by Shannon Monk, KMKNO

The recent media attention regarding the development project in Peggy’s Cove has generated a lot of discussion in both Mi’kmaw and non-Mi’kmaw communities. As many know, Peggy’s Cove is a beloved and iconic part of Nova Scotia, and one of the province’s most popular tourist areas. The Province of Nova Scotia and Government of Canada are investing $3.1 million to support the construction of an accessible viewing deck to ensure a safer, more accessible and engaging experience for visitors, business operators and residents. However, concerns were raised by Mi’kmaw community members about the potential impacts of this development from an archaeological and cultural tourism perspective. Just before Christmas 2020, the KMK Consultation Department became aware of this development project and thanks to recommendations from our Archaeology Department, we were able to see work stopped on this site until proper archaeological work was done. Since that time, our office has been working with the Mi’kmaq Native Friendship Centre, Mi’kmaw Tourism representatives, Develop Nova Scotia and the local region’s Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) to further examine these concerns. The situation with Peggy’s Cove puts a spotlight on the conversations we have been having for years… where are the Mi’kmaw in the development of Nova Scotia’s tourism sector?

As noted in some of our previous articles, we have been on a journey to establish our own governance and prot ...