Long Lake Park Association would like to thank all our visitors for a wonderful year of park use. We have encountered many wonderful park users during the spring, summer and fall and we hope you all enjoyed your walks, runs hikes and bike rides as well as our new kayak/canoe launch over the summer.
With winter approaching it’s time for the park to close for the winter, soon we will be closing the gates to the parking lots and getting our closed for the season signs posted.
Please be advised there will be no winter maintenance of park trails or entrances to the parking lots.
We will update you as spring approaches and the park will reopen when conditions permit safe travels in the park.
your truly
LLPPA Board
I can see the trails not being groomed, as they can still be used by cross-country skiers and walkers, but to not plow the parking lot is just inviting parkers along the side of Northwest Arm Drive, which poses a hazard to traffic. Surely, snowplowing parking lots was part of the agreement. The developer got a pretty sweet deal if not. We use this provincial park all the time and would appreciate the opportunity to use it year round!
Yes, the park should be accessible year-round!
What would it cost to plow a parking lot for a season? I can’t imagine it would be more than a couple of grand per year. Surely the Long Lake Village developers can pass a hat around the 6 major contractors for a snowplow fund – in perpetuity – as a thank you for getting special privilege and city hall concessions for developing homes in an suburban sprawl rock radon hole.
Hi….can you provide us contact information as we would like to discuss access management issues as we are operating Sackville Lakes Park and probably share some of the same issues.
Thanks
Shane O’Neil
Sackville Lakes Park and Trails Association
Hi Shane , email mharvey@seenovascotia.com and I can provide more info.
I noticed the parking lot was still open today (Dec 5th 2017) Could you please let everyone know what the exact date of closing will be? We want to use it up until the last minute. I would suggest at least the end of December, as it does not snow significantly on /dec in this region. But of course, year round parking lot access should be the norm for a nature trail…
Hi Finn
We cannot give an exact date as it depends on when some current work is completed, when that work is finished it will be closed. We do not have an option to keep it open. The parking lots would need to by plowed and salted in order to satisfy safety concerns, and we as a Volunteer board do not have the funds available to do that.
Cheers Mike H
Just curious as to when the park will reopen. There has been no snow on the ground for most of this winter. The area outside of the gate has been full of cars with people using the trails. This has been causing the traffic lights to cycle falsely and there has been cars parked close to the intersection causing a hazard. It would seem to be a sensible thing to open the gates and allow the cars in to use the park. People would like to exercise year round and this park would be well used in the winter months.
Hi Steven
We too would like to have it open all year, but our insurance says that the parking lot must be cleared and salted, which is something we do not have the funds to pay for. We will be discussing the opening date at our meeting this month. as far as traffic light issues, that would be something the city would look into. Thanks for the note.
Mike H
Hi Mike,
It sounds like a number of things could be done to get the parking lot open. 1. Get the funds from the rich developers who got the sweetheart deal of the century. 2. Get a better insurance company 3. Have someone come out and maintain the fence by opening it up during times where there is no snow and warmer temperatures and closing when snowy. Changeable weather is a normal characteristic of winter in this region after all 4. Exert a little effort to make this PUBLIC park function all year round, as we the public are entitled to have. Thanks, Finn
Hi Mike,
I am not sure who you report to or the administrative structure of the Long Lake Park Association. My understanding is that this group is responsible for maintaining a public park. Is this true? Could you explain to everyone how the organization works? Perhaps there is also a safety angle that can be used to get this parking lot open in the winter. This park is IDEAL for cross country skiing. Maybe if the police were to enforce more tickets in the parking lot area we could get people upset and get some action from city hall? Can the city not get involved in terms of safety issues? Have you approached them? I guess we need to know who is pulling the strings here, if it is not you please let us know who we can direct our questions to. If it is only a matter of a few thousand dollars to get a seasonal plow in that is not a good excuse for doing nothing. Thanks again, Finn
Hi Finn
We have a board that deals with all issues at monthly meetings, our next meeting has been scheduled for April . A March meeting was cancelled. Most of our board routinely watches this site and all comments on the closing of the park have been read and will be taken into consideration at our next meeting. I also hope we will have an opening date by that time.
Hi Finn
We have a board with a president and committees who work in different areas, communications, Trails,
Recreation etc.
We will be having our first meeting after a long winter in April. I understand your points on the parking
Lot bro g closed , and we will be discussing this at our next meeting.
To whom it may concern;
Re; winter access to the park.
First off “what a shame that this beautiful park walking trails are not maintained during the winter months and that the park is officially closed !?
However you’d never guess that by that amount of foot traffic that area gets during this last winter is incredible. My wife and I (seniors) are frequent users.
So I won’t go into all of the health benefits that folks get by being outdoors and exercising regularly etc, etc but with this in mind surely this city/province can find some $$$ to offset the cost of insurance and winter maintenance with the savings from healthy folks not taxing the healthcare system.
This is a classic case of “build it and they will come”. Prime example the BLT trail system, with hundreds of daily users all year long – why because that trail system is maintained and salted during the winter months.
So with this in mind please keep me informed when & where the association meeting will take place. I most definitely want to attend and lend any assistance that I can.
ie; the overflowing garbage cans ( doggy do ) are in desperate need of emptying ! I will work for free to clean this mess up.
Regards Merv. Ferguson.
Hi Merv
Sorry to be so late getting back to you, you raise some good points and ones that others have raised. I do not have a date for our next meeting yet, but as soon as I hear I will post it.
Cheers Mike
Any idea when the park will be reopening ?
We are hoping on a decision on that late this week. We will post it here as soon as we know