Columns and Letters

Letter: RV park owners committed to responsibly managing their business

Dear Editor,
    Scott MacPherson and Jason Harder are the owners of Waves End RV & Campground located in Point Cross. As the owners, I think it is important to convey our thoughts and intentions to the broader community and why until now, we have remained relatively silent with respect to the posts and conversations that have occurred around our business venture.
    Scott was born in Pleasant Bay, grew up in Cheticamp, is proud of his heritage and Cape Breton in general. His dream is to find a way to move back home, retire from years of working thousands of kilometers from home and enjoy time with his family as none of us are getting any younger. The plan is to return to Cheticamp, start a business that will flourish and benefit his family, local businesses, and the larger community. Success from this endeavor will be the foundation by which other businesses and amenities can be brought to Cheticamp providing opportunities and jobs for the younger folks. The opportunity for folks to achieve success and realize their dreams locally, versus having to work away, separated from family and friends, is a cause everyone can appreciate.


    Jason lives in Alberta which is where Jason and Scott met.  He is a proud member of the Metis Nation, believes in helping others to achieve their dreams and being an example of what the Indigenous People of Canada can accomplish despite the resistance and obstacles they may encounter. Scott shared his dream with Jason and once Jason had his first visit to Cheticamp, he was committed to the dream.
    Over the period of two years, market research was performed to ensure that any business decisions made were well-informed decisions. These decisions ranged from determining optimal business locations, developing site plans, determining service offerings, creating marketing plans, and realistic revenue models. The Point Cross property was determined to be the ideal location. The property had been on the market for years and the zoning allowed it to be developed for use as a campground. As any prudent businessman does, the zoning of the surrounding properties was also evaluated to determine what the business landscape might look like in the future if others purchased the surrounding properties for their business ventures. Purchasing the surrounding properties was an option for Waves End if it was determined that the future landscape posed an undesirable risk, but it did not.
    As the business plan was being developed, two of the key pillars in its formulation were the environment and the customer experience. There have been several iterations of sites plans and the final plan ensures that each site has a minimum of 864 sq. ft. of greenspace surrounding it. When planning begins, one determines the maximum capacity of the business and that then that is balanced with the desire for an awesome customer experience. This resulted in decreasing the number of lots and structuring them in such a way that, if our customer data supported increasing lot sizes and thereby decreasing the number of lots, it would be easy to do so and require little re-work. Nova Scotia tourism data states that the average occupancy of campgrounds is 57 per cent and since Waves End is new, our revenue model for the first year is based on 25 per cent occupancy. We will learn a lot in the first year and apply those learnings to improve our business and relationships.
    The point has been raised as to why the owners of Waves End has been quiet despite emails sent from three property owners nearby the Waves End property and a formal letter from their attorney. Early on, one of the owners from the US had a call with Scott and afterward thanked him for the opportunity to meet him via phone and that he appreciated his courtesy and forthrightness.
    What transpired next was an email from each property owner that painted RV owners in a dismal light, insulted our character, instructed us to what an appropriate business should look like, and threatened us with legal action ending with, let me know when you would be free for a call. I think anyone reading this can answer the question, why didn’t the owners jump at the chance to converse with these concerned citizens?
    Some of the documented concerns that our neighbours have regarding our potential customers are as follows:
– “The privacy and ‘safe-feeling’ that we have enjoyed will be taken away. No more early morning coffee in our night clothes on the deck – we won’t know who is gawking at us or worse. Where we now allow grandchildren to have the freedom to enjoy our yard and property, we’ll now have to insist they stay close by in the yard or even stay indoors.”
– “The sounds of partying, music, drinking, and possible rowdiness that we will have to endure until all hours of the night.”
– “We see a significant potential for increased crime or nuisance, including trespass and hooliganism given that RV parks attract all types of people and given that there is no fencing in place; our property is wide open to this site and who knows who will be coming to our door; or wandering around our property. The potential use of drugs or alcohol creates the possibility of violence and crime for neighbours.”
– “Who is going to monitor the behavior of all those guests and ensure they do not trespass on our property under the influence of alcohol or drugs?”
– “Security worries linked to strangers stumbling into our backyard or onto our beach.”
    Some of the environmental concerns that our neighbours documented are as follows:
– Excessive amounts of dust from vehicles coming and going on a gravel driveway.
– Exhaust and carbon monoxide emissions from vehicles.
– Smoke from BBQs and campfires.
– Odors, including methane when septic tanks are emptied.
– Odors from on-site garbage storage facilities.
– “I am concerned about the use and misuse of campfires…the smoke which could drive us from our properties.”
    Is this really the sentiment of the larger community regarding the character of the RV customers that visit annually and support the local businesses?
    The actual occurrence of any of the listed concerns would result in an undesirable experience for our customers and negatively impact our business as our customers aren’t a hundred(s) of feet away, so such issues would have a stronger impact on them.
    The owners of Waves End RV Park & Campground are committed to responsibly managing their business and ensuring that customers have a first-class experience. Accomplishing this requires that the concerns expressed by our neighbours are not realized and the hope is that all exist in harmony.
    As the saying goes, “Happy wife, happy life”; well ideally, “Happy customers, happy neighbours.”
    Jason Harder/Scott MacPherson
    Edmonton, AB


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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