{"id":1883,"date":"2023-11-20T21:51:27","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T00:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/longlakepark.ca\/news\/?p=1883"},"modified":"2023-11-20T21:51:30","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T00:51:30","slug":"closing-the-gates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/longlakepark.ca\/news\/?p=1883","title":{"rendered":"Closing the Gates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Long Lake Provincial Park Association (LLPPA) is frequently asked why the gates to the parking lots at Long Lake Provincial Park are closed for the winter.\u00a0 It\u2019s a simple question to ask but a difficult one to answer fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of the gates at Long Lake Provincial Park on 20th November 2023. <\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Agreement with the province<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

LLPPA operates the parking lots and gravel trails at Long Lake Park through an agreement with the province\u2019s Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR). The agreement requires the association to manage the park to the province\u2019s park standards and in accordance with the Parks Act.\u00a0 The association is required to carry insurance which is provided through the Nova Scotia Trails Federation, of which LLPPA is a member.

Gated entrances were one of the trail construction requirements at Long Lake. The association and DNRR correspond quite frequently about specific issues as these arise, including issues related to the gates.

Neither the government of Nova Scotia nor the Halifax Regional Municipality provides funding to LLPPA for park operations or management. LLPPA raises funds to cover costs mostly by means of lotteries and donations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A paragraph from the formal agreement with the province<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Opening and closing dates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most provincial parks in Nova Scotia open in May and close in October. In 2023 for day-use parks like Long Lake these dates were May 19th<\/sup> and October 9th<\/sup>. In 2023 LLPPA requested that the association be permitted to open the gates earlier and close later: April 22nd<\/sup> and November 19th<\/sup>. DNRR approved this variation of normal practice as a trial run.

The association is required to close the gates when conditions are dangerous and did so twice in 2023 at the direction of DNRR. These closures were due to forest fires in early June and Hurricane Lee in mid-September. After an emergency closure the association has to check that everything is safe and then report to DNRR. On both occasions in 2023 we were able to act quickly and open the park again quickly.\u00a0 This work is all done by volunteers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use of the park in winter, parking issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the gates to the parking lots in Nova Scotia\u2019s provincial parks are closed for the winter, visitors are still permitted to use the parks. Long Lake Provincial Park gets a lot of use in winter. Many of the visitors are local people who walk in. Some visitors travel by bus, while others find on-street parking nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the high level of visitation at Long Lake Provincial Park an issue has arisen around on-street parking during the winter closed season. Dunbrack Street is a high-speed busy road and some park visitors park on the shoulders of the road, creating safety issues. Some park users have argued that it would be safer for the parking lot to be available in winter even if the park is not serviced during this period.

Responsibility for any decision in this regard lies at a higher level than LLPPA. The association does not have the power to overrule decisions made by higher authorities. All we can do is present arguments and make recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other issues related to winter use<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trail facilities at Long Lake Provincial Park are operated by the LLPPA (a registered non-profit society). Long Lake Adventure Company (a registered for-profit business) operates a kayak and paddleboard rental facility in the park during the summer. These two entities are completely separate and operate under separate agreements with the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LLPPA maintains the trails and parking lots. Keeping the trails in good shape keeps the small number of volunteers busy during the summer.\u00a0 Volunteers look forward to the winter break as an opportunity to turn their attention to other matters, including planning for the coming year, improving communications, conducting research, and advocacy activities. If the parking-lot gates were open year round there would be more routine work to do and these other important activities would be curtailed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The LLPPA garbage management policy is \u201cpack-in pack-out\u201d (also called \u2018Leave No Trace\u2019). This policy is consistent both with the natural-environment classification of the park and with the capacity of the association to deal with garbage issues.\u00a0 Any garbage left in the park is officially considered \u201cindustrial waste\u201d and the association has to pay fees to remove it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managing the parking lots and associated garbage in the winter would be a heavy burden for the association and could render park management impossible. Costs for parking lot maintenance are generally higher in winter than summer. The province\u2019s parks close during the winter for similar reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The trail at Long Lake Provincial Park in summer<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

LLPPA understands that many park users would like to have access to the parking lots during the winter months. At the same time, the association cannot unilaterally decide to leave the gates open. The park belongs to the province. If the gates were open year round, LLPPA would need additional resources that are not available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Long Lake Provincial Park Association (LLPPA) is frequently asked why the gates to the parking lots at Long Lake Provincial Park are closed for the winter.\u00a0 It\u2019s a simple question to ask but a difficult one to answer fully. Agreement with the province LLPPA operates the parking lots and gravel trails at Long Lake Park…<\/p>\n

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