N.S. gets first provincial park in more than 10 years

LOWER SACKVILLE – Nova Scotia has a new provincial park, the first one in more than 10 years.

On Wednesday, the Sackville Lakes Provincial Park was officially announced. The protected park will include 721 acres along First Lake and Second Lake.

Twenty-three years in the making, the Second Lake Regional Park Association advocated for the provincial designation — and co-chair Shane O’Neil was elated during the announcement.

“Sackville now has a park!” he shouted during the official announcement.

O’Neil says the designation not only encourages people to get outdoors but will help people recognize the importance of protecting green space in the province.

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“There are beautiful portions of red spruce forest in there, hemlocks that would just awe you to see them, white pine that would awe you to see them,” he gushed.

While there won’t be many obvious changes, except for the erection of a new provincial park sign, O’Neil says the designation is a safeguard to keep the area intact.

“The designation protects this land under the Parks Act, which means it can’t be used for other purposes. It cannot, for example, be developed. It can’t be parceled out. There’s so much pressure today especially in the urban landscape to develop land,” he said.

Premier Darrell Dexter says the province pays a lot of the costs currently associated with the park. With the designation, he says the park will become part of the provincial budget.

Many young kids who were at the announcement shared their excitement.

“I hope my parents will let me go… and play with my friends,” said Lauren Ryter.

“I’m happy that they have a new park because it’s going to be fun to play in,” said Dakota.

Park lovers were equally delighted when they heard the news.

“That’s awesome. It means there’s a place for me to go with my dog,” one woman said, adding she goes to the park every day.

“We walk here all the time,” said young woman with her dog.

The new provincial park is the first park to receive that designation since 2002.