The Spryfield Community Bench was put in Long Lake Provincial Park in November 2025. Three organizations worked together on this project: the Spryfield Community Association, Long Lake Provincial Park Association, and the Ecology Action Centre. The bench was made by Lake City Works in Dartmouth. The seat and back of the bench are made from recycled plastic material collected as waste by the city. The bench sits on a level pad made of concrete pavers beside the trail near the Long Lake dam. The location provides a nice view of the lake.
What was this project about and how did it happen?
The idea of placing a new bench next to the trail in Long Lake Provincial Park was conceived at a meeting of a committee of the Spryfield Community Association. The committee has been working on how to improve facilities for active transportation in Spryfield. Ecology Action Centre has a long term program on active transportation in Nova Scotia that includes government funding for specific local projects. Spryfield Community Association seeks to improve community well-being and Long Lake Provincial Park Association manages facilities in the park. Given that representatives of all three organizations were at the meeting, the decision to go ahead was made easily!
People are healthier and happier when active, and this is specially true when the activity is outdoors in a natural place. The bench provides an opportunity to rest while using the trail. It is also a destination and a meeting place.
Next Steps!
The new bench is near the Long Lake dam. The dam was built in the 1850s to supply water for the City of Halifax from the reservoir that was created by the dam. This supply of life-sustaining water continued until the 1970s. For many years, the watershed lands associated with the reservoir were conserved by the city for the purpose of maintaining the quality of the water in the reservoir.
Long Lake Provincial Park was created in the 1980s as a natural environment park based on the long-term preservation of these watershed lands. Thus, the dam is an important historical site for Halifax. It is also an important cultural site in Spryfield, having been a local place to visit and gather for more than 150 years.
In light of this history, it is hoped that there will be more place-making activities at the dam!
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