Protecting the Backlands within the Halifax Green Network

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James Watts
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Halifax Green Netwrk Public Submissins Prcess Greenbelting and Public Open Spaces Pririty Plan c/ Halifax Reginal Municipality Parks and Recreatin Office Halifax, Nva Sctia Attn.

1 Halifax Green Netwrk Public Submissins Prcess Greenbelting and Public Open Spaces Pririty Plan c/ Halifax Reginal Municipality Parks and Recreatin Office Halifax, Nva Sctia Attn. Hlly Richardsn Prtecting the Backlands within the Halifax Green Netwrk The Purcell s Cve Neighburhd Cmmittee Recmmendatins and Summary The Purcell s Cve/William s Lake/Herring Cve Backlands: Within five minutes f Halifax s city center lies a unique 1300 hectare wilderness area that cntains six lakes and three pnds, hills with spectacular views f the whle area and dzens f kilmeters f infrmal hiking and biking trails. Our cmmunity believes this t be a resurce that must be recgnized as an essential part f the Halifax Green Netwrk. In accrdance with the principles and bjectives laid ut in the updated Reginal Municipal Planning Strategy (Octber 2014), we make the fllwing recmmendatins. 1. That the Purcell s Cve Backlands the area brdered rughly by Williams Lake Rad in the nrth, Purcells Cve Rad in the east, Herring Cve Rad in the west and Pwers Pnd in the suth - be included as a key feature f the new Halifax Green Netwrk. 2. That the linkages between the Backlands and ther nearby prtected areas in the frm f interlcking watersheds and natural habitats be frmally recgnized and described in the Halifax Green Netwrk plan t help maintain and prtect its cnnectivity with the larger green netwrk. 3. That the ecnmic, recreatinal, eclgical and cultural assets and ptential f the Backlands be recgnized in the Halifax Green Netwrk Plan. The backgrund fr these recmmendatins are given belw, but the main reasns fr recgnizing the Backlands within the Green Netwrk can be summarized as fllws: The Backlands prximity t the city makes it an ideal place fr the pen space and recreatinal gals f Halifax. Peple frm the cre f Halifax have easy access t an area that has great recreatinal ptential (e.g., hiking, muntain biking, caneing, swimming, skating, ge- cashing). 1

2 Prtecting this area wuld make Halifax renwn as a scially and eclgically prgressive, truly 21st century city, as it wuld fster a rare synthesis between quality f life, scial/cultural values, human well- being and the envirnment that hardly any majr urban centre can match tday. The Backlands cntain significant cultural and histrical value that is an integral part f Halifax s n- ging narrative. Indian Cve and the envirn arund Purcell s Cve were cmmnly used sites by the First Natin s peple befre British settlement. When the British did settle n the peninsula, rck frm the quarries in the Backlands was used t build many large structures and buildings that define the face f Halifax t this day. Thrughut the centuries, military defence infrastructure in this area played a key rle in shaping the wrld plitical landscape, including ur wn natin. Finally, the Backlands are an integral part f individual histries f thse wh cme t visit its lakes and trails t this day, histries that cllectively create the cultural fabric f ur city. The Backlands eclgical features are diverse, interesting, and sme are glbally rare. Ntable features f its rugged terrain include the glbally rare jack pine/brm crwberry barrens. Typically this cnsists f the signature jack pines grwing amng large whaleback shaped granite utcrps, alng with the lw- grwing brm crwberry. In late spring sme f the valleys cntain pckets f lady slippers. The sil in these barrens can be very shallw in spts. This makes fr a unique if nt fragile landscape, affrding spectacular views frm the higher ridges. Lakes, pnds and streams are fund in the area as well as many wetlands. The Backlands area is gelgically hstile t real estate develpment because f its rugged terrain, which wuld impse huge infrastructure csts n the municipality shuld they be develped. There are gd reasn that this area has nt been develped while the city grew up arund it. The granite bedrck that is never far frm the surface (and ften expsed) means that develpment wuld require extensive blasting that wuld destry the area s eclgical integrity. Mrever, traffic t and frm the area, if it were develped, wuld sn verwhelm the Armdale rundabut, frcing expensive traffic infrastructure develpment. Even small scale develpments (such as thse at Frtress Drive and Aarn s Way) wuld damage watersheds and fragile wetlands and put mre peple at risk in a fire prne area. Of curse the Backlands shuld nt be thught f in islatin. Active transprtatin and ecturism can be enhanced by imprving cnnectins: fr example, the bike lanes that nw extend t Purcell s Cve shuld eventually be cntinued t the beaches at Crystal Crescent Beach Prvincial Park. In terms f wildlife eclgy links t Lng Lake Prvincial Park, and an intercnnected green areas including the Terrance Bay Wilderness Area and acrss the length and breadth f the Chebuct Peninsula shuld be maintained. 2

