Many people on both sides of the border were disappointed last September when the owners of Grand Manan's Hole‑in‑the‑Wall campground announced their decision to scale back operations, putting the cliff‑top portion of the property up for sale. For 25 years, the campground was run by Basil and Kaye Small on property that had been in their family since about 1804. Kaye carried on after Basil's death in 2012, but last year after careful consideration the family decided to sell 100 acres and maintain a smaller number of tent and trailer sites near the park entrance. Former campers expressed sadness at the loss of a unique vacation adventure. Now, the experience may be preserved, if a new plan is approved. The "Eastern Vista" proposal is asking the federal government to add the property as a "seaside adjunct" to Fundy National Park.
     Andrea Kelter is spearheading the project. The proprietor of the Painted Whale gift shop in North Head was the Smalls' second "long‑stay" camper, parking her trailer there up to eight months a year for the past 15 years, and camping before that. When Kaye told her last August about the closure, she says, "I was very sad. I greatly admired Basil; I know he had a vision" for the park and the island. She appreciated the setting and likens the deep‑water frontage to Forillon and Gros Morne national parks. Fearing the loss of a unique place, she says, "What you see here, you won't see elsewhere. Once it's gone, it's gone."
     She knew Parks Canada had acquired environmentally sensitive areas that weren't contiguous, such as in Prince Edward Island and Kejimkujik, Nova Scotia. "I thought, 'this might work,'" and within a week she had started working on a proposal for the addition of the site to Fundy National Park.
     Kelter has won awards for her previous work in marketing for large shopping centres; this is another type of marketing. "This park is a passion of mine," she says. "I'd hate to see it become a version of what's happened in some places in the USA," an overcrowded tourist trap, so "a national park is a great fit." She notes that in a 1979 proposal for a Deer Island marine park, Parks Canada identified Grand Manan as a significant area.
     For her proposal, she dug into statistics about visitors travelling from Maine and Fundy National Park. She found that the average stay in New Brunswick is only two or three days; people are passing through. She believes a small but unique national park adjunct makes a compelling reason to spend one's whole visit on Grand Manan, or at least southwest New Brunswick and the Bay of Fundy, and that the long season typical of national parks would be a good reason for the summer ferry to run longer, potentially from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving.
     The nine‑page proposal describes the property for sale -- listed at $1.299 million -- and lists Grand Manan's features and attractions, including wildlife, fisheries, trails, ferries and services. Incorporating the campground's 2017 statistics, a 2004 University of Maine research paper on area tourism, and Fundy National Park (FNP) visitor numbers from Statistics Canada, it makes a case for great economic benefits to the island and surrounding area. The paper states that 5% of FNP's 2016 visitors coming to the Grand Manan adjunct could bring 16,375 more tourists; adding 10,000 visiting only the Grand Manan site, it extrapolates a revenue increase for Coastal Transport of over $578,000, and -- based on the university paper -- an annual tourist expenditure of over $3.7 million in food, activities and shopping.
     As a consequence, the proposal argues, renewed competition for tourist dollars would lead to better infrastructure maintenance, a longer season and "a self‑perpetuating circle of sustainable growth." This would benefit a community highly dependent on fishing and vulnerable to climate conditions, and a diversified and growing economy would attract new residents.
     The paper goes on to project increased revenue of over $4.8 million for the province along the Fundy Coastal Drive, an incentive for cruise lines to include Grand Manan as a regular port, and an "unprecedented opportunity" for the federal government to showcase the work of its fisheries and natural resources branches in protecting ocean resources and endangered species.
     Kelter pitched her idea to former Premier Frank McKenna, whom she describes as "New Brunswick's greatest living advocate" for development, and who now chairs the Advisory Council for Jobs and the Visitor Economy. He responded with advice and encouragement, stating, "The biggest single failure in Canadian tourism is the lack of authentic experiences for visitors. We are particularly targeting the more affluent travelers who are willing to pay good money for unique experiences ... your proposal would meet that objective in spades." Further support has come from the Charlotte Coastal Region Tourism Association and the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick. The next step is to approach New Brunswick Southwest MP Karen Ludwig, Fundy Royal MP Alaina Lockhart and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna.
     With a federal election coming in October, Kelter acknowledges that there are a lot of issues competing for government attention, but she is optimistic because "the mandate for protection is fairly bipartisan," with a government target of 17% of Canada to be protected land by 2020. "Even if the government purchased it and did nothing for a year or two, the land would be protected," she adds.
     Aided by Grand Manan Tourism Association and Chamber of Commerce President Greg Pidduck, she wants to involve provincial and municipal governments in the process as well. Given that islanders are sometimes resistant to change, especially when it's perceived as mainland‑generated, Kelter says, "Although I am from away, this is my 20th year here. I've always worked hard at listening to what's important on Grand Manan." She adds that she has no intention of trying to change island culture. So far the response has been positive and enthusiastic, with 100 "likes" on her Facebook page's first day.
     Kaye Small acknowledges that if she sold the property "to offshore people who'll put up gates," locals "would be jumping up and down" in anger, so she supports the plan. Her revamped North Head Campground and Park opens May 16 and still includes the Hole in the Wall rock formation, 14 campsites, two cabins and a trailer. "I'm happy to have [Kelter] take the initiative," Small says. "I think it's fun when someone has the energy to pursue something like that, especially when it's in harmony with the island."
     For updates on the project, visit <www.facebook.com/FriendsofFundyParkWest/>.