News release

New Provincial Park Designations in Antigonish County

Natural Resources and Renewables

Two Antigonish County areas known for sandy beaches, boating, fishing and hiking will be designated as provincial parks.

Dunns Beach and Monks Head, also protected under the Beaches Act since 1976, have long been used by area residents for recreation.

“Provincial parks offer excellent opportunities for recreation, education, research, tourism and enjoyment of nature,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. “I am proud to say that these designations will ensure protection of biodiversity values and enhance the department’s ability to manage these lands as natural environment parks.”

Dunns Beach includes areas of sandy beach, small wetlands and forest. The beach includes critical habitat for the endangered piping plover.

Monks Head is adjacent to the Monks Head Conservation Lands owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The area is home to the common tern, a protected species under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, and includes areas of sandy beach, softwood and mixed-wood forests, and coastal headlands. A portion of the property, known as the Chez Deslauriers property, is leased to the Pomquet Development Society, which operates a seasonal tearoom, interpretive centre and six-kilometre trail network.

Quick Facts:

  • designating Dunns Beach and Monks Head as provincial parks furthers the Province’s goal of protecting 20 per cent of Nova Scotia’s land and water mass by 2030
  • Dunns Beach Provincial Park will cover about 16.8 hectares of Crown land
  • Monks Head Provincial Park will cover about 129 hectares of Crown land
  • some survey work and administrative steps are necessary before the designation is complete; this is common when designating parks and protected areas
  • the Beaches Act prevents certain activities such as removing rocks and sand and ensures protection of beaches, dune systems and habitats

Additional Resources:

Once fully designated, the new parks will be added to the provincial parks website: https://parks.novascotia.ca/

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