Shubenacadie Canal Commission

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Shubenacadie Canal Commission

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We work to provide access and preserve the historic features of the Shubenacadie Canal Waterway.

11/03/2026

Animals Along the Shubenacadie Waterway: Turkey Vulture

Have you spotted a Turkey Vulture soaring overhead? Sightings have been reported along Lake William! If you haven’t seen one in the wild, you can also visit the Turkey Vultures at Shubenacadie Wildlife Park.

Keen sense of smell: They use their powerful sense of smell to locate carrion (dead animals).

Effortless flyers: With a wingspan of up to 1.8 metres, they can soar for hours using warm air currents.

Nature’s cleanup crew: By feeding on dead animals, Turkey Vultures help keep the environment clean.

Keep looking up along the Shubenacadie Waterway—you might spot one gliding overhead! 🌿

📷 Photo: ursusmania on iNaturalist

References: Canadian Raptor Conservancy | iNaturalist observation

11/02/2026

❄️ Winter Hours at the Fairbanks Interpretive Centre ❄️

Did you know the Fairbanks Interpretive Centre is open throughout the winter? We welcome visitors to explore the museum and discover the fascinating history of the Shubenacadie Canal!

🕘 Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
📅 Winter hours are in effect until May 1.

Planning a school visit? Large school groups are encouraged to visit our Learning page for information about educational opportunities and group visits. Link below:

https://www.shubenacadiecanal.ca/learning

Please note that the Avery Room rental space operates separately from the museum’s public hours.

We look forward to welcoming you!

11/02/2026

Temporary Trail Closure: November 2–11

Please be advised that a section of the Shubenacadie Canal trail in Shubie Park will be temporarily closed from November 2–11 to allow for the removal of seasonal docks and essential trail maintenance.

We appreciate your patience and understanding while this work is underway. These improvements help us maintain a safe and enjoyable trail experience for everyone.

Thank you for your cooperation!

10/29/2026

📜 This month in Canal History!

Did you know that in October 1861, the Avery steamboat used the Dartmouth Marine Railway for the first time, finally reaching Halifax Harbour?

What is a marine railway? Instead of navigating boats through water, this ingenious marine railway carried them over land between Sullivan’s Pond and Halifax Harbour! Boats floated onto a wooden cradle, which was pulled along rails by a cable system powered by water from Sullivan’s Pond. The entire journey took just 12–15 minutes!

To learn more: www.shubenacadiecanal.ca/starr-park-dartmouth-marine-railway

10/28/2026

Plants Along the Shubenacadie Waterway: Sweet Gale

This week, we’re highlighting Sweet Gale (Myrica gale), also known as bog-myrtle or dutch myrtle! Sweet Gale thrives in moist to wet conditions, acidic soils, and full to partial sunlight. It’s naturally found in bogs, swamps, marshes, and along wet shorelines—including the banks of the Shubenacadie River!

🐦 A valuable food source for wildlife! The seeds provide food for birds such as grouse, chickadees, and bluebirds, while mammals like beavers and white-tailed deer browse on its twigs and leaves.

Next time you’re exploring the Shubenacadie Waterway, keep an eye out for this fascinating shrub and the wildlife it helps support!

📷 Watersheds Canada
references: https://naturaledge.watersheds.ca/plants/sweet-gale and https://www.inaturalist.ca/observations/17447537

10/20/2026

🔎 One last lock mystery!

Take a close look at this old photo and see if you can recognize where we are and what lock this is! Think you know it? Type in before you scroll through.

10/19/2026

🔧 Maintenance at Lock 4 – October 20

We’re completing some important maintenance work at Lock 4 to help ensure visitors can continue to enjoy this historic site safely!

The work includes installing safety barriers between the lock and the river. We’ll also be temporarily removing the dock for inspection and maintenance, so it will be unavailable for the day.

We expect all work to be completed by the end of the day. We will post again if this changes. Thank you for your patience as we make these improvements to help keep Lock 4 safe and enjoyable for everyone!

📍 Have you visited Lock 4? In 1976, the site was designated as a protected site under provincial law in recognition of its historical and archaeological significance.

Check out our webpage for more info https://www.shubenacadiecanal.ca/lock-4

10/16/2026

Passionate about the Shubenacadie Waterway? Why not consider applying for a vacancy on the Shubenacadie Canal Commission?

Deadline to apply is October 20 , 2026 - see below for details.

The Department of Natural Resources has current vacancies on the Shubenacadie Canal Commission. The purpose of the Commission is to oversee and further promote the Shubenacadie Canal System including the operation of any information or interpretive centres pertaining to or belonging to the Shubenacadie Canal Commission.

Applicant Requirements:
• Must be a resident of the Municipality of East Hants, or Municipality of the County of Colchester or HRM
• Interest in the Shubenacadie Canal System and heritage preservation and interpretation.
• General knowledge of how not-for-profit groups function
• Interpersonal skills and communications.

Applicants may apply online Online Applications to Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs) System. Applications will be accepted from Saturday, September 12th, to Tuesday, October 20 , 2026.

For more information please contact:
Web: novascotia.ca/abc
Email: [email protected]
Call: 1-866-206-6844

10/13/2026

🕵️‍♀️ A little Canal mystery for you…

Let’s see who knows their Shubenacadie Canal history! Can you guess which lock is in this old photograph?

10/07/2026

📚 Preserving our history!

Thanks to funding through the Nova Scotia Student Summer Skills Incentive Program, we welcomed Justin, a Dalhousie University Master of Information student, to the Shubenacadie Canal Commission this summer.

Justin worked on an important project to help preserve our organizational history and improve access to the Commission’s historical records. For a small non-profit, having the time and resources to take on a project like this makes a big difference.

👉 Want to learn more about the project? Read our latest blog post! https://www.shubenacadiecanal.ca/blog-content/2026/9/11/preserving-our-history-a-summer-of-archival-discovery

Address

54 Locks Road
Dartmouth, NS
B2X2W7

Telephone

(902) 462-1826

Website

http://www.shubenacadiecanal.ca/

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