long day at work, hopefully this blob of words makes sense. If it's not feasible or not worth implementing, scrap it!
So grateful to you for standing up to evil, so happy for you and your neighbors that you have kept it at bay at least temporarily, so infuriated that you had to go to such lengths. How has it come to the point that businesses and politicians can be so indifferent to the people they are supposed to serve.
Yay....well done Kate, friends and Indigenous colleagues. We have the same kind of struggle against a government sweeping away protections to open doors for big business friends of the party in power.
HELL YEAH, CHEAP HEAT IS STILL HEAT, WAY TO GO!!!!
Bless <3