Land legacy
Nature conservancy obtains ecologically significant Cape Breton sites
An image of an iceberg in a Canadian consulate window in New York City after an escape from a stuffy subway led David Newton to pursue a further escape from city life.
“I said ‘God, that’s where I want to be.’ I went in and asked an immigration officer what do I do can I get to Canada,” Newton recalled.
“After numerous questions in which I only had vague answers eventually I was asked ‘how much money do you have? I said I don’t have any.”
A frustrated immigration officer told him he’d better go to Nova Scotia because nobody there has any money either.
After two years of saving, the Newtons would come to settle in Cape Breton, near Cain’s Mountain west of Iona specifically, and in sight of exposed white cliffs, and rare and uncommon plants and wildlife.
Some 57 years after his arrival, Newton and his wife Pam have donated a portion of their adopted home to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
“From the house there is this great sheer white cliffs and it is beautiful there,” said Newton. “Some people might consider it daunting.” Craig Smith, Nova Scotia program director for the trust, called Cain’s Mountain ecologically significant.
“These gypsum ecosystems produce very, very rich in unusual ecological conditions,” he said.
“There are very steep exposed gypsum cliffs, deep caverns and tunnels and cave systems.”
Along with 162 hectares from the Newtons, the conservancy announced Wednesday it had obtained a further 69 hectares of mainly Acadian forest near Marble Mountain, as well as a 43-hectare site at West Lake Ainslie.
“We tell people what is significant about their site,” Smith said about land acquisitions.
“Most times people are very unaware of those, so they are very interested in learning more about their property. We then introduce them to the concept of conservation.”
Despite their love of their neighbours, the dramatic scenery and wildlife, the Newtons had long since moved away from Cain’s Mountain.
“Over the years we frequently considered returning to the mountain but gradually came to understand that age would prevent us from doing what youth would allow,” said David.
Their children were a first consideration for new ownership, but they’ve since moved on to other locations around North America.
A solution presented itself when Newton saw an article in the Cape Breton Post, where he once worked as an associate editor, about the Nature Conservancy search for Cape Breton sites.
“You don’t know what is going to happen to it,” said Pam Newton. “We’d been approached by logging companies and we just didn’t want that to happen.”
The Nature Conservancy is active in Cape Breton after a 15-year absence and looking to acquire even more sites over the next ten years.
Some land can be donated, while other sites are purchased. Tax incentives for partial purchases can also be offered.
In particular, Smith said they are looking at areas with quality habitat, rare species, higher elevation forests, and old growth forests.
“It’s a great way to recognize that most Nova Scotians … are not wealthy but we often are holding on to these incredible land assets that can enable them to leave a legacy despite not being wealthy.”