Halifax urban greenway
Encyclopedia
The Halifax Urban Greenway is a concept for a multi-use recreational trail, called a greenway
Greenway
-People:* Barney Greenway , British death metal vocalist* Brian Greenway , Canadian guitarist and vocalist* Chad Greenway , American football player* Francis Greenway , Australian architect...
, in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
on the southwestern part of the Halifax Peninsula
Halifax Peninsula
The Halifax Peninsula is a community and planning area located in the urban core of Halifax Regional Municipality in the province of Nova Scotia. Halifax Peninsula is home to Downtown Halifax, the financial and economic heart of the region, which was also the site of the original settlement and...
. This proposed greenway is not a rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
, but is intended to pass through a narrow greenbelt along the edges of an active rail corridor, several dozen feet in elevation above the railway tracks.
An extensive deep rock cut was created throughout this part of the Halifax Peninsula in 1916-1918 for Canadian Government Railways
Canadian Government Railways
Canadian Government Railways was the legal name used between 1915–1918 for all federal government-owned railways in Canada.The principal component companies were: the Intercolonial Railway of Canada , the National Transcontinental Railway , the Prince Edward Island Railway , and the Hudson...
access to the Halifax Ocean Terminal - today, the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
uses the corridor for its freight trains and Via Rail Canada uses it for passenger trains.
The areas along the edge of the cut at street level have been preserved from urban development and have resulted in a valuable natural greenspace and appearing as a river of greenery flowing through this part of the city. The vegetation and continuous tree canopy provides habitat for birds, wildflowers and other flora and fauna.
The aim of planners is to create a trail system along the top of the rock cut, which would link an area from Chebucto Road to Young Avenue, connecting the Armdale Rotary with Point Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park is a large, partially forested municipal park at the southern tip of the Halifax peninsula. It once hosted several artillery batteries, and a well-preserved 18th century Martello tower can be found there...
.
Project Benefits
Green space and natural habitat in this part of the Halifax Regional MunicipalityHalifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
would be preserved. Residents would be able to walk, bike and jog on the trail which would connect isolated sections of parkland along the corridor as well as water access points on the Northwest Arm
Northwest Arm
The Northwest Arm, originally named Sandwich River, is an inlet in eastern Canada off the Atlantic Ocean in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.-Geography:...
.
Major points of interest along the corridor include Conrose Field
Conrose Field
Conrose Field, also known as the "Horsefield", is a Canadian urban park in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality on the western border of the Halifax Peninsula....
, Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
, Saint Mary's University, and Point Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park is a large, partially forested municipal park at the southern tip of the Halifax peninsula. It once hosted several artillery batteries, and a well-preserved 18th century Martello tower can be found there...
. It is hoped that someday the Halifax Urban Greenway would link to other trails heading along the waterfront on its south-eastern end and towards Bedford Basin
Bedford Basin
Bedford Basin is a large enclosed bay, forming the northwestern end of Halifax Harbour on Canada's Atlantic coast.-Geography:Geographically, the basin is situated entirely within the Halifax Regional Municipality and is oriented northwest-southeast, measuring approximately 8 kilometres long and 5...
on its northwestern end.
The Halifax Urban Greenway Association is a community organization that has been set up to work with the railway company, HRM, the universities, volunteers, business, corporations, and foundations to plan for the preservation of the greenway and its development for public access.