Park Planning for the Rehab Lands

Update September 2022

This fall, the Rehab Lands Park Plan will be presented to Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) Standing Committee. The Park Plan Report will be posted to this website when the meeting date is set.

The CPED Standing committee will make the recommendation whether to proceed to Regional Council to adopt the Rehab Lands Park Plan as a guiding document for future improvements to the parkland.

Public Engagement

Round Two of the public engagement is completed and the Park Options Survey is now closed. Thank you everyone who participated! You can now view the results of the survey in the What We Heard Report #2 - Park Options Survey.

In Round Two, we explored options for the park and asked for feedback on three concept scenarios. The scenarios were developed around popular themes and ideas that emerged during the first round of public engagement. There is a presentation that gives an overview of the project and walks through the three different concepts. It highlights different options for development the various park amenities such as trail development, parking, off-leash dog facilities and access to Bissett Lake. You can access the presentation here: Park Concepts Presentation.

Round One of the public engagement focused on how parks are used, outdoor recreational interests and ideas on what should be considered for the new park. Feedback was gathered through a Park User Survey and Ideas Board. You can view the feedback from Round One in the What We Heard Report #1 - Park User Survey.

If you have any comments or questions, please email the Project Lead, Carolle Koziak Roberts. (Contact info is under Who's Listening in the sidebar)

Our Project

The purpose for the park planning is to identify municipal park and open space programming for the former Rehab Centre property. Over the course of the project we will be exploring different park development options and recreation opportunities with you that consider the site’s natural setting, cultural heritage, and function within the broader parks open space network. A dog off-leash area that would serve the community of Cole Harbour is also being considered for inclusion within the new park.

Site Location:

The former Halifax County Rehabilitation Centre operated on the site from 1941 to 2002 providing short and long-term mental health care for patients. When the facility closed, the lands and buildings were returned to the control of the municipality. In 2016, Regional Council passed a motion to designate approximately 16 hectares (39.5 acres) of the site as parkland with the remaining 4.8 ha (12 acres) for potential surplus to be considered for other uses. The recent opening of the Bissett Trail was the first step in the park's development and an essential link in the municipality's active transportation network connecting Bissett Lake District Park with the trails and open spaces around Cole Harbour Basin.

To learn more about the Rehab lands park planning project, please refer to the Important Links in the sidebar.

Related Projects

The municipality is also engaging around the location of a dog off-leash area for Eastern Passage. You can find out more about the public engagement for the Eastern Passage dog off-leash area here.