Backlands Coalition

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Backlands Coalition

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The Backlands Coalition aims to protect the unique wilderness of the Purcell's Cove, Herring Cove and Williams Lake Backlands. www.backlandscoalition.ca

A wilderness gem in our midst! “The Backlands” are bordered by Purcell’s Cove Road and Herring Cove Road, extending from Williams Lake at the northwest to Powers Pond at the southwest. This Thompsonesque mosaic of habitats, approximately 1,350 hectares, includes 9 lakes, hills with spectacular coastal views, and dozens of kilometers of informal hiking and biking trails. CONSERVATION PRIORITIES
The Jack Pine / Broom Crowberry barrens found throughout the Backlands are “nationally unique to Nova Scotia and globally rare,” according to a new flora study by biologists Nick Hill and David Patriquin. The Broom Crowberry is an Atlantic Coastal Plain species threatened and endangered elsewhere, and its occurrence with Jack Pine is very limited and quickly being lost in Nova Scotia through development. (http://backlandscoalition.ca/WLCCreport/)

The Backlands are also one of the most fire-susceptible landscapes in Nova Scotia, with the droughty, windswept high barrens acting as matchsticks, the biologists noted. Conserving it as a wilderness area will serve to reduce the fire risk to adjacent communities, compared to allowing increased intrusions, their report suggests. Critical components of the glacially moulded landscape – such as Mountain Holly washes, vernal pools and boulder fields – are also vital to maintenance of the larger wetlands and water quality of both surface and groundwater in the area. Located in close proximity to the coastline in the most urbanized area of Nova Scotia, the Backlands are also an important sanctuary for both breeding and migratory birds, according to a study by Fulton Lavender. THREAT OF DEVELOPMENT
The area continues to face enormous development pressure. Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) considered extending sewer and water services into the area to allow for residential growth around Williams Lake, but rejected the possibility in tabling a feasibility study in October 2013. A majority of area residents – and many others who visit and value the Backlands – expressed an overwhelming desire to keep the area in a natural state, throughout the controversial study. This was the genesis of the Backlands Coalition, which formed in late 2013 to find solutions to protect the Backlands wilderness in a much more permanent way. The cause is urgent once again: Several major landowners are now asking HRM to rezone the Backlands to allow immediate development. The current “Urban Reserve” zoning specifies the lands are to be kept in reserve until at least 2031, and city staff indicate HRM already has an ample 28-to-35-year supply of suburban land available elsewhere for development. Any move to change the development potential of the Backlands “should be based on a greater understanding of the environmental constraints (and) their value as part of HRM’s natural corridors (to be considered through the Greenbelting and Public Open Spaces Priority Plan),” city staff added in a report dated Feb. 11, 2014. Also worth noting: A key factor in protecting the nearby Five Bridges Lake Wilderness Area was that it would be a hub for a network of wilderness corridors that would make the Chebucto Peninsula a truly significant conservation area. Preserving the Backlands would add an important chunk of near-urban wilderness, accessible to all in the city by public transit.

10/31/2026

"The most alarming thing is the extent of this decline," said Matthew Fuirst, an ecologist with Birds Canada and one of the authors of a study published Thursday in the journal FACETS.

Canada is home to 94 per cent of the global common loon population, with an estimated 254,000 breeding couples (half a million individuals) that migrate north to make the next generation every spring.
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The study analyzes loon breeding data from 3,421 lakes the past three or so decades, half of which came from thousands of volunteer observations as part of the long-running citizen science effort, the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey.
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The study suggests a 40 per cent average drop in loon chick productivity in 10 of 12 study areas — including in B.C. and Ontario — over the past three or so decades.

Loon chick productivity sank even more starkly by 65 per cent across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba since the early 1990s. Meanwhile, Canada's East Coast saw a 74 per cent reduction, according to researchers.

Quebec and the state of Maine were the only regions where chick productivity seemed more or less stable.
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"Human development and the development of shorelines, the environmental contaminants from climate change is another threat we're experiencing, " said Fuirst.

"As climate change influences weather patterns, the rain which is acidic makes the lake more acidic and thus reducing the amount of fish that are available for those loons."
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Fuirst said anglers should opt for lead-free, less-toxic tackle options, boaters should avoid disturbing loons and cottagers should ensure shorelines remain as natural as possible.

"The everyday person can take several actions to help steward lakes and the loons that they rely on," he said.

Koper encourages people concerned by the findings to take action and get involved in citizen science projects like the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey and "advocate with ... politicians about the importance of climate change and how it's impacting our wildlife and our lives."

https://www. cbc. ca/news/canada/manitoba/loon-decline-canada-9.7392013

10/30/2026

Canada's environmental laws protect nature, including birds and the places that allow them to thrive. The federal government has introduced legislation, Bill C-39, that would change how environmental laws work and how decisions are made for projects that impact nature. The government's stated goal in its Force of Nature Strategy is to "integrate its nature and economic agendas to support timely development decisions while protecting nature." As it stands, this goal is lacking in Bill C-39. Specifically, we are very worried about two changes that we believe will make it harder to protect the birds we love.

• Giving Ministers the power to remove or alter project approval conditions even if doing so would make the project's impact on the environment and wildlife worse.

• Giving Cabinet the power to decide which environmental laws a project is subject to and exempt it from others when designating a project in the national interest.

Birds Canada believes that building Canada well means making development decisions while protecting nature. We are very concerned that this vision is lacking in Bill C-39. Strong economic development must go together with strong outcomes for nature. Birds Canada is following the Bill and any proposed amendments as it moves through parliament and will continue to advocate for solutions that protect birds and the habitats they rely on.

[Français dans les commentaires]

10/26/2026

The Maritimes in general are known for sweeping vistas of spectacular fall colours but do you know what particular plant it is that turns the barrens and whalebacks of the Halifax Backlands this breathtakingly brilliant shade of red?

It’s the Huckleberries!

After offering their harvest of sweet black berries to wildlife and foragers alike in late summer, they now offer a feast for our eyes with a final spectacular flash of colour across the barrens landscape before the cold weather sets in.

Have you been out to see the huckleberries show yet?

Photo credits: Backlands Coalition members

10/26/2026

Happy Halloween, Williams Lake! Time for your last swim of the season!

10/26/2026

Cuddly? No. Crucial? Yes.

Discover the truth behind some of Canada’s misunderstood species at our free, virtual NatureTalks event — and get your own downloadable reference guide! 🐍🦇🐻

Speakers:
* Dara Ojo: explorewithdara
* Dana Green
* Tim Irvin: Wildlife Journeys

Register today: https://brnw.ch/21x6zPH

Photo: Dara Ojo

10/21/2026

10/20/2026

Join Hike NS for the Backpacker’s Bazaar used outdoor gear sale Sat., Oct. 24,10 am to 4 pm at St. Margaret of Scotland Church Hall (3751 Robie St.) in Halifax. Find good used gear, sell your own gear, donate gear to Hike NS or take in a how-to clinic. Entry fee is $5/person or $10/family. Book a seller’s table in advance for $30. Qualify for prize draws! Supported by MEC Halifax. Learn more at https://hikenovascotia.ca/news-backpackers-bazaar/

10/20/2026

Address

345 Purcell's Cove Road
Halifax, NS
B3P2H2

Website

http://www.backlandscoalition.ca/

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