New 379-Acre Urban Wilderness Park Proposed for Halifax

 

Nature Conservancy of Canada Proposes Urban Wilderness Park for Halifax

Halifax, NS (August 25, 2016) – The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in partnership with the Shaw Group, is proposing a large new urban wilderness park for Halifax, within 5 kilometers of the downtown core.  The proposal would see 153 hectares (379 acres) of mixed forest and granite barrens surrounding Williams and Colpitts Lakes conserved for both recreation and wildlife habitat.  The area would provide opportunities for swimming, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, trail running, cycling, birding, and outdoor education.  The site is easily accessed by foot, car and Metro Transit, which would make it a “backyard wilderness” for the 400,000 residents of HRM.

The property, which is almost twice the size of Point Pleasant Park, is currently owned by the Shaw Group, and is one of the last remaining undeveloped areas of Halifax. The Nature Conservancy of Canada approached the Shaw Group in 2015 to initiate discussions about protecting the land.  NCC and Shaw Group submitted a joint proposal for an urban wilderness park to City Council in April 2016, which is under consideration.

The area surrounding Williams and Colpitts Lakes was highlighted in Halifax’s Green Network Plan as one of the top three areas for urban protection, and the urban wilderness proposal is supported by the Backlands Coalition, a grassroots conservation group.  The area is home to a unique and sensitive ecosystem—the jackpine and crowberry plant community—and supports more than forty species of birds.

Quotes:

“The Williams Lake area is a diamond on our doorstep.  We have a chance to preserve a unique ecosystem, as well as 5 kilometres of lakeshore that provides unparalleled nature-based recreational and educational opportunities within the urban core.  It would be a tremendous asset to the residents of Halifax as well as an attraction to visitors.”

-Craig Smith, Nova Scotia Program Director, Nature Conservancy of Canada

 

Facts:

 

• The jackpine and crowberry plant community found in one section of the site is uncommon in Nova Scotia and virtually non-existent anywhere else in North America; it would need to be conserved as a low-use zone;
• More than half of the area features a diverse, mixed-age forest with older hemlocks and white pine that could support trails and recreational activities;
• More than 40 species of birds have been found in the area, including the threatened Common Nighthawk;
• The proposed urban wilderness park would be jointly managed by HRM and NCC to ensure conservation values are protected.http://www.urbanwildernessparkhfx.ca/About:
• The Nature Conservancy of Canada is the nation’s leading land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect more than 1.1 million hectares (2.8 million acres), coast to coast. The Nature Conservancy of Canada has helped to conserve more than 28,000 hectares (over 69,000 acres), in the Atlantic provinces.