A municipal councillor in the Quad Counties says she hopes a new government promise means people will have their land title claims resolved quickly.
Provincial officials say they’re speeding up claims for people living in historic black communities with the Land Titles Initiative Acceleration Act.
Mary Desmond, the councillor for District 2 (Lincolnville-Sunnyville-Upper Big Tracadie) in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, says that includes communities she represents.
Desmond tells The Hawk many residents don’t have deeds to the land their families have been living on for generations.
“The process is slow, and the residents have made themselves vulnerable by saying that they don’t have a clear deed to their land,” she says. “They’re afraid, and it’s understandable- they just don’t want to lose what they have.”
Desmond says residents have waited a long time.
She says they just want what they’re due.
“Our people been here for more than 400 years- we’ve been patient, our community has been patient,” she says. “I’m just hoping that they can move along a little bit faster and get this cleared up so that the people can have their deeds.”
Desmond says no one should be denied ownership of their home because of a legalism.
