The Backlands Coalition

One of the top five Media Arts Projects at Nocturne 2015 is a piece by Susan Tooke about choices that transform our landscapes in HRM.

3B:BACKLANDS, BADLANDS, BURBS explores the destruction of natural habitat by the encroaching development of our precious, wild Backlands on the Halifax south mainland.

3B will be shown in front of the Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road between 6 pm and midnight on Saturday Oct 17. The video will be rear screen projected form inside the library and the  audio track broadcast from a speaker by the entrance. Continue reading →

It’s Harvest time!
Ride the bus to the Forum Market with us next Saturday, October 17th. Together with our friends and neighbours, we’ll hop on the #15 leaving York Redoubt at 9:55am. Our guides Danyele and Anne will be on the bus to help us make our way there…and back!

Pick up your squash! Support the #15! Learn how easy and enjoyable it is to take the bus. See below for full details on how to participate. Have questions? Write to us at purcellscovenow@gmail.com or connect with us on Facebook #welovethe15. Continue reading →

Hello Purcell’s Covers and Friends!

Thanks to all of you who came to the Save-the-Bus Rally two weeks ago. At the rally, over 65 neighbours made a pledge to ride the #15 bus more often. Way to go! How are you doing with your pledge commitment? Increasing ridership is a big part of our campaign and together we are making a difference. Help us show Metro Transit and city council that we are riding the #15 bus. Share your story about your bus riding experience with us through Facebook or email and we will share it with the community. Let’s keep the momentum going!

Facebook – like! share! Continue reading →

If you’d like to help a trail, the McIntosh Run Watershed Association is inviting the community to help trim brush, Saturday, September 19th, 9:30 – 11:30 am.
We’ll be meeting at the Drysdale Road bridge, beside the Spryfield Lion’s Rink. If you have work gloves and branch-cutting tools please bring them along. No power tools please! We do have some extra tools and gloves, so please come even if you don’t have any.

Often the artists’ sketches, doodles, words or ideas are rarely intended to be viewed by the public. They are the documentation of an idea or mode of creating that allows the artist to record and potentially recall for future use. This exhibition displays what most viewers and collectors seldom get to experience. Twenty-four Artists in the exhibition.
OPENING RECEPTION PAVIA GALLERY ~ HERRING COVE Thursday, September 17, 2015 from 7:00 ~ 8:30pm until Tuesday, November 10th.
995 Herring Cove Road, Herring Cove, Nova Scotia 902 407 4008 ext.1 www.paviagallery.com
View Poster

The Save Route 15 Rally:
WHEN: – Sunday, September 13, 2015 3-5 p.m.
WHERE – Purcell’s Cove Social Club, 505 PURCELL’S COVE ROAD

View Poster

Those affected by proposed changes to Halifax Transit’s Route 15 bus are holding a rally to save the service and increase ridership. Right now the bus travels hourly from Mumford Terminal, along Purcell’s Cove Road, to York Redoubt and back. A proposed change would see the route turn at Williams Lake Road and continue to Spryfield, leaving the entire area from Williams Lake Road to York Redoubt without service. This would leave approximately 450-500 households without public transportation.
Continue reading →

Sixty-eight citizens joined this Hike-the-Greenbelt finale.

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Select the i icon to read descriptions and see locations in Google Maps.

Sixty-eight hikers joined the Backland folks yesterday, the best turnout in the Hike-the-Greenbelt events. We started at the Capt. Spry, walked along the McIntosh Run to the bridge at Drysdale, then one group continued on the McIntosh Run Trail with Karen & Dick E. Others continued onto the barrens and down to Colpitt Lake where we had lunch. We then hugged the shoreline to reach the outlet to Williams Lake; one group continued to Williams Lake, the other returned. We had lots of short talks by Martin W., David P., Dick E. and Marcos Z and of course Tristan C. and lots of discussion. Some photos from the event will be posted soon.

View article in Metro news this am: Hike the Greenbelt events gather support in ‘most fun way possible’

In an interview with Sheldon MacLeod, planner Tristan Cleveland of Our HRM Alliance talks about using Greenbelting to densify growth, and about the pressures on the Backlands. Listen to Interview. Select the Aug 12, 3 pm session. Discussion of the Backlands at approx 13 mins. “Density is a good thing”… “We don’t have a clear plan for the centre to answer the big questions”… Design is so crucial.” The single biggest impact of people on their environment is where they live.” If we are smart about growth we can make an excellent transit system that everyone would be happy to use.” “Hike the Greenbelt big Finale..in Purcell’s Cove Backlands.. the rugged wilderness we have here is within a quick bike ride.”

The Hike the Greenbelt events wrap up at the end of this week, with Biking on the Halifax Urban Greenway-Chain of Lakes Trail-BLT Trail on Saturday Aug 15th and a hike into the Backlands on Sunday Aug 16th.

We hope many supporters of the Backlands will participate in the final event and as many of the others as possible to show support for the Halifax’s Green Network initiative, and of course for conserving the Backlands.

Sunday, August 09, BIKE: OLD SAINT MARGARET’S BAY ROAD Wednesday
August 12, RUN OR HIKE: THE BLUFF TRAILS Saturday
Aug 15, BIKE: HALIFAX URBAN GREENWAY-CHAIN OF LAKES TRAIL-BLT TRAIL
Sunday, August 16, HIKE MCINTOSH RUN/BACKLANDS
& a post-Hike the Greenbelt event on
Monday, August 17, PADDLE: INGRAM RIVER

Please go to the Events Page http://www.ourhrmalliance.ca/hike_events click on an event in which you might want to participate for more details and to do an RSVP

See The Chebucto Peninsula: A Significant Conservation Area for a little about the natural history of these areas.