We encourage supporters of the Backlands to attend and actively participate in the upcoming public engagement process for the “Halifax Green Network” (this is the new name for the Halifax greenbelting plan) at the Captain William Spry Centre. Here are the meeting details:
Saturday, June 13th 12:00 – 3:00 pm
Captain William Spry Community Centre, 16 Sussex St, Halifax .
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Yesterday, Regional Council voted 11 to 6 against opening negotations with developers about acquiring the Williams Lake Backlands before completion of Phase I of the Greenbelting and Open Spaces Priorities Plan – the recommendation of Staff that was also supported by ourHRM Allaince and the Backlands Coalition.
Here is a link to the Chronicle Herald article about the Council meeting:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1280571-council-notebook-politicians-talk-halifax-water-review-greenbelt-plan
We were very much encouraged when we witnessed several Councillors expressing the view that the Backlands would and should come under public ownership.
We are also encouraged by Clayton Developments’ steadfast interest in pursuing public ownership of our near urban wilderness.
“..A reminder of the upcoming Annual General Meeting for the McIntosh Run Watershed Association at 7:00 pm on Monday April 20th at the Captain Spry Community Centre in Spryfield. We are looking for volunteers to help with Communications and Fund-raising. There will also be a presentation of a trail signage system.
For map and directions please go to:
https://www.halifax.ca/rec/centrescaptainspry.php
____________________________
Kaarin Tae
President, McIntosh Run Watershed Association
Jennifer Keesmaat, chief planner and executive director of the City of Toronto, argues that greenbelts and other measures to restrict the outward growth of Canadian cities are essential and fiscally responsible policy tools, since they result in higher densities that make more efficient use of infrastructure investments. View Globe & Mail Article
By Williams Lake Dam, 11 Dec 2014 Photo by Kathleen Hall
Unlike most Canadian cities, the urban core of Halifax is surrounded not by farms or endless burbs but by forested and coastal landscapes. Even within 30 kilometres of downtown Halifax, where approximately three-quarters of the population resides, developed areas are interspersed with substantive wild spaces. An article in the Nova Scotia Naturally series in the Chronicle Herald highlights Halifax’s wild spaces and discusses some of what has to be done to preserve their wildness. See Article. Some supplementary materials are posted on the Wildland Writers’ website.
“The Halifax Regional Municipality (the Municipality) invites the submission of proposals from qualified professional firms (and teams) … for the development of a Greenbelting and Public Open Space Priorities Plan (Open Space Plan) for the protection of a regional network of lands for resource conservation, public service delivery and community shaping. This Plan is a key deliverable under the Halifax Regional Municipal Planning Strategy (Regional Plan).” Pages 21 on give readers a good sense of the envisaged why, what and how of greenbelting for HRM. View RFP. (The Closing Date is December-04-14.)
Marcos Zentilli, geologist and resident of Purcell’s Cove, led a Halifax Field Naturalists walk on Nov. 15, 2014, to explore quarries in the Purcell’s Cove area. Probably beginning in 1759, both granite and bluestone (slate) were exploited in Purcell’s Cove, since 1826 by British imperial troops, and were used to build harbour defences and many historic buildings in Halifax. An industrial steam railroad and tramway, one of the oldest in Canada, began operating at the King’s Quarry in 1834. Besides inspecting some remnants of the quarrying operation, we viewed typical outcrops of coarse granite (South Mountain Batholith – 380 million years old) and the ancient (Cambrian-Ordovician) marine sedimentary rocks it encroached and metamorphosed (Meguma – Bluestone Quarry). After the walk, we had a wrap-up at the Purcell’s Cove Social Club (Summary modifed from the HFN description for the walk). View some pics
Nov 8, 2014 in Jack Pine/Broom Crowberry Barrens
Saturday November 1 – POSTPONED TO NOV 8 – join a walk with the NS Wild Flora Society on recently burnt and unburnt Jack Pine/Broom Crowberry Barrens, read more.
David Patriquin will give a presentation on The Atlantic Coast Jack Pine/Broom Crowberry Barrens to the NS Wild Flora Society on Monday Oct 27, 7:30 pm at the NS Museum of Natural History (all welcome).
On Saturday Nov. 15, Marcos Zentilli will lead a Halifax Field Naturalists‘ walk to a few quarries in the Backlands, read more
