Residents are invited to attend a community open house to learn more about the permanent conservation of Cape LaHave Island and what it means for the future of this important local landscape.
In October 2025, the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg (MODL) signed a conservation easement with the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, ensuring the island’s natural features are protected in perpetuity. The agreement also maintains public access and supports the traditional, low-impact uses that have long defined the island.
The conservation easement follows several years of public engagement, including community sessions and surveys from 2020 through 2025. Through this process, residents consistently expressed a desire to see the island remain natural, undeveloped, and accessible.
Mayor Elspeth McLean-Wile said the agreement reflects what the community values. “Our residents told us clearly that protecting Cape LaHave Island while maintaining access and traditional uses was important to them. This agreement ensures that this special place will be protected for generations to come.”
Bonnie Sutherland, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, says the project represents both conservation and community in action. “Cape LaHave Island is one of Nova Scotia’s great treasures, not only for the birds and pollinators whose habitat is now protected but also for the countless generations of people – past, present, and future – for whom this island is so precious. It embodies what the Nature Trust is working to protect: intact wild space for nature, and for people.”
The upcoming open house offers an opportunity to:
- Learn what the conservation easement means in practice
- Understand how the island can continue to be used and enjoyed
- Explore ways to get involved through the Nature Trust’s Property Guardian program
The session will include a short presentation from the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, followed by an opportunity for discussion.
Event details:
Wednesday, May 20
6:30–8:00 p.m.
West Dublin Hall
All are welcome.
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