Leonard Preyra - MLA for Halifax Citadel – Sable Island

By LEONARD PREYRA

Not surprisingly, as with almost all issues affecting Sable Island, the recent decision to designate it as a national park has generated a great deal of attention and discussion. People care deeply about this legendary sand bar, especially its iconic horses and unique flora and fauna, and would settle for nothing less than the highest levels of protection.

The steps leading to national park status began in January when the federal and provincial governments signed a memorandum of understanding to work collaboratively to designate Sable Island as a protected area. Shortly thereafter, a joint task group was struck to identify legal, legislative, jurisdictional, and technical issues, and to determine which of the federal protected-area designations (national park or national wildlife area) offered the best protection for Sable Island’s fragile ecosystem.

After three months of study, the group recommended that Sable Island be designated and managed as a national park under the Canada National Parks Act. On May 18, both levels of government accepted this recommendation and committed to exploring ways and means of implementing it.

Many longtime Sable Island stewards have stated that the status quo is untenable, and conservation groups have expressed their agreement that the national park option promises the best protection of the island and its natural and cultural assets. However, much work remains to be done before any designation can be finalized. This is the time for the public to get involved in shaping a vision for the future of the island.

Foremost in the discussion has been the protection of Sable Island’s flora and fauna, including species at risk, such as the roseate tern and the Ipswich sparrow, the Sable horses, and the management of other wildlife populations. Recent developments in the Gulf of Mexico remind us of our obligation to protect the integrity of this fragile ecosystem and its surrounding waters.

Many of our national parks hold great fascination for Canadians and visitors from around the world, and Sable Island is no exception. While part of the Parks Canada mandate is to present and interpret Canada’s national heritage, there are a range of ways to do this.

Many Canadians will never visit our remote northern national parks, for example, where visitor access is strictly managed. But rich learning experiences can be created in off-site visitor centres or even online, and can help make a fragile and remote place like Sable accessible to a broader audience. Your expectations for how Canadians will learn about and appreciate Sable Island, whether through educational materials or on a once-in-a-lifetime visit, are needed to help shape this vision.

Both levels of government have also committed to maintaining an ongoing human presence on the island. Parks Canada appears to be best positioned to manage and protect Sable Island, but there is a great deal of ongoing and vital wildlife and environmental monitoring and research conducted on the island, which require a commitment and management plan to support a research station and the scientific community which depends on it.

Both levels of government are committed to finding the right fit for Sable Island’s protection. This memorandum of understanding is about establishing a meaningful and stable conservation and management plan that secures this wonderful ecological and cultural legacy for present and future generations.

This week, Parks Canada is holding public information sessions at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and Pier 21 to identify citizens’ concerns and expectations. I encourage you to participate. To find out more, go to www.parkscanada.gc.ca. To participate in a community-based discussion, go to the Green Horse Society website at www.greenhorsesociety.com.

I, too, would like to know your reaction to this initiative. I can be contacted by email at preyra@eastlink.ca or by phone at 902-444-3238.

‘Rich learning experiences can be created in off-site visitor centres or even online, and can help make a fragile and remote place like Sable accessible to a broader audience.’

LEONARD PREYRA

Leonard Preyra is MLA for Halifax Citadel–Sable Island.