Halifax 
A pre-feasibility study by Parks Canada confirmed that the proposed site near Halifax meets initial prerequisites for national urban park designation, the federal government announced today.
Susies Lake/ Credit: Friends of Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes
This milestone permits Parks Canada and its partners, which include the Mi’kmaq, Halifax Regional Municipality, Province of Nova Scotia, and the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, to transition into the project planning stage.
This critical step will focus on partner lands and provide an opportunity to further delineate essential park components, like governance models, park boundaries, trail design, public access, and infrastructure needs.
To inaugurate the project planning phase, over $2.1 million in funding from the Parks Canada National Urban Parks Program will support the conservation of nature and enhanced access to urban green space in Halifax.
The proposed national urban park, encompassing 2,304 hectares centred around the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Provincial Wilderness Area, boasts diverse ecosystems and habitats, home to 23 species at risk and 61 species of conservation concern.
Situated just minutes away from downtown Halifax and easily accessible by public transit, the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes area lies between Bayers Lake, Kingswood, and Tantallon. It features an exquisite mosaic of extensive forests, bogs, wetlands, rocky barrens, hills, rivers, and three pristine headwater lakes.
Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes is already a popular destination for residents who engage in various recreational activities, including swimming, hiking, paddling, camping, skating, cross-country skiing, art, photography, and birdwatching.
Respecting the unceded Mi’kmaq territories, Parks Canada is collaborating with the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia to explore the potential park’s capacity for traditional and cultural practices, conservation leadership, and potential economic benefits for communities.
This initiative aligns with the Canadian government’s commitment to the protection of biodiversity, conservation of 25% of Canada’s lands and waters by 2025, 30% by 2030, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
In addition to the proposed Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes park in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Parks Canada is examining other potential national urban parks in municipalities across the country. These include the Victoria region (BC), Edmonton region (AB), Saskatoon region (SK), Winnipeg (MB), and Windsor (ON). Preliminary discussions have also begun in Montreal (QC).