3 Wh we are and why we care Our grup: Purcell s Cve Neighburhd Cmmittee (PCNC), frmed in 2012, evlved frm cmmunity grups stretching back t the 1970s. Its main aim is t prmte, prtect and prvide a vice fr Purcell s Cve and surrunds as a unique mixed residential and multi- use recreatinal area within HRM. PCNC is an affiliate f Our HRM Alliance and the Backlands Calitin. It crdinates clsely with ther lcal grups including the Williams Lake Cnservatin Cmpany and the Fergusn s Cve Neighburhd Assciatin. Our website can be fund at Our cmmunity: Purcell s Cve is nt a suburb f the city it is a picturesque crner with substantial natural beauty, with a unique scial and histrical heritage, a special cmmunity spirit and a reputatin as a welcming retreat just a stne s thrw frm the urban cre. It is a cmmunity with many utstanding features, near the heart f Halifax. The rughly 350 residents f the Purcell s Cve area include yung families, artists, cultural wrkers, retirees, prfessinals, tradespeple, service wrkers, health wrkers and the self- emplyed. Only five minutes drive frm the Rtary, it is a special blend f suburban and rural, residential areas and pcket wilderness. Its main features are the Cve itself, with its small yacht anchrage as well as unbstructed views f the harbur, Pint Pleasant Park and McNab s Island, and a substantial and unique Backlands area that encmpasses undevelped and minimally- develped private land, Crwn Land, HRM land, DND land, and a segment f cnservatin lands dnated by the Field and Napier families t the Nva Sctia Nature Trust in 2003 and 2009 respectively. Why we want t prtect the Backlands: We believe that ne f the mst remarkable and valuable aspects f the Backlands is the lcatin f this extensive wilderness area virtually at the city s drstep. Nt everyne in HRM is aware f the existence f the Backlands and the fact that they prvide a vital and eclgically diverse link r bridge between the urban cre and utlying natural wilderness areas f the Chebuct Peninsula. The existence f such stunningly beautiful and largely untuched land with utstanding physical features and spectacular vistas, s clse t the city centre, prvides Halifax with the unprecedented ptential t create a green netwrk that is fully accessible t residents f the urban cre as well as visitrs t the city. Eclgy, gelgy, flra, fauna and watersheds: The Backlands gelgy is characterized by striking whaleback granite ridges and huge bulders shaped by the last glacial age. The granite itself is 380 millin years ld, while the whalebacks were shaped by glaciatin apprximately 10,000 years ag. (It has taken that much time fr nature t prduce the meagre layer f sil in the cracks at the crest f the granite whalebacks where the Jack pine thrive.) There are at least three scenic high pints in the Backlands with elevatins 3

f rughly 80 metres - - including Piggy Muntain with its clear views f Chebuct Head and peninsular Halifax. Tw gelgically significant drumlins with deep sils can be fund west and suth f Williams Lake.

4 f rughly 80 metres - - including Piggy Muntain with its clear views f Chebuct Head and peninsular Halifax. Tw gelgically significant drumlins with deep sils can be fund west and suth f Williams Lake. Apprximately 100 acres f land arund Purcell s Pnd are administered by the Nva Sctia Nature Trust (see Other grups such as the Backlands Calitin ( the Williams Lake Cnservatin Cmpany (WLCC, and the McIntsh Run Watershed Assciatin (MRWA, ) are cncerned with, and wrk actively t publicize and prtect, the unique features f the Backlands area as a whle. The WLCC has cmmissined several excellent studies pertaining t birds, watershed features and vegetatin, and, mst recently, the Eclgical Assessment f the Plant Cmmunities f the Williams Lake Backlands (February 2014) which highlights imprtant eclgical features such as the glbally rare Jack pine/ brm crwberry barrens that are fund thrughut bth the Backlands. The tw watersheds f the Backlands frm a cntiguus area f high utcrps and wet lw valleys which are hme t a remarkable amunt f wildlife. Within the lands administered by the Nva Sctia Nature Trust alne, dzens f species f plants, birds, lichens and insects have been bserved. There are als regular sightings f rabbit, beaver, muskrat, mink, cyte, fx and deer. The uniqueness and rarity f these pristine urban fresh water landscapes and watersheds frm a unique web f such value as t warrant serius prtectin and stewardship. In particular, the tiny gem f Flat Lake and the surrunding area (which falls between the McIntsh Run and Williams Lake watersheds and is partly situated n HRM land) prvides a superb example f a pristine Backlands lcatin which culd ptentially be cnnected t the NSNT cnservatin lands. Massive granite whalebacks and primrdial- lking glacial erratic bulders surrund the small unspiled lake which attracts many seasnal birds. A lcal artist wh has painted extensively in the Backlands cmments that Flat Lake gives us a rare glimpse f ancient landscape nly a shrt distance frm peninsular Halifax. Recreatinal trails: The Backlands cntain an extensive netwrk f frmal and infrmal trails fr hiking and muntain biking and it is regularly accessed by such grups as the Halifax Field Naturalists and the Chebuct Hiking Club. Many f these rugh trails were utilized by the Mi kmaq peple lng befre Eurpeans arrived. The MRWA has dne a remarkable jb in mapping ut ptential frmal trails n existing HRM and Crwn Lands in the suthern Backlands adjining Herring Cve. We fully supprt their effrts t establish an extensive trail system (starting in 2015 with cnstructin f phase ne f their planned 30 kilmetre trail netwrk) thrugh remarkable scenery that can be accessed and enjyed by anyne in Halifax within a shrt bus ride r drive frm the city centre. Cultural and histrical: Indian Cve at the nrth end f Purcell s Cve (frmerly Mackerel Cve) was a lng- established site where First Natins peple fished and celebrated festivals. The Mi kmaq ccupied the Purcell s 4

Cve shreline and the whle f the present Backlands t supprt their lifestyle prir t and fr years after the British settled in peninsular Halifax 1749.

