Sackville Lakes, Parks and Trails Association
Stories of the Land & Water of Sackville Lakes
Browse below to learn about the geological and colonial history of the land and water of Sackville Lakes Provincial Park. Check out features of interest within the park, as well as details about our water quality monitoring process and statistics.
"When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."
Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
History of Park Lands Post Colonization
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
The watershed of Second Lake was originally encompassed in five grants of land which extended from Old Sackville Road. These watershed lots were at the extreme end of long lots and far from the grant line road where most people lived in the early days. 5,500 acres around Second Lake formed a land grant to Colonel Joseph Scott in 1765. Col. Scott built the first saw and grist mills on the Sackville River and lived at the Scott Manor House.
History of Land Use in the Greater Second Lake Area Second Lake and its watershed might well be called “Hidden Lake.” It remained isolated from major settlement and development through most of its history.
The most significant construction on the north side of the Second Lake watershed was the Railway line constructed in the 1860s. On the south side, an 1860s map indicates a house near the crest of the ridge which separates the watersheds of First and Second Lakes. The 1865 Ambrose F. Church map for Halifax County shows a “J. Robinson” living in this area. The stone walls and fields, apple trees, a well and an old rock foundation are still visible.
The Making of the Park
The area surrounding Second Lake was identified as having important ecological, aesthetic, and recreational potential. In the 1971 Natural Environment Survey, of note was the variety of deep rich soils, streams and marshes. The mixed landscape supports special habitats for a large number of plant and wildlife species.
In 1988, Lake District Recreation Association, prepared a submission for the Municipal Plan review for Sackville, supporting a Provincial Park at Second Lake. Efforts to protect the Second Lake lands for parkland became anchored in the community in 1990 with the establishment of a Second Lake Subcommittee by the Sackville Rivers Association. For the next 10 years community groups, residents and elected officials continued to press for preservation of the Second Lake lands as parkland. The community believed that development plans for housing, a 4-lane collector highway and park were not compatible uses for the land given its configuration and features. The community also described the park type desired as a large scale “passive recreation” park.
In 1998 the Second Lake Regional Park Association, now called Sackville Lakes Park & Trails Association, was formed representing the surrounding communities and continues to act on behalf of the community.
In February 1999, the Government of Nova Scotia announced the transfer of approximately 660 acres of land at Second Lake, from the Department of Housing to the Department of Natural Resources, for designation as park reserve. In December 1999 an additional 29 acres was transferred to bring the parkland acreage to 700 acres. In December 2004 the Government of Nova Scotia announced an additional 60 acres, including a section of Shoreline on First Lake, was added to the Park Reserve.
On June 13, 2013, the Governor in Council officially designated the lands under the Provincial Parks Act, Sackville Lakes Provincial Park.
Water Stewardship
Water is life and the health of the lakes in our community is important to us. Monitoring lake health takes a team of volunteers to both gather, record and present the data. Our association is dedicated to preserving these natural treasures for future generations to enjoy. Join us in our efforts to protect and enhance the environment. Together, we can make a difference.
Ecology
Explore the wonders of Sackville Lakes, Parks, and Trails. Immerse yourself in nature's tranquility while enjoying various outdoor activities. Our association is dedicated to preserving these natural treasures for future generations to enjoy. Join us in our efforts to protect and enhance the environment. Together, we can make a difference.
Geology
Second Lake Provincial Park Reserve falls within two ecodistricts: the Eastern Drumlins and Eastern Interior ecodistricts. One has good soil, drumlins and fresh water lakes, the other has thin soil, is more rocky and also has freshwater lakes. Glaciers shaped our province and in the park, it is still easy to read their trail. If you look for it, the divide between these districts can be seen.
