Photo Irwin Barrett/Ecology Action Centre
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SESSION
Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes (BMBCL) Comprehensive Study
Wednesday, April 13th, 2022, from 7:00 – 9:00 PM
The Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes (BMBCL) area is located on the western edge of the Halifax urban core and comprises Acadian forest, wetlands, and a system of lakes and headwaters, offering wilderness hiking opportunities to many residents and visitors.
In 2021, Halifax Regional Municipality signed a Statement of Collaboration with Parks Canada to indicate mutual interest in the opportunities for the BMBCL area as part of the new national urban parks program, which led to an approval by Regional Council to initiate the park planning process.
With the support of a contribution agreement signed with Parks Canada in January, the municipality has initiated a comprehensive background study of Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes (BMBCL) Regional Park. Halifax Regional Municipality has engaged Stantec Consulting Ltd. to develop a comprehensive background report on the BMBCL area and vicinity. The four key areas considered in the study include:
Ecological and recreational conditions
Archaeological and cultural study
Analysis of land use and settlement
Review of park governance models
The purpose of the background report is to inform future BMBCL park planning, including integrating connections to nature through associated recreational uses, ecological conservation, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Community engagement and liaison efforts is a necessary and crucial step in this project. The public is invited to virtually join us on April 13, 2022, from 7 – 9 p.m. as we introduce this assessment phase of the BMBCL national urban park initiative and share with us your knowledge on and ideas for the BMBCL area.
Registration for the virtual meeting, which will take place on the Microsoft Teams platform, can be accessed by clicking this link.
At this meeting, you will have an opportunity to:
Learn more about the BMBCL area and Parks Canada urban parks initiative
Hear about the work being undertaken by Stantec to complete the background report
Find out the opportunities and challenges identified by key project stakeholders and partners
Contribute your own knowledge and ideas regarding ecological, recreational, cultural, and other noteworthy opportunities for the BMBCL area
A survey will be provided following the engagement session, or if you are unable to attend the event, to provide feedback. Looking forward to hearing from you!
‘Received from Nature NS: The Celebration of Nature is our big annual event, a talk and hike series as well as our AGM, and it always falls on the last weekend in May. Pre-COVID when the event took place entirely in-person, we would rotate locations around the province and a local NatureNS member group would host the event. This year, we’re running a hybrid event, where the talks and AGM are virtual and the hikes/outings are in-person and take place all around the province.
Our next members meeting will NOT be on Zoom, but instead will be live outdoors at Eisner’s Cove wetland. This will be on May 30, which is the FIFTH Monday of the month (usually we meet on the fourth Monday).
This will be an all day trip to see the spring ephemerals and more. Bring field guides cameras, binoculars, loupes, lunch, water and snacks. Dress for the weather including rain, wear waterproof hiking boots or rubber boots. We will go Rain or Shine. (weather forecasts have been changing daily recently).
Eagle Hill is right on the coast of Eastern Maine, between Acadia National Park and Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge.
