About
Our Story
More than twenty years ago, working closely with the community, Cabot helped transform Inverness into one of the world’s premier golf and tourism destinations. Working closely with the IDA, the Municipality, and the Province to bring this vision for golf in the community to life, Cabot has since grown to become one of the island’s largest employers, providing employment to over 800 people during the 2025 season. Accounting for nearly half of all commercial property taxes in our entire district, Cabot plays a major role in supporting local services and infrastructure.
Today, we see a similar opportunity for the community of Mabou, as we explore the potential for a new world-class golf course in West Mabou. Through extensive communication and on-going consultations with the local community, we see the shared desire for a stable economy, more local jobs, and support for local businesses and organizations. Building a golf course in Mabou translates to more opportunities for everyone, including young people, retirees, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and those involved with community and cultural organizations.
Through this investment into the Mabou community, Cabot plans to create hundreds of new jobs, support local businesses, drive further investment, and attract even more visitors to Cape Breton Island. Cabot is committed to working with the community to unlock this rare opportunity. We will proceed in a thoughtful and transparent manner.
Economic Impact
Economic Revitalization
Inverness, Nova Scotia, was founded as a coal-mining town in 1904. When the mines closed in the 1960s, the community was left facing severe economic hardship. As unemployment rose, many residents began to leave, and the future appeared uncertain.
In 2004, Ben Cowan-Dewar, a Canadian entrepreneur, visited the area and was struck by its potential, inspiring a bold vision for transformation. Carrying forward the town’s dream of building a links golf course, he set out to transform this remote yet extraordinary parcel of land into a world-class golf destination. Cabot Links opened for preview play in 2011 with Cabot Cliffs following in 2015, both to great acclaim. The impact on the Canadian golf industry, the Inverness community, and rural Nova Scotia economy, is undeniable.
We have invested significantly in Inverness, establishing ourselves as an important economic anchor for Western Cape Breton. We are incredibly proud to be part of these successes, and we strongly believe in the opportunity to further expand the economic growth of Nova Scotia’s tourism sector. The visitors who come to our courses support local restaurants, shops, and service businesses.
Job Creation
Cabot is one of the island’s largest employers, providing employment to over 800 people this past season. In addition to direct employment with Cabot, increased indirect employment opportunities include new businesses and consistent employment opportunities for local tradespeople.
These businesses benefit from increased tourism driven by Cabot into the area. In addition to providing livelihood to small business owners, we also provide employment, and additional services which benefit the whole community.
Commerical Property Tax
Accounting for nearly half of all commercial property taxes in our entire district, Cabot plays a major role in supporting local services and infrastructure.
Community
Current Community Support
Cabot has a strong record of supporting the many community organizations that contribute to Inverness County and Cape Breton Island, giving back in multiple ways, including direct grants, sponsorships, volunteer hours, and programs to make golf more accessible to everyone.
Between 2024 and 2025, Cabot has donated over $529k in value, including:
Over $425k of in-kind value
$80k in monetary donations
$24k in gifted items to the community
These donations span across a variety of deserving causes, including The Inverness Racetrack, The Inverness Boardwalk, youth sports organizations, The Inverness Foodbank, The Inverness Fire Department, The Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital, Inverness Education Academy, Inverness Playground and Recreation, Mabou Blooms, United Way Cape Breton, Mill Road Social Enterprises, and much more.
Our Cabot Cares program encourages employees to volunteer hours in the community while being paid their regular salary or wage by Cabot. This has been a benefit to local community organizations who are actively recruiting volunteers.
Mabou Community Support
As part of our vision for Mabou, we are also proposing direct annual investment of $125,000 across several local organizations:
Mabou and District Community Development Association
Mabou Athletic Commission
West Mabou Development Association
Strathspey Performing Arts Centre
Mabou Gaelic & Historical Society.
This annual funding would provide additional support for the people of the community, its infrastructure, and its goals for the future.
Environmental Excellence
Environmental Stewardship
Cabot is deeply committed to environmental stewardship and wildlife preservation. We will work with the community and with the government to make sure we meet the highest environmental standards with this project.
Audubon International
In 2018, Cabot was first certified by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) for golf, an award-winning international environmental education and certification program. They are among just three courses in Nova Scotia and under 900 courses worldwide to earn this prestigious designation.
Cabot Cape Breton achieved this recognition by upholding exceptional standards of environmental quality in:
• Environmental Planning
• Wildlife & Habitat Management
• Outreach & Education
• Chemical Use Reduction & Safety
• Water Conservation
• Water Quality Management
Cabot has since become the first multi-property brand to enroll every golf course and surrounding built environment into Audubon International’s comprehensive, all-inclusive Platinum Signature Sanctuary certification program.
Preserve & Protect
To preserve the natural land and its species at Cabot Cape Breton, we have:
• Created environmental buffer zones
• Enhanced bird nesting habitats
• Planted native, drought-tolerant species
• Prevented dune erosion through actively practicing dune mitigation
As an extension of our dune protection efforts, our educational dunes ecosystem communication on Cabot Cliffs play a crucial role in educating those around us and strengthening our preservation initiatives.
Sand Dune Conservation
Without intervention, coastal erosion due to the effects of climate change on rising sea levels is a threat to the longevity and conservation of coastal land across Nova Scotia.
Just as Cabot does in Inverness, we plan to mitigate dune erosion in West Mabou to protect the dunes and their respective ecosystems for generations to come. To combat dune erosion, through the guidance of Audubon environmental experts, at Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs, we plant marram grass, a naturally occurring species of beachgrass with an extensive root system that allows the plant to trap sand, reinforcing the dunes and making them more resilient to high winds and ocean waves. These measures would help prevent erosion at West Mabou Beach, strengthening our coastline and protecting the habitat for birds that nest in this area.
Co-Existing With a Provincial Park
Cabot is proposing to operate, maintain, and manage a golf course across no more than 35% of the park land at West Mabou Provincial Park. The remaining park land will remain as is, consisting of beach access, beach, recreational trails, and conservation lands. It is important to clarify that beach access will in no way be restricted, and we are committed to supporting enhanced beach access for the community. There is no plan to develop the West Mabou site beyond an 18-hole golf course and accompanying facilities, including a golf shop and a maintenance structure. There is no plan to sell, develop, or build any real estate on this site.
West Mabou Provincial Park, like all Nova Scotia provincial parks, is designated to protect heritage values and opportunities for outdoor recreation, nature-based education, and tourism – all of which would be honoured through the building of a golf course on a portion of the park land.
Not a novel concept, there are several examples of golf courses being built in parks across Canada, including but not limited to:
Highlands Links in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia
Herring Cove Provincial Golf Course in Herring Cove Provincial Park, New Brunswick
Mactaquac Provincial Park Golf Club in Mactaquac Provincial Park, New Brunswick
Green Gables Golf Club in Prince Edward Island National Park, PEI
Fundy National Golf Course in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick
Banff Springs Golf Course in Banff National Park, Alberta
Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club in Jasper National Park, Alberta
There are also many provincial and national parks that offer recreational activities. For example, Sugarloaf Provincial Park in New Brunswick is home to a well-known ski facility, Sugarloaf Provincial Park Ski Hill.
Cabot's goals align with the goals of Nova Scotia’s provincial park system: to provide opportunities for outdoor recreational pursuits; to preserve elements of the natural environment; and to provide residents and visitors with opportunities to discover, experience, and enjoy our province’s distinctive natural resources.