A kayaker on Shingle Lake, Lunenburg County. Photo: Nova Scotia Government
The Nova Scotia government announced ten sites that will become designated protected areas, two of which will be renamed to honour Mi’kmaq heritage.
What was formerly known as Shingle Lake and Pleasent River in Lunenburg and Queens counties will now be called Pu’talaqne’katik.
Indigenous guardian Michelle Labrador says that name honours a historical elder from the area, “He had a vision for this area that was pristine and this is a move in the right direction.”
Labrador was involved in the selection of the names honouring the Mi’kmaq and the other site they selected was in Annapolis County. What was formerly known as McGowan Lake will now be called Katewe’katik.
According to Labrador, that site offers more than just a nature reserve, “There are petroglyphs in that area which are carvings in the rockbed that include many important parts of indigenous history.
Katewe’katik and Pu’tlaqne’katik are places of great cultural and spiritual significance for my people. This is where my ancestors lived, raised their families, gathered medicines, hunted, collected birch bark, built canoes and constructed eel weirs. I am delighted that these lands are now protected and I look forward to working with the Nova Scotia government to ensure that they are managed using local Indigenous knowledge.
The other sites being designated as protected areas are:
- Peppered Moon Nature Reserve, Queens County
- St. Margarets Bay Islands Nature Reserve, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Barra Forest Provincial Park, Victoria County
- St. Marys River Provincial Park, Guysborough and Pictou counties
- Silver River Wilderness Area, Digby County
- Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Terence Bay Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality
- River Denys Nature Reserve, Inverness County
The new designations mean that no forestry, mining or other potentially environmentally disruptive work can take place.
An additional site was consulted on with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs and with the public. It looked at the inclusion of the proposed Archibald Lake Wilderness Area in Guysborough County. However, it was determined the additional time was needed before making a decision on its protection.
That area is of particular note as it has been reported that there is interest in establishing a gold mine in part of the area that would be up for protected designation.