5 Cve shreline and the whle f the present Backlands t supprt their lifestyle prir t and fr years after the British settled in peninsular Halifax The little inlet at the nrth end f the cve was called Indian Cve. Frm there began a trail called Indian Path, which was the head f a netwrk f trails used t access the fishing lakes and hunting grunds in the Backlands. Established in 1759, the histric granite and slate quarries f the Backlands were used t build the frts, batteries and many histric Halifax buildings. The quarries extended frm Indian Cve t the plateau 70 metres abve. In 1834 the quarries started using a steam railrad (pssibly the first industrial railway in Nva Sctia) t access the quarries and the ld tramway bed is well preserved. Althugh mstly vergrwn, sme segments shw sturdy stnewrk beds which are nw used as scenic walking trails. Old maps in the Nva Sctia archives shw an 18th century rad cnnecting the military batteries abve Fergusn s Cve with Spryfield thrugh the heart f the Backlands. Parts f this rad are still used by hikers. The Backlands is als the subject f lcal painters and phtgraphers whse wrks f art remind us that the extrardinary rugged beauty f the area is wrth appreciating fr its wn sake. Fr example, the wrk f lcal landscape painter Geffrey Grantham, chsen in 2012 as a CBC Sharing the View artist, prvides a cmpelling first- hand visual recrd f the Backlands many mds and seasns. The Green Netwrk: Given ur deep- rted interest in preserving the quality f life in HRM, PCNC welcmes the chance t put the Backlands n the map as an area within the Green Netwrk Plan. We see this as an pprtunity t share with thers the special features and assets f the Backlands in its entirety and want t highlight the need t prvide effective reginal stewardship fr these areas. As a member f Our HRM Alliance, we fully endrse the Green Netwrk as a way t cncentrate grwth in the urban cre, t preserve green areas that are vital in addressing climate change, and t prtect watersheds and eclgically sensitive areas, and prvide healthy utdr recreatinal pprtunities. The Green Netwrk is very imprtant fr the future preservatin and effective cllective use f the space surrunding Halifax. The inclusin f the Backlands in this plan wuld recgnize that a reginal municipality is much mre than simply an area in which ecnmic develpment takes place. It is als a lcatin t fster a rare synthesis between quality f life, scial/cultural values, human well- being and the envirnment. Overall, we believe that there is significant prestige t be gained fr Halifax (bth natinally and internatinally) if the true ptential f the urban greenbelt is realized. Prtins f the Backlands are currently Crwn r HRM land, but in the area immediately suth f Williams Lake and behind Purcell s Cve itself there remain private lands zned as urban reserve. This designatin des ffer sme prtectin, at least fr the time being. But in the lng run the area as a whle needs the frmal recgnitin prtectin that can nly cme frm its incrpratin int the Green Netwrk and we hpe that private landwners and develpers can als see the many advantages in allwing their lands t be cnsidered as part f this initiative. The Backlands, incrprating the McIntsh Run and Williams Lake watersheds and eclgical systems, is a great natural landscape that remains s clse t the dwntwn 5

6 cre which can be prperly designated an urban wilderness. T lse the pprtunity t prtect this area frm develpment wuld seriusly undermine Halifax s ptential as a scially and eclgically prgressive cmmunity. We wuld be happy t prvide any further infrmatin as required. We lk frward t receiving acknwledgement frm the crdinatr f the Green Netwrk Plan regarding ur input and we hpe that ur infrmatin will cntribute substantially t the planning prcess. Yurs sincerely, Fr the Purcell s Cve Neighburhd Cmmittee Nathan Brett (nbrett@dal.ca) Anne Gillies (gilliesae@yah.ca) Geffrey Grantham (effey01@yah.ca) Anne Gillies (gilliesae@yah.ca) Reuben Penner (reuben.penner@gmail.cm) J. Vincent Purcell (dvpurcell@gmail.cm) Marcs Zentilli (zentilli@eastlink.ca) Cc: clerks@halifax.ca fr distributin t the Mayr and City Cuncillrs Painting (p. 5) curtesy f Geffrey Grantham. Phtgraphs (p. 3, 6) N. Brett; (p. 4), NS Archives. 6

Parks and Recreation. Goals

Parks and Recreation. Goals Parks and Recreatin Gals The City will: Ensure that new parks and recreatin facilities are designed and lcated t reinfrce and supprt the gals and plicies f the City s Cmprehensive Plan. Prvide parks that