Blue Mountain Wilderness

Halifax North West Trails Association (HNWTA) has been a strong supporter of the proposed Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes (BMBCL) Regional Park for many years, and we are excited to continue this advocacy and further support the Friends of Blue Mountain Birch-Cove Lakes Society that was formed in 2018. This active board is creating awareness, liaising with staff and elected officials, and offering occasional walks in the proposed park area. Part of their mandate is to ensure the stewardship and appropriate use of the area while supporting and promoting the creation and development of the Regional Park.

The BMBCL Regional Park proposal has a long history, but it is only in recent years that land purchases have been formalized (the City of Halifax purchased 80 hectares in January 2018, and 135 hectares in April 2019). We are excited to continue our advocacy for the development of this park and support the Friends of BMBCL Society in continuing their amazing work towards this goal. You can help us by keeping in touch with your local Councillor; they are the decision makers for our next steps! Once successful, this regional park will provide a unique wilderness experience for tourists and Haligonians alike, while protecting the natural ecosystem of the wilderness area and watersheds.

The BMBCL Wilderness Area is a massive expanse of protected land (over 1,700 hectares now!) that ranges from the Kingswood subdivision in Hammonds Plains, into Halifax behind the Bayers Lake Commercial Area. There are many informal and rugged hiking and biking trails that travel through this diverse forested area that provide breathtaking lookouts of the area and Halifax beyond, as well as multiple lakes for swimming or skating, and a well-loved portage route for canoers and kayakers! There is so much that this area has to offer, and we believe in promoting the use of this area while maintaining the important natural habitats contained within it.

For more information and to become a member and newsletter subscriber of the Friends of BMBCL Society, visit:

www.bluemountainfriends.ca

View these previous media and other releases for an historic look at the ongoing energy and enthusiasm the community continues to dedicate to this important initiative!

HRM has entered into a partnership (2021) with Parks Canada to study the possibility of an Urban Wilderness Park. Ongoing review of the area by way of a consultant team at Stantec including ongoing public engagement will create baseline data and inform next steps (2022).

Occasional updates will be available on this website.

HRM contact: Douglas Reid, Park Planning Coordinator, reiddo@halifax.ca for clarification or feedback.

See the results of an earlier 2021 HRM survey of users.

Another important Nature Trust land acquisition in 2022 may help locate a new trailhead to the proposed Regional Park from Timberlea. Although a small parcel, the location is significant.

December 2020, Nova Scotia Nature Trust has successfully purchased alarge piece of land with the help from the community. This land is the Blue Mountain Wilderness Connector and adds to the potential footprint for the propsed regional park: Click here for the announcement!

HRM buys land for Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park! Click here to read the story.

July, 2015 Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area Trail Plan.

Detailed Map of Wilderness Area (2009)

November 2 2014 Public Engagement session annoucement PDF

October 2014, article by Board Member Wendy McDonald

May 2014 The Unclimbed Mountain

August 2013 Halifax behind Nova Scotia in support for park

February 2013 Our HRM Alliance

June 2013 Halifax Media Co-op

Sept 2011 CBC News

2010 Development Threatens Wilderness area

2008 December Into the Wild Blue Mountain