Shaw Wilderness Park Re-opens

Established in 1968 for the Preservation of Williams Lake


NCC/HRM (Nature Conservancy of Canada/Halifax Regional Municipality) have not yet made a formal announcement about the “Etu’qamikejk Trail” in the SWP (Shaw Wilderness Park)* but the signs have been up for a few months. I have been getting questions about it, so here’s some info. about the name and the place.

Nova Scotians are invited to help shape the approach for protecting 20 percent of the province’s land and water by 2030.
An online public consultation started August 23, at the province’s Collaborative Protected Areas Strategy Engagement page.
The input will be used to develop the Nova Scotia Collaborative Protected Areas Strategy, which will outline how the Province will achieve its 2030 land and water conservation goals and identify next steps.

“Creating public access to Williams Lake is a top priority for the WLCC,” says conservation advocate Kathleen Hall, a longtime member of the board of directors. “That is why we are currently following a recent request for zoning change on a 9.4-acre parcel of land on Purcell’s Cove Road that would potentially close an historically significant and well-used path, ‘Lover’s Lane,’ that leads to the shores of Williams Lake. This is an opportunity to work with the developer to preserve this culturally significant path through the HRM “Park Designation” by-law and we are asking to meet with the developer.”

Several local groups are championing the importance of maintaining public access to Williams Lake, via historic trails leading from Purcells Cove Road to the lakeshore. This access is in danger of being lost forever, and your support for a petition is urgently needed.