Long Lake Provincial Park Association – Who are we and what do we do
Posted on May 9, 2018 by Mike Harvey
The Long Lake Provincial Park Association is a group of community minded volunteers who stepped forward to care for a new accessible park planned for Long Lake in Spryfield. The association is made up of a executive board and several committee chairs and members.
The Spryfield Business Commission’s Bruce Holland was initially contacted by Councillor Steve Adams to be the catalyst in gaining access to Long Lake Park, which was something that local residents had been asking for. Once the Spryfield Business Commission negotiated the original Operating/Management Agreement with the help of MLA Brendan Maguire. Developers Polycorp and Atlantic Developments agreed to work with all parties to develop the Lakeview trail system. Holland organized the LLPPA then the LLPPA became the Management/Operating Organization for a section of the provincial park. This section of Long Lake Provincial Park that LLPPA is responsible for is bounded on the east side of Long Lake from the grassy area near the Dam on Old Sambro Road, along Northwest Arm Drive to the north side of Withrod Lake.
Though the park is cared for by LLPPA, the area is still under the control of The Department of Natural Resources and subject to the rules governing Provincial Parks in Nova Scotia. Like all parks in Nova Scotia, the section that LLPPA cares for, must be closed to vehicle traffic during the winter months, and the park is not maintained during the winter. This is the same as Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park, Laurie Park, and all other Provincial Parks. Many people still use these parks during the winter months, but there is no snow clearing or winter maintenance done and users are using them at their own risk.
The ongoing maintenance to this section of the park is either done by hired help when funds are available or by volunteers. There are no funds available to LLPPA from The Department of Natural Resources budgets, and as the park is provincial, the city of Halifax has no responsibility to provide funds or maintenance.
Is seems wrong that the parking lot is gated off all winter. Many people walk there and cars line Dunbrack Street near the empty and inaccessible parking lot.
Hi Gloria
Sorry to be so late getting back to you, we have no control over the parking lot being closed during the winter months, as the park is a provincial park, and the province mandates that the parks are closed during the winter, you will see the same thing at all Provincial Parks. We actually keep long lake open later then any others, by closing after the first significant snow fall when the temp are cold enough that the snow is going to stay.