An Open Letter To Mayor Clarke and Council

March 16, 2018

Mayor Cecile Clark

320 Esplanade - Suite 400

Sydney, NS B1P 7B9

Mayor Clarke,

I am writing to formally request that you, in consultatlion with Council, explain why CBRM Council adopted a Municipal Climate Change Action Plan (MCCAP) on April 15th, 2014, which includes promises to take measures to protect the Bras d’Or Lake and its shorelines, but have seemingly not acted on this plan?

I was shocked to learn that the CBRM council refused to consider the environment and especially the Bras d”or Lake; its shorelines, the quality of its water, and its larger ecosystem when deciding whether a large-scale development - the RV park in Big Pond, should be placed on the shores of an environmentally sensitive pond.

I was more shocked to learn, through research, that Council adopted an MCCAP which is like a promise to CBRM residents that you will take measures to counteract the coming effects of climate change.

The Nova Scotia government , in its report titled Sensitive Coastal Ecosystems & Habitats: The 2009 State of Nova Scotia’s Coast Report, rated coastal ecosystems as to their sensitivity and risk for harm and categorized the Bras d’Or Lake as “highly sensitive,” which is the same rating assigned to “sandy shores and sand dunes”, which are protected.

In this report, the province reminds municipalities of their responsibilities in reference to shorelines: “The Municipal Government Act and the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter have powers to regulate land use. Their decisions can significantly affect different coastal ecosystems.”

Also, the report has this guidance for all people in the province of Nova Scotia, about how we can protect our coastlinesL: “Focusing conservation and restoration efforts on the most sensitive ecosystems, which may include sandy shores, sand dunes,estuaries, mudflats, coastal wetlands, and the Bras d’Or Lakes.”

The Big Pond RV Park would not have passed council were the promises made - four years ago -  in the MCCAP fulfilled.

Mayor Clarke, you have publically committed to bring transparency to the CBRM government: I ask that you, and Council, review the process that led to the approval of the RV park in Big Pond, and this time include the environmental factors that Council has promised us to include in making decisions about developments in environmentally sensitive areas.

Respectfully yours,

Lorna MacNeil

If you read this letter and agree that we need to know what happened to the CBRM Climate Change Action Plan, please reach out to your councillor or the mayor, by phone or email. This is important. Contact Information for The Mayor and Council

CC

Clarence Prince, Councillor, District 1

Earlene MacMullin, Councillor, District 2

Esmond “Blue” Marshall,  Councillor, District 3

Steve Gillespie, Councillor, District 3

Eldon MacDonald, Deputy Mayor

Ray Paruch, Councillor, District 6

Ivan Doncaster, Councillor, District 7

Amanda McDougall, Councillor, District 8

George MacDonald, Councillor, District 9

Darren Bruckschwaiger, Councillor, District 10

Kendra Coombes, Councillor, District 11

Jim MacLeod, Councillor, District 11