Land clearing starts as Whale Sanctuary Project in Nova Scotia reaches milestone

The group in Nova Scotia behind a bid to build a seaside refuge for captive whales has started clearing land near a bay on the province’s eastern shore.

The U.S.-based Whale Sanctuary Project confirms it has also hired a general contractor and installed a fence around its 12-hectare property at Wine Harbour, N.S., about 200 kilometres east of Halifax.

The group plans to build a 40-hectare underwater net enclosure that will hold up to 10 whales.

Project CEO Charles Vinick says his group has reached a key pre-construction milestone, which will soon be followed by reconstruction of a wharf on the western side of Indian Harbour.

In October, the Nova Scotia government approved a 20-year lease for the group, covering 83 hectares of Crown lands and coastal waters.

The privately funded project, announced six years ago, still requires permits from the federal Fisheries Department and plenty of fundraising to cover the $15-million cost of construction and $1.5 million in annual operating costs.