The Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes park opportunity is set within an approximately 12,000-acre undeveloped forest and lake country area. There is a 31-kilometre perimeter bordering on neighbourhoods and undeveloped private land. The wilderness length is approximately 13 kilometres from the northwest to the southeast corners. The area is subject to change with future land acquisitions.

To date, approximately 5,429 acres have been secured for conservation purposes. Securing this land has been accomplished through the efforts of the Province of Nova Scotia, the Regional Municipality of Halifax and the Nova Scotia Nature Trust.

There are 2 watersheds (Nine Mile River and Kearney Lake) with 22 interconnected lakes/ponds. Many can also be used for paddling. Seventeen lakes have residential frontage on them, making waterfront access somewhat limited.

The Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes wilderness comprises native Acadian forests, wetlands and an interconnected system
of headwater lakes. It has been described as a “mini Kejimkujik” National Park.

Parks Canada launched an initiative in 2021 to create new urban parks across Canada. Parks Canada is studying and assessing which areas might become part of the first urban parks. If Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes becomes an urban national park, it will be one the largest in North America, potentially 7000-acres or more. Other partners/stakeholders are Nova Scotia Nature
Trust (NSNT), the Province of Nova Scotia – Dept. of Environment and Climate Change (NSECC), Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and the NS Mi’kmaq.

For over 20 years the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) has been promoting the idea of a Regional Urban Park in this area. The HRM Council has been a continuous supporter and HRM staff are active participants in various stakeholder group meetings as planning continues toward dedication as a National Urban Park. The HRM has begun targeted land acquisitions (with Parks Canada assistance) in recent years.

Blue Mountain Hill is the highest point of elevation in Halifax (140m). From the summit you can see the lakes throughout the wilderness area and the waters of St. Margarets Bay. The Birch Cove Lakes (Susie and Quarry Lake) and surrounding area form the southeastern end of the wilderness. The area’s history is rich and recreational opportunities are significant.

The dispute started in 2017 when the Annapolis Group claimed the City effectively expropriated land in Blue Mountain-Birch Cove area for park use. The Annapolis Case is currently ongoing. The lands that surround the Birch Cove Lakes were proposed to be acquired by the Halifax Regional Municipality for inclusion in the park as far back as 2012 but negotiations have yet to be successful. Friends of BMBCL are extremely concerned about the trial and the continued chill it has placed on the progress of plans to establish this area as a National Urban Park.

Popular access points are the Bayers Lake Business Area (behind Kent), Colins Road (via Belle Street off Kearney Lake Road), Maskwa Aquatic Club (via Saskatoon Drive off Kearney Lake Rd), Anahid Drive or Lakeshore Drive (Kingswood Subdivision via Hammonds Plains Road) and Brookline Trail (parking lot at 270 Brookline Drive via Larry Uteck Blvd). However, only Brookline trail is officially managed. People visiting the Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes wilderness need to be aware that businesses and private citizens can get frustrated with inappropriate parking. Please be respectful of where you park. Other than Brookline, the trails themselves are not managed. Most trails around and inside BMBCL result from private citizen initiatives or have been in place before the wilderness area was created. Our Trail Stewards attempt to do minimal repairs, for safety reasons only.

No official calculation has been done, however approximately 200,000 people live within a 20-minute drive of the park. The population of Halifax is now over 500,000 and growing. It is safe to assume many visitors and locals have visited this wilderness – either hiking, walking their dog, canoeing, swimming, birding, nature observation or even snowshoeing.

Many people have been working for more than 40 years to save this wilderness. Friends of Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes was created in 2018 to help focus efforts on creating one of Canada’s largest urban wilderness parks. We are a registered non-profit, and there is no fee to join. Just go online and sign up. We are always thrilled to have new members. Our activities include park creation advocacy, park planning, guiding hikes, stewardship, events for education and information and communications. Our committees are always looking for active volunteers.