Halifax Lakes and Rivers

“In a small city like Halifax, we have a unique blend of city and nature. Many of our best public spaces are inextricably linked to our natural setting – we are a coastal region, with the core of our city built around a sheltered harbour that supports much of our economy. The Halifax Harbour, as a major tourism destination, has many wonderful public spaces, supported by both historic and modern architecture. The Halifax Waterfront is an obvious example of quality in the built environment – but as someone who grew up just a ferry ride across the harbour in Dartmouth, I would be remiss to not write about Lake Banook.

Within the municipal boundaries of Halifax Regional Municipality, there are over 1000 lakes. The former City of Dartmouth branded itself the City of Lakes (shout out to our very own Matt Mays). I grew up on Lake Banook, in the heart of the city. This lake was a critical waterway used by the Mi’kmaq people and was the first natural lake in the Shubenacadie Canal waterway. Today, Lake Banook is known as a world-class course for sprint canoe/kayaking. Having hosted several national and international championships, including the 2022 Canoe Sprint World Championships, public spaces have been built around the lake that supports both the activity on the lake and residents’ daily recreational activity. A boardwalk lines the lake adjacent to the racecourse, and spectators’ stands have been built into a natural hill that overlooks the lake. The judges’ tower, built on piles in the lake itself, is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

Named after the Mi’kmaq word Panuk meaning “at the opening/beginning”, Lake Banook was once connected to the Halifax Harbour by the Sawmill River. The small river flowed openly and was used for mills until the 1970s, when a hurricane caused severe flooding in downtown Dartmouth, and it was subsequently forced into underground culverts. Federal fish passage regulations have required alterations to those culverts, which has provided an opportunity to daylight the stream. The first phase of this project has resulted in a beautiful addition to the existing Sullivan’s Pond park. A wide pedestrian bridge spans the new fish ladder, adding a new focal point for the park. The bridge is lit up for the holidays, and as it sits next to a Cenotaph, residents of a local nursing home decorated it with 6,000 hand-knit poppies for Remembrance Day. This small change to a local park is now a cherished part of the built environment.” (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.248).

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