New pathway at Cape Breton resort not up to par, says environmentalist

sYDNeY

One of the world’s top golf resorts is building a new public pathway to Inverness beach but it’s still not par for the course, says a local environmentalist.

On Monday, Cabot Links announced that construction will soon begin on an access path that will allow residents and tourists direct access to the north end of the beach. But according to Neal Livingston of the Margaree Environmental Association, the resort owned by Ben Cowan‐Dewar and Mike Keiser, which also includes the neighbouring Cabot Cliffs course, still owes the public one more path.

Livingston said the path announced was part of an agreement reached by Cabot golf and the province after the developer encroached on a protected beach dune during construction of the Cabot Cliffs course. However, he said Cabot still hasn’t made good on a deal that dates back to when part of Beach Road No. 2, a public road that accesses the beach further south, was closed to allow for “the public deserves to be treated at a certain proper level relative to infrastructure, and this is appropriate that this happen if Cabot isn’t going to complete its obligations under this contract.” the development of the original Cabot Links course.

“It’s great that we’re going to have a beach access coming from this provincial Crown agreement that allowed them to eliminate a dune area for their Cabot Cliffs course, but they still owe us another beach access,” Livingston said, adding that the pathway announced Monday was originally supposed to have been built three years ago.

Cabot officials were not immediately available for comment, but Cowan-Dewar acknowledged the delays in a media release.

“I know it has taken some time, but we have heard the concerns of multiple stakeholders, all of whom have worked hard to find an option that ensures residents and tourists can have safe, direct access to this beautiful beach,” he said.

Livingston said he also wants to know if the Cabot owners will meet other obligations outlined in a letter of authority from the province, including building a parking area for the pathway, which Cabot must also maintain in perpetuity, and erecting interpretative ecological-themed panels.

He said if those criteria aren’t meant, Cabot must pay three times that value in compensation to the province.

“Our concern is if they’re not doing those things like the parking lot and the interpretive signage, that the public really needs to have change rooms and washrooms as part of this beach access,” he said.

“The public deserves to be treated at a certain proper level relative to infrastructure, and this is appropriate that this happen if Cabot isn’t going to complete its obligations under this contract.”