PORT HILFORD — A rights-based organization representing the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs is seeking a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) to strengthen collaboration on plans to relocate beluga whales – and potentially orcas – to a proposed sanctuary at Port Hilford.
Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn (KMK), which has been consulting with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (NSDNRR) since 2021, has worked directly with WSP in a “technical capacity” since 2023. “The consultation table seeks to address any impacts and outline accommodations for the Mi’kmaq Nation,” KMK marine protected area coordinator Bec Borchet said in an email to The Journal.
Borchet said the proposed MOU would formalize a relationship already rooted in shared values and mutual respect. “WSP wants to operate in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq. The MOU simply defines areas where Mi’kmaw Rights and Title can be upheld within the context of the whale sanctuary. We see many potential benefits of working together for our Nation and for the whales.”
WSP chief executive officer Charles Vinick confirmed the ongoing relationship, noting that the organization has been in regular contact with Mi’kmaw leaders since early in the site search process four years ago.
“All of our engagement with these entities are informal,” he said. Nonetheless, he acknowledged, WSP has participated in more than 20 meetings and presentations with Mi’kmaw leaders and groups. He added that, while the formal duty to consult remains with the province, WSP is responsible for covering costs related to assessments and studies required for the consultation process.
The WSP’s efforts to advance the sanctuary, however, are facing headwinds.
Although the project received provincial environmental approval in 2023, its ability to secure a Crown land lease – a critical step – remains uncertain. As reported by The Journal in March, provincial officials have made clear that unanimous consent from all nine upland property owners adjacent to the sanctuary site must be secured before the lease can be finalized. To date, WSP has consent from six.
“We are at a critical juncture,” Vinick told The Journal in March. He said the group continues to address the concerns of remaining landowners, which include access to shallow waters and the positioning of nets across openings in the bay.
While provincial Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton has said exemptions are not being considered, discussions continue. Guysborough-Tracadie MLA Greg Morrow said he remains engaged with all parties in hopes of reaching a positive outcome.
In the meantime, WSP continues to develop infrastructure for the proposed $18-$20 million initiative, funded entirely through private donations, first envisioned in 2020. It plans further consultations with local communities.
Vinick said working closely with Mi’kmaw partners has shaped the sanctuary’s development, noting that their cultural respect for animals and deep knowledge of nature will be reflected in interpretive programming and ceremonies. “When we designed our visitor centre in Sherbrooke, we were privileged to receive two paintings from Alan Syliboy, the renowned Mi’kmaw artist, one of an orca and one of a beluga.”
The works, which include a traditional story in the Mi’kmaw language, are on public display. WSP plans to further highlight Mi’kmaw culture during its Oceans Day celebration in May.
“We share similar values with WSP when it comes to protecting these marine animals, such as respect, reciprocity, sharing and stewardship,” Chief Tamara Young, co-lead of Environment, Energy and Mines with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, said in a public release April 9. “We look forward to seeing where these discussions go and to help bring an end to the exploitation of whales living in captivity and finding ways to protect them in our shared oceans.”
