A group of landowners in eastern Nova Scotia is speaking out for the first time about their opposition to an ambitious plan to build North America's first coastal sanctuary for theme park whales.
But their complaints about how the project received provincial approval stand in stark contrast to the views of two other landowners, who insist the project has broad support beyond their tiny oceanfront village.
Last week, the Nova Scotia government issued a cabinet resolution granting the U.S. Whale Sanctuary Project a 20-year lease on 83 hectares of Crown land and coastal waters in Wine Harbor, North Carolina, a step forward for the much-delayed privately funded project.
The project drew international attention this month when the owners of the closed Marineland theme park in Ontario said they could no longer afford to feed their 30 beluga whales after the park was denied federal permission to sell whales to buyers in China.
That has prompted speculation that some of the whales could be relocated to a proposed sanctuary in Nova Scotia, but construction there has not yet begun and the project, announced five years ago, still requires multiple permits and extensive fundraising to cover the $20 million cost.
In Wine Harbour, a seaside community about 150 kilometers east of Halifax, some of the project's opponents said Premier Tim Houston and his cabinet had ignored provincial policy that the cabinet cannot grant leases to the Crown without the unanimous consent of affected landowners.
“You have lost the trust of Nova Scotians.”
Tracy Burns-Gagnon and her sister Maureen Fraser, whose family and other relatives own the property, sent a letter of protest to Houston on Thursday, saying they were outraged.
“You have lost the trust of the people of Nova Scotia by placing the interests of the United States (organization) above the interests of property owners in this province,” the letter said. “Rejecting ‘unanimous consent’ is unreasonable and procedurally unfair.”
The sisters say if the sanctuary becomes a reality, their families will lose access to the ocean, limiting their fishing and boating opportunities.
“Please tell me how many Nova Scotia landowners will voluntarily give up their water rights for 20 years?” says their letter. Both women say they have consulted with a lawyer.
Houston released a statement Wednesday saying reaching consensus is often difficult.
“We needed to come to a realistic outcome,” Houston said. “The project has incredible support in the area and across the province and we thought there was enough support to continue with the lease.”
When asked Friday to respond to the sisters' allegations, a government spokeswoman pointed to Houston's previous statement.
Residents' question received wide support
Burns-Gagnon and Frazier say it would be wrong to assume the project would have widespread support in Wine Harbor.
“With the exception of a select few, the largest landowners and longest-living residents of the community are opposed to this,” their letter said. “Our family owns the largest piece of land that will be directly affected by this project, and (we) have lived here for many generations.”
The sisters are members of the Burns family, which is well known in the Wine Harbor area. Their mother and aunt live there most of the year. Most of the extended family have cottages in the area.
The project has its share of supporters in the community and the nearby municipality of St. Mary's Parish.
Local business owner Tammy Vautour, a Wine Harbor resident since 2013, said she is one of four full-time residents in the community. She does not own any of the affected properties, but said she visits the whale refuge area almost every day.
Vautour, who owns Beanie's Bistro in nearby Sherbrooke, North Carolina, said there is significant opposition to the project among those with ties to Burns-Gagnon and Fraser, but she argues there is broad support among the 2,200 residents of the broader municipality.
“We have fought for this project and will continue to fight to ensure its success,” she said in an email. “We also need this project for our own success. Without him we will continue to decline.”
The Nova Scotia government has approved a lease of more than 80 hectares of land and water on the province's east coast to a group that wants to create North America's first whale sanctuary. The upcoming project still has to raise money, obtain federal permits and adopt a few whales.
Vautour said life can be difficult in rural areas with an aging population and limited job opportunities.
The area's largest employer is Sherbrooke Village, a “living museum” where dozens of costumed interpreters stroll through grounds depicting late 19th-century village life.
“We're seeing more of our children leaving because they don't have the opportunity to stay,” she said. “We need something that fits the future of ecotourism, which is a sustainable industry.”
For years, Vautour said, Wine Harbor was little more than a place for motorists to stop during the long, albeit scenic, drive between Halifax and Cape Breton.
“Nobody stays. Nobody spends. No one is really tackling what is truly one of the most magical areas around. (This project) will allow us to start growing.”
When the whale sanctuary project was first announced, the municipality pledged its support, saying it could attract visitors and would meet its sustainability and conservation goals.
In April 2024, the project also received support from the Assembly of Mi'kmaw Chiefs of Nova Scotia. In addition, its board and advisors include a long list of whale and dolphin experts from around the world, including several renowned professors from Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Jake Chisholm, a Wine Harbor property owner and local real estate agent, said he supports the project because it will help protect the area from mining and large development.
Like Vautour, he believes the refuge could spur an economic turnaround and stressed that the project represents a historic opportunity.
“What an honor and a privilege it would be to be around this and learn from it,” he said in an interview Saturday.
“It's just phenomenal. This will be the first.”
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