Park Planning for the Rehab Lands

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Landscape vista looking east from the hilltop with family cylcing in the foreground and the Cole Harbour Basin in the background.

The municipality is engaging on the park planning for the former Halifax County Rehabilitation Centre property (Rehab lands) on Bissett Road in Cole Harbour. Share with us what’s important to you as we explore the future possibilities for a new park.


Round Two of the public engagement is now open!

In this round, we are exploring options for the park and asking for feedback on three concept scenarios. The scenarios were developed around popular themes and ideas that emerged during the first round of public engagement.

We invite you to read the Park Concepts Presentation then participate in the online survey. The presentation gives an overview of the project and walks through the three different concepts highlighting different options for developing the various park amenities such as trail development, parking, off-leash dog facilities, and access to Bissett Lake. Please fill out the survey to let us know what options you support and what amenities are important to you. The survey will be open until November 1, 2021.

  • You can access the presentation here: Park Concepts Presentation
  • You can participate in the online survey found under the Survey Tab at the bottom of the page and selecting Round Two: Park Options Survey

Round One - Public Engagement

The Park User Survey and Idea Board are now closed. Thank you everyone who participated! You can view the results of the survey in the "What We Heard" report here: Round One: What We Heard Report

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.

Map showing the location of the former Rehab property at 255 Bissett Road in Cole Harbour.

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.


Landscape vista looking east from the hilltop with family cylcing in the foreground and the Cole Harbour Basin in the background.

The municipality is engaging on the park planning for the former Halifax County Rehabilitation Centre property (Rehab lands) on Bissett Road in Cole Harbour. Share with us what’s important to you as we explore the future possibilities for a new park.


Round Two of the public engagement is now open!

In this round, we are exploring options for the park and asking for feedback on three concept scenarios. The scenarios were developed around popular themes and ideas that emerged during the first round of public engagement.

We invite you to read the Park Concepts Presentation then participate in the online survey. The presentation gives an overview of the project and walks through the three different concepts highlighting different options for developing the various park amenities such as trail development, parking, off-leash dog facilities, and access to Bissett Lake. Please fill out the survey to let us know what options you support and what amenities are important to you. The survey will be open until November 1, 2021.

  • You can access the presentation here: Park Concepts Presentation
  • You can participate in the online survey found under the Survey Tab at the bottom of the page and selecting Round Two: Park Options Survey

Round One - Public Engagement

The Park User Survey and Idea Board are now closed. Thank you everyone who participated! You can view the results of the survey in the "What We Heard" report here: Round One: What We Heard Report

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.

Map showing the location of the former Rehab property at 255 Bissett Road in Cole Harbour.

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.

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Round One: Park User Survey

    This survey is now closed.

    Closed
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  • Round Two: Park Options Survey

    For Round Two of the public engagement, we are exploring options for the development of a park on the Rehab Lands and asking for feedback on three concept scenarios. Please fill out the survey to let us know what amenities are important to you for the park. 

    In accordance with Section 485 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), any personal information collected in this survey will only be used by municipal staff and, if necessary, individuals under a service contract with the Halifax Regional Municipality for purposes relating to park planning for the former Rehab Centre property on Bissett Road. If you have any questions about the collection and use of this personal information, please contact the Access and Privacy Office at 902-490-7460 or accessandprivacy@halifax.ca.

    Take Survey
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Page last updated: 01 October 2021, 13:53