Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area

Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area
Map showing the location of Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area
Location within Nova Scotia
Location Halifax, Nova Scotia
Coordinates 44°40′35″N 63°43′09″W / 44.6765°N 63.7193°W / 44.6765; -63.7193Coordinates: 44°40′35″N 63°43′09″W / 44.6765°N 63.7193°W / 44.6765; -63.7193
Area 1,767 ha (6.82 sq mi)
Designated 2009 (2009)
Owner Province of Nova Scotia

The Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Considered to be of high ecological value, it is one of 40 designated wilderness areas in the province.

The wilderness area would form the heart of the larger Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park, which has been proposed by the city since 2006.

History

The Metropolitan Area Planning Committee (MAPC), a former regional planning body, identified the area in the 1970s as having high conservation value.[1]

Wilderness area designation

In 2009, the province created the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area out of 1,316 heatares of Crown land.[2]

In 2015, the wilderness area was expanded from 1,316 to 1,767 hectares.[3]

There is a linear corridor through the wilderness area that is not protected. This is the intended alignment of the proposed Highway 113, a suburban freeway.[3]

Regional park

Conceptual plan

In 2006, the Halifax Regional Municipality adopted a conceptual plan to turn the area into a regional park. The wilderness area, designated in 2009 from provincially-owned lands, would form the heart of this park. Major private landholders include Susie Lake Developments, The Stevens Group, and the Annapolis Group.[2] The current municipal zoning does not permit development.[4]

Development plan controversy

The Annapolis Group brought forward plans for a low-density subdivision in the eastern area of the conceptual regional park, and proposed that the park be made smaller to accommodate the development. An independent facilitator, Heather Robertson, released a report supportive of the developer's plans.[5]

The report was met by an "intense backlash" from the public.[5] It was presented by Robertson at the Future Inns in Clayton Park on 20 June 2016, where the mood was one of "great frustration and anger" and the public was not allowed to speak or ask questions.[6] A report published by city staff on 31 August 2016 also disagreed with the report, and recommended that the lands not be developed.[7] Regional council received more than 1,400 letters from the public, the vast majority supportive of the proposed park and critical of Robertson's report. On 6 September 2016, council voted 15-1 against allowing the development plans to proceed.[2]

In January 2017, the Annapolis Group announced a lawsuit against the city. It claims the city "effectively expropriated" its land by rejecting the development plans and is seeking $119 million in damages as "fair compensation".[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes: A Brief History". Ecology Action Centre. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Tattrie, Jon (6 September 2016). "Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes development plans rejected by Halifax". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  3. 1 2 "Blue Mountain - Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area". Province of Nova Scotia. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  4. 1 2 Boon, Jacob (18 January 2017). "Halifax faces $119-million lawsuit over Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes". The Coast.
  5. 1 2 Cameron, Michelle (23 June 2016). "Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes a "sham of a process"". The Coast.
  6. ↑ Patil, Anjuli (21 June 2016). "Blue Mountain park too important for 'McCondos,' critics say". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  7. ↑ Berry, Steve (31 August 2016). "Blue Mountain Birch Cove shouldn't be developed: HRM staff". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
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