An Arizona-based organization that plans to create a seaside refuge for whales retired from marine parks has signed a 20-year lease for Crown land and coastal waters on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, marking a major milestone for a project that has also faced criticism from some residents and animal-rights advocates.

The Whale Sanctuary Project announced it has secured a lease for Port Hilford Bay in Indian Harbour, where it hopes to establish what it says will be North America’s first seaside whale sanctuary and the world’s first dedicated to captive orcas and beluga whales.

The announcement follows a groundbreaking ceremony held in June and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs.