COASTAL ACCESS TAKES COUNCIL TO MINUTES
Members of the Coastal Access Committee (CAC) took Halifax city councillor Jackie Barkhouse (District 8 Woodside – Eastern Passage) for a tour of the shoreline leading to the popular Minutes surf spot Friday morning.
CAC is lobbying Halifax Regional Council to fund the purchase of a piece of land in the area to ensure public access to the surf spot, which has been host to several high-profile surf competitions in recent years.
The tour was also attended by members of the media, including television crews from CBC and CTV, as well as about a dozen local surfers. Despite a decent swell, there were only two surfers in the water at the time due to strong onshore winds.
Access to Minutes has been in jeopardy since the shorefront property adjacent to the surf spot was purchased by a neighbouring resident, who has subdivided the land and plans to sell it.
The resident, who has done some initial land clearing, is apparently unhappy with surfers, who regularly walk through his property to get to the water.
To resolve the issue, CAC is asking HRM to buy a neighbouring strip of property, which runs from Cow Bay Road to the shore.
The plan would be to build a small parking lot next to the road and construct a path leading to the shore. The property contains a small pond, which could be crossed with the addition of a short boardwalk.
Access would be available to the public at large, not just surfers.
According to CAC co-chair Iaian Archibald, city council has set aside money for the project, and now must vote on whether to move forward with the land purchase. Council was expected to meet later on Friday to discuss the initiative, said Archibald, and a vote could take place within a couple of weeks.
When asked about CAC’s plan, Barkhouse was less forthcoming about council’s intentions. She wouldn’t say whether council was meeting to discuss the plan and suggested there were no immediate plans for a vote.
“Right now it’s on council’s wish list,” she said. When asked to explain, she declined to comment any further.
According to another CAC member who was in attendance during the tour, there is some resistance to the plan at council.
For more information on the CAC initiative at Minutes, email iarch@hotmail.com or surfridersns@gmail.com
Reader Comments
I applaud the CAC for their effort. But in the event they are unsuccessful, I don’t think it will be the end of the world. I mean look at Backyards, private property doesn’t stop people there.
The national seashore at Cape Cod has saved nature. No one is able to purchase and build on this land, so everyone can enjoy it’s beauty. There’s nothing as ugly as a coastline littered with homes, owned by 50 people. Look at Long Island or California coast. Puke! The gov’t should do the same. Buy it all! Let everyone use it. Be green all the way.
Wow, don’t let it get like it is here in Southern California. Fight it now while you still can. It’s just not about access, it when they start building and then it creates the toxic runnoff.
Winter access to Martinique beach is being blocked by a Calgary developer who has constructed three homes on the beach with two more planned for the point. He is also planning to gate Coalies Head Causeway in the near future and build a house in the middle of the causeway. He is also planning an eight foot fence around his landholdings which would block the view of the beach from the East Petpeswick Road.
The environment committee of the HRM visioning process is trying to prevent this from happening and any support would be welcome. There is a facebook group where you can submit comments on the HRM website