Nova Scotia Provincial Parks has scheduled a public meeting to address concerns and discuss management plans for the pending transition of Carters Beach to a provincial park.

Each year, the white sand and clear blue water attracts thousands of visitors, and each year issues arise due to the insufficient parking and amenities.

The Region of Queens has made efforts in the past to provide garbage pick-up and washrooms, but the beach is a provincial responsibility.

Some have proposed closing Carters Beach to the public and designating it as a nature reserve to protect the fragile ecosystem. Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says shutting down the beach is almost impossible.

“Yes, there are people who just want Carters Beach to never be developed as a day park. And realistically, unless you put a big electric fence around that place, you’re never keeping people out of there,” said Norman. “It has to have supporting infrastructure, it has to have better parking, and it has to have some type of washrooms.”

Norman says there are several levels of day park in Nova Scotia and Carter’s Beach will be developed to be ecologically sensitive.

“There will be a walk-in to get there. You’re not going to park on the doorstep, and it will be promoted as a quiet area,” said Norman.

Organizers are hoping to attract a wider variety of opinions by holding the meeting to correspond with the monthly community breakfast.

The information meeting will take place Nov. 26 from 9 a.m. until noon at the West Queens Recreation Centre.

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