Dartmouth Harbourwalk Trail Opens

Residents of Nova Scotia have a new and scenic route to travel on the Dartmouth waterfront. The Dartmouth Harbourwalk Trail, a newly constructed multi-use trail, was officially opened today, June 24.

Waterfront Development Corporation, a provincial Crown corporation, made the announcement this afternoon at an opening held adjacent to the Woodside Ferry Terminal. Participating in the event were Minister of Economic Development Ernest Fage and Eric Thomson, chair of the board of directors for the corporation.

The Dartmouth Harbourwalk Trail is a 1.2-kilometre, barrier free trail that connects the Woodside Ferry Terminal to Cusack Street in Dartmouth. It was constructed to accommodate a variety of uses -- from walking and running to bicycling and roller blading -- and provides beautiful views of the harbour and downtown Halifax. The project is the first phase of a harbourside trail network that will eventually link Woodside and downtown Dartmouth.

"Public access to our waterfront areas is critical, this trail promises to offer a multitude of recreational opportunities with the backdrop of one of the most scenic harbours on the planet," said Mr. Fage. "I encourage everyone to get out and enjoy metro's newest trail--particularly during this summer's many festivities."

Mr. Thomson recognized the contributions of the associated agencies and organizations that participated in the development of this phase of the trail system. "This project was planned and constructed by the Waterfront Development Corporation working in conjunction with numerous other government agencies and community groups including the Office of Economic Development, Transportation and Public Works, Capital Health, Halifax Regional Municipality, and the Dartmouth Harbourfront Trails Association," he said.

The trail will be an excellent vantage point for the Parade of Sail on Aug. 02, during Tall Ships Challenge 2004, and will be a valuable asset to the Nova Scotia Community College when its new campus is established adjacent to the trail on the Nova Scotia Hospital lands.

Waterfront Development Corporation will continue to work with its project partners to plan and develop the remaining phases of the overall harbourwalk system.