I sincerely hope he has forwarded this message onto the appropriate decision makers listed above, especially Harold Carroll as my emailed views on this topic to John MacDonell were redirected to Harold Carroll (carrolhe@gov.ns.ca).

For example, in the Davene Jeffery article today he said the park is after all a “camping park”. I expect that Col. Laurie, who donated this land to the province would be surprised to hear that. I have read over his deed granting this land to the province and he provided it “to develop the said lands as a Park for the use and benefit of the public”. The deed says the province accepted it on that basis and agreed to do just that.

It has been used for both a camping and a daily visitor/picnic park and recreational multi uses since then.

Just when and by what authority did it become exclusively a “camping park” ? When did Mr. Laurie’s “the public” become only campers from outside HRM, the province or even the country ? Nor does it say anywhere in the Laurie grant that this park was to become an instrument of economic stimulus or tourist development. It is inconceivable that Mr. Laurie would have wanted massive diesel pusher motor homes accommodated here.

This park has been in use for fifty years. Fifty years ago Grand Lake was something of a wilderness and much more rural than suburban. It was probably a good place for an exclusively camping park. That has changed with the growth and development of this area with suburban housing. There probably was very little daily walking traffic in the park originally because the people were not here to use it and Nova Scotians were not as active, into walking and children’s outings as they are today in suburban areas.

The time when this piece of ground was appropriate for a caravan camping park has past. From a planning point of view, the park is now too close to development. Mr. Carroll’s department and that of Mr. Paris (Tourism and Rural Development) are properly concerned that there are not enough camping facilities in HRM and it is perhaps thought that such a facility here would bring some economic activity to HRM because it is close.

But why should this department have the exclusive right to determine what this public asset should be used for ? Generally, again on pure planning principals, a public recreational asset should be used to give the maximum use to the maximum number of people. This is exactly what has happened up until now – both walker and camper have the use of it. That is, to the extent that campers were interested in coming here (I gather that the campers do not use it anywhere near to capacity). I can almost hear Mr. Carroll saying that indeed that is what he intends to cure by upgrading the facilities – greatly increase vehicular traffic into the park. If not, why would one bother to put federal stimulus money into it at all ?

There can be no question that the overwhelming use of this park has been the year round daily visitors. Making it exclusively for campers, by either legislating the pedestrains out or simply displacing them with the camping traffic, goes against this maximum use principle. By the way, Mr. Carroll is to be commend for his forthright admission that the two uses in the upgraded park would simply be incompatible – I could not agree more.

I expect that the people feel that the government has a very blinkered view of this park’s true value. It sees it as an resource under it’s purview which should be used to enhance the park system, bring it into the modern era and provide some economic stimulus. It is the same old mindset – we have to be intrusive, spend money on it and changed it to make it something. But it already is something – something so very special and the most used facility in the entire area exactly because it is undeveloped.

Nobody has ever had a problem with sitting on a rock and enjoying nature in this park. It is exactly this naturalistic use that people over whelming prize in this pristine setting – it has an almost spiritual value. No doubt this is why the Sisters of Charity have their retreat next door.

The park is not “tired” and it amazes me that the department’s vision of the thing is so simplistic and limited. What makes a park is the trees, rocks and water. No amount of lumber, pipes and concrete will improved it.

Will Nova Scotia’s government be forever unsophisticated and behinds the times on issues like this ?

I would also point out that the action to put in place a set of bylaws at the LWF was supported and promoted from the beginning to provide accountability at the LWF. I WOULD POINT OUT ALSO THAT THOUSE OF YOU WHO ARE KNOCKING HIM CAN HELP BY ATTENDING THE ANNUAL MEETING AND SUPPORTING THOSE OF US WHO ARE TRYING TO CLEAN THINGS UP.

This park is well used by the local residents as well as campers. It’s a wonderful place to get much needed exercise with families all year around. In summer you can swim, kayak and canoe, picnic, and make frineds. It’s a way of life in the area. The park provides a place where people can enjoy the great outdoors in a time when more exercise is badly needed and more sub-divisions are being built taking away accessable land and providing more people to use the park.

Preventing access to the park to local residents would be a big injustice.

In the time I have been going here I have never seen the camp full. Fix the washrooms, add showers
encourage the people to come before you go digging. Once the park can be fill with campers, THEN expand the park. I won’t be able to see the friends I made there, enjoy their dogs and meet other people. It is the best place to meet friendly people.

I used to walk the highway while cars going flying by, but I guess I have to resort back to this, meet my friends on the corners and HOPE we do not get hit. WE WANT OUR PARK THE WAY IT IS. Why can’t our MLA stop still. Isn’t this one reason how to help the community.