SANS ADDRESSES HALIFAX CITY COUNCIL

SANS Vice President Amy Schwartz sent a letter to Halifax city council on Thursday expressing SANS support for the Coastal Access Committee and its efforts to preserve access to a popular surf spot called Minutes. The letter in its entirety appears below.

Dear Council,

On behalf of the Surfriders Association of Nova Scotia, which represents the interest of thousands of surfers in our province, I would like to explain why SANS strongly supports the Coastal Access Committee and their work to save Minutes as an access point for the Nova Scotian public.

Second only to Lawrencetown Beach, Minutes is perhaps Nova Scotia’s premiere surfing location. As such, protecting surfers access to this place is to the benefit of not only for the surfing community but for all of HRM and Nova Scotia.

To illustrate why preserving a signature surfing location for Nova Scotia is absolutely essential, allow me to explain the economic, health and community development benefits of surfing:

• Surfing represents Nova Scotia’s fastest growing sport, and most definitely Nova Scotia’s fastest growing leisure-related industry.

• A rough approximation of the amount of money the surf industry brings to HRM annually would be 5-7 million, not including income from tourism for surfing.

• There is no other city in Canada with such prime access to surf

• The number of people surfing in our province has more than quadrupled in the last 10 years and is likely growing in numbers by about 30% each year.

• There are thousands of HRM residents that surf regularly (even daily!) and many who surf all year round. This is in addition to the thousands of people in Nova Scotia that will try the sport each year.

• The healthy, active living benefits of the growth of this sport has had a huge impact on Nova Scotia’s healthy living priorities

• Cow Bay, and especially Minutes, is used by surfers all year round at all times of the day. It is a hugely important centre of recreation for thousands of people in Nova Scotia

• Surfing has become Nova Scotia’s and particularly HRM’s signature sport. It makes HRM “cool” and is a huge draw in attracting young people and young professionals to settle here.

• The amount of surf schools, surf-related businesses and surf-related tourism opportunities has increased dramatically.

• Nova Scotia is now “on the map” internationally as a destination for surfing. This year the largest surfing competition in the world, The WQS Six Star, (equivalent to the PGA Championship in Golf) was examining Minutes as a location to hold this competition.

• Each year, hundreds of people visit Nova Scotia from all over Canada and the US to surf our, now famous, breaks. Hundreds of students choose to go to school in Nova Scotia so that they can surf

Council must recognize the tremendous benefits inherent in actively supporting surfing as a sport, recreation and community building tool in HRM.  HRM stands to reap huge economic and social reward by cultivating an enabling environment for surfing – of which access to Minutes, possibly Nova Scotia’s most iconic surf spot, is absolutely essential.

Council has the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to thousands of constituents who are devoted to surfing, and also to show its vision and leadership in supporting surfing – HRM’s signature sport and recreation. Public access to Minutes is the most crucial piece in Nova Scotia’s surfing future – the world will notice if Council demonstrates a visionary example. Our entire nation, province and HRM will forever be indebted for such a service to your constituency.  Please, do what is in your power, and save this important piece of land – it is crucial to the economic, social and active living development of HRM.

Sincerely,

Amy Schwartz
Vice President – Surfriders Association of Nova Scotia
Executive Director – The Nova Scotia Sea School

** I am a young professional who chose to move home to HRM from South Africa to have access to surf-breaks like Minutes.