Province commits $1 million to Halifax Urban Wilderness Park

The Halifax Urban Wilderness Park is a little bit closer to reality after a funding boost from the provincial government Thursday.

The 380-acre park is $1.2 million from its fundraising goal of $8 million after the province chipped in a cool $1 million.

Craig Smith, Atlantic director of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, said that the donation helps pave the way to protect an ecosystem that is unique to Nova Scotia.

“It’s an uncommon ecosystem in Nova Scotia and, in fact continentally significant. This jack-pine-broom-crowberry-barren has two types of vegetation, a Jack Pine tree and a broom Crowberry shrub that occur here, together, in coastal Nova Scotia but nowhere else in North America,” Smith said.

READ MORE: Urban wilderness area near Halifax now protected after anonymous donation

The new park, which is due to open in the fall of 2019, will consist mostly of back country trails, although Smith said that a parking lot will be built near the Purcell’s Cove entrance. A portion of the $8 million will also go towards way-finding signage and a flatter gravel path for those who don’t want, or aren’t able to trek into the hardier parts of the park.

“There is a trail system that’s kind of developed organically over time with people’s usage. So they’re narrow hiking trails, rugged hiking trails and that is very much how the site will remain,” said Smith.

“With the creation of the park we will improve some of them with light infrastructure, like maybe a small bridge or boardwalk,” he added.

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WATCH: Nature Conservancy of Canada wants new Halifax urban wilderness park

2:01 Nature Conservancy of Canada wants new Halifax urban wilderness park

The site is located only five kilometres from the heart of downtown and is on the number 15 bus route to make it easily accessible to those living in the urban core.

“It makes it accessible to a broader segment of the population and we know that, you know, in the technological world that we’re living in today that people are looking for opportunities to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with nature,” Smith said.

“That’s one of the main values of this site is really it’s proximity to the downtown core and to the people living and working in Halifax and it poses an opportunity for them to access nature quickly within their everyday, busy lives.”

Along with its unique profile of vegetation the site is also home to the Common Nighthawk and Snapping Turtles, both protected species, as well as over 40 species of birds.