Dear editor,
In the past few weeks there has been a great deal of inaccuracies being shared with media and interested parties by those who are opposed to the Never Forgotten National Memorial project. We would like to correct some of the misleading details being shared and send you some facts for your records.
Myths vs. Facts:
Myth – There hasn’t been any public consultation on the project.
Fact – The vision for the project and location were announced publicly in August, 2013 by Parks Canada and the Never Forgotten National Memorial Foundation. There have been two community meetings held on the project (March 1st and October 7th, 2014) and the draft environmental detailed impact analysis (DIA) process is an additional public consultation step. Both public meetings were well attended by local residents and those from further away and throughout Cape Breton. At the October 7th public meeting, organized by the Foundation and Parks Canada, well over 80 per cent of the attendees were very supportive of the project. Many people have been able to provide their thoughts, opinions, and feedback through the public meetings, website, social media, e-mail, letters, phone calls, and at Parks Canada offices. The posting of the draft DIA is another opportunity for the Foundation to hear specific concerns with respect to the project’s potential environmental impacts, and modify its plans according to the recommendations received through Parks Canada.
Myth – The Memorial will destroy this site for geoscientific studies.
Fact – The point of land where the Memorial is planned to be built, is approximately 0.4 hectares within the 26,000 hectare area occupied by the Black Brook Granite Suite within and around the Cape Breton Highlands National Park of Canada (CBHNPC). The change in rock formation features associated with the Project will have a negligible effect on the formation in the region. Furthermore, 25 per cent spatial extent of geological disturbance associated with the project will occur in an area that has already been partially disturbed by current activities in the Park. When completed, approximately 75 per cent of the exposed bedrock surface will be visible and accessible. Currently, this site is inaccessible to visitors with disabilities. Upon completion, the Memorial will provide a safe viewing area which will be accessible to all visitors. The Memorial design plans incorporate the rock formation in the observation viewing area so that more visitors will be able to safely view this rock formation.
Myth – The Memorial is simply about commercialization and financially benefiting from our war dead.
Fact – No logos, corporate signage or advertising is allowed within the grounds from the Memorial Gateway (entrance to the Memorial) to the Mother Canada statue and surrounding observation area. Donor names will be recognized outside of the Memorial gateway and will adhere to Parks Canada sign regulations. There will be no names at the base of the Mother Canada statue as suggested by some individuals. The Foundation has developed a list of items based on the goods which are likely to be sold at gift stores similar to the ones at Juno Beach or Vimy Memorial, in order to fully protect the trademarks for the Memorial. This list may be further refined and amended prior to registration of the trademark. Any funds raised through the sale of goods or services related to the Memorial will go towards the maintenance and operations of the Memorial.
Myth – The Memorial will destroy the rare birds and nesting sites found at Green Cove.
Fact – Through the DIA process, no wildlife on the species of conservation concern list were identified to be considered likely to frequent the local area. For species that may occur in and around the local area, mitigation procedures will be undertaken including no clearing activities during nesting periods of migratory birds, establishing buffer zones around nests, if found during the nesting surveys that will be conducted by qualified biologists at the appropriate time of year, and avoidance of any project construction activity in the immediate area, until nesting is complete and chicks have migrated out of the area.
Myth – The Memorial will ruin the marine environment and hurt the lobster fishing business.
Fact – Lobsters are mainly nocturnal and are therefore averse to strong light that can affect their burrowing and foraging behaviour. There will be no artificial night lighting of physical structures at the Memorial and therefore will not affect the behaviours of the lobster or other marine species. Currently, there are no plans for blasting at the Memorial site.
Myth – The Memorial will destroy the rare Jack Pine.
Fact – The Government of Nova Scotia declared a large tree stand of Jack Pine in the Cape Breton area, a Heritage Tree Stand to recognize the significance of this unique and relatively uncommon tree species in Cape Breton. There were three mature Jack Pines found in the Green Cove area, but they are outside of the project development area and outside of the local assessment area and will therefore not be impacted by the Memorial construction.
The Never Forgotten National Memorial will commemorate the more than 114,000 Canadian War Dead who lie buried in foreign countries, lost at sea, or otherwise consumed into the landscapes of war.
Honouring Canadian War Dead…. Wherever They May Lie.
Meg Stokes
Never Forgotten National Memorial Foundation
