Commission asking for public’s help to save access to Fletchers Lake

HALIFAX – A small piece of land connecting Lake Thomas and Fletchers Lake along the Shubie Canal could soon become private land.

An adjacent landowner has made a legal claim to the land, and the Shubenacadie Canal Commission (SCC) is warning that if it’s approved, the only safe public access to Fletchers Lake could be lost.

“The land that’s in dispute is the land which is being used by canoeists to get their boats from one lake to the other,” said Bernie Hart, a volunteer with the SCC. “Without that, they really can’t make the trip.”

Debbie Windsor, the chair of the SCC, says the commission is also concerned with protecting the land’s historical value because the route was used by the Shubenacadie Canal Company.

“They contain historical artifacts related to that system,” she said. “Because they contain those artifacts, this land has been designated as a ‘special place’ under Nova Scotia’s Special Places Act.”

The adjacent landowner told Global News there are other public access points to the lake in the area, but Windsor says the other public access points aren’t as safe.

She says the commission is now making an urgent call to the community.

“What we’re asking for is stories, she said. “We want to hear stories from the public that would identify that they used the land and would continue to use the land.

“We know local school groups use this land, scout groups use this land and the public use this land, and we have some of those stories but we’d like to hear more.”

Windsor says they need to build a case quickly before a decision is made; and according to a spokesperson with the province’s natural resources department, that decision could be made “soon.”

“The goal is to reach a decision that is as beneficial to both sides as possible,” said spokesman Bruce Nunn. “No decision has been reached as yet. The minister is following it very closely.”

The commission plans to meet with Zach Churchill, the province’s natural resources minister, on Tuesday.