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Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage Trust

Record #: NST0008
Last Modified: 25 Apr 2019
Last Full Update: 26 Mar 2019

Location

Located In Halifax Peninsula
Areas Served Halifax Regional Municipality

Contact

Social Media Facebook
Website fivebridgestrust.ca/wp/
E-Mail fbwhtb@gmail.com
Contact Harry Ward, Chair; Email: harryward@eastlink.ca
Mailing Address 160-36050 Hammonds Plains Road, Suite 190 
Upper Tantallon B3Z 4R3
Volunteer Opportunity We are looking for new Board Members! Trust Membership is open to any Nova Scotian, 18 years of age who wishes to support its work.

Description & Services

Information  
 
Established in 2001, the Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage Trust is a registered charity run by volunteers who love their community and its’ public natural spaces. By combining the talents, knowledge and skills of its’ founding volunteers, the Trust successfully lobbied the Nova Scotia government to declare 27,000 acres of public land on the Chebucto Peninsula, a designated wilderness area.  That special designation was achieved in 2011. 
 
Since then, the Trust has continued to preserve and protect the space by involving the community in exploration, hikes, education and encouraging wilderness appreciation for the area. The wilderness area lands encompass five distinct watersheds, rivers, lakes and even a settler route that is estimated to be about 200 years old.  Named the Old St. Margaret’s Bay Road, this overgrown trail was once used as a busy horse and buggy route from the metropolis of Halifax to the beaches of Seabright and St. Margaret’s Bay. The Trust recently updated a free Walking Guide to the Old St. Margaret’s Bay Road and offered 4,000 copies to the eager community of outdoor enthusiasts interested in the history and landscape of the area. 
 
The Trust is supported by approximately 150 Members who annually donate $10 for a Trust Membership. That is the same fee as was established in 2001. The Trust continues to be a strong community supporter offering wilderness hikes, nature-focused events and stewardship grants to support other community groups that align with its environmental protection and enjoyment focus. 
 
Today the Trust’s Objectives include working with the provincial government:  
 
• To protect and restore the natural habitat, watersheds, and wildlife on public lands  in the area bounded by Highways 103 and 333 on the Chebucto Peninsula. 
• To use these lands for scientific, educational, and recreational activities, consistent with its commitment of protection, conservation, and stewardship. 
• To manage the land use with an informed, comprehensive, and holistic view. 
• To develop a model for local community management of wilderness areas. 
• To contribute to the economic, cultural and social life of the area. 
 
We encourage all those interested in the Trust and its’ work to become a Member and support the Board of Trustees by volunteering.  Your donations are also welcomed and as a charity, the Trust can provide a Canadian tax receipt for your generosity.
Eligibility Ages: 18 year(s) and up
Meetings 3rd Tuesday each month 
(Except July, August & December)