A local business owner is using his craft to help protect a provincial park.

West Mabou Beach in Cape Breton is at risk of having a private company develop a golf course on it, and it has become a hot button topic through the entire province.

Founder and Alesmith of Big Spruce Brewing, Jeremy White, explains to our newsroom how considering the proposal is a dangerous precedent.

“Are we saying that we want a golf course laid out across the rocks at Peggy’s Cove? Because that’s another protected area that sort of thing could happen to as well, I think,” said White.

With personal connections to the park, he believes it’s an open space in Nova Scotia that’s worth protecting.

Since they got to Cape Breton, White spends summer weekends and birthday parties visiting West Mabou Beach with his kids.

“Are we saying that for the right price billionaires can come and start businesses on protected public land here in Nova Scotia?” questions White.

“I don’t think that’s what we’re trying to try to say, and I think the community has erupted over this once again. They’re a little tired of having to do so. And so, we thought this beer would help shine a light on what’s going on and get more people’s attention.”

His way to combat the proposal is by distributing a new beer in cans designed with the message to “Save West Mabou Beach Provincial Park” in a partnership effort.

The original organic hazy Indian Pale Ail (IPA) will be a tad tropical featuring a mosaic hop and will be available starting mid-next week.

White would like to leverage awareness into forming good things like rallies and discussions to let politicians understand that Nova Scotians don’t really want a golf course in the park.

“We really feel it doesn’t matter whether you lean right, you lean left or you lean somewhere down the middle with your politics,” he expresses.

“This is about natural public spaces and their protection and ensuring that they continued to be protected in the future. And so, we wanted to help, like I say, shine a light on that and the beer hopefully will do that.”

His company is a supporter of Cabot having worked with them in the past, but when it comes to developing on public land, they are not okay with it.

He’s hopeful that the can campaign will draw attention to stop protected spaces from being sold in Nova Scotia.