Residents relieved by Carter's Beach purchase

The family that owned it allowed people to use the beach. Now, the provincial government, as first announced March 28, has officially purchased the beach along with adjacent Wobamkek Beach. The total land involved is 70 hectares. The acquisition doesn’t include the family’s residence.

Counc. Norman says area residents are “really happy. The premier and cabinet deserve a big round of thanks for this purchase. This is a very big gift to the people of Queens County and a big gift to the land. People who knew the land had been privately held were always fearful what will happen when the day came. I think this puts everybody’s mind at ease.”

She adds Mayor Leefe is largely responsible as well for his immediate and ongoing efforts.

“It was brought to my attention from a local person that the land was going to be sold and there was large-spread interest in the property so I brought that to the mayor’s attention.”

Mayor Leefe says, “It’s an example of how important it is for people at the local level to keep their ear to the ground. Speaking to me, I was able to contact the premier’s office and gave every encouragement to the province to acquire the property.” This was late last year.

He says the property was a personal matter because as Queens MLA in the early 1980s he helped arrange for Carter’s Beach to be protected by the provincial government for ecological reasons, including the fragile dune system.

Now, he says, “I must say the province worked diligently and has come through with flying colours on this acquisition. It’s wonderful that the owner has accepted the offer from the province and taken the initiative to acquire it to protect it in perpetuity as part of the public landscape in Queens County. This now belongs to the people of Nova Scotia and it is something wonderful we have in Queens. We’ve enjoyed that beach for a very long time.”

He says the property would “clearly” become the responsibility of the Department of Natural Resources. He suspects the Milton office will manage the site.

He also anticipates waste receptacles and perhaps an improved parking area would be installed and constructed.

However, he says, “I would certainly hope any improvements would be low impact,” adding it could be a “significant addition” to the province’s Special Places Protection Act.

The government has stated the land’s designation will be publicized in the near future.

In addition, he said the effort to purchase millions of dollars of land from N.F. Douglas Lumber Ltd. and Harry Freeman and Son Ltd. would help those companies through a difficult economic time. Natural Resources has confirmed these have been purchased as well. Use of the lands will be publicized in the future.

Counc. Norman says the only concern she has heard amongst the huge number of positive opinions involves whether or not changes to the beach sites will be low impact, like those mentioned by Mayor Leefe in addition to solar compost outhouses.

“People do not want it to become part of a tourism destination area, that it remains an off-road quiet, protected beach. It’s not meant be trampled by thousand of visitors per day.” Therefore, she says residents are also hoping a community consultation process will be initiated.

“We need to monitor its use and decide what’s best for the land, not what’s best for the people. It has one of the largest dune systems in the province and is an area worthy of protection.”

She adds protecting the area is another reason to avoid vastly increasing Port Mouton Bay’s aquaculture industry, a proposal currently before the federal government.

“This purchase certainly makes this bay more recreational with Kejimkujik Seaside National Park, White Point, Summerville, Port Mouton Island, all the cabins - and now we have this seashore parcel as well. It certainly adds to the argument of quiet recreational use, which is certainly contrary to a 24 hour, 365 day fish farm.”

Messages left at N.F. Douglas and Harry Freeman and Son were not returned.