Port Hood Station Provincial Park

Overview

A popular picnic park with white sand beach on the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Protection Values

Small land base; Protected Beach (designated under Beaches Act).  One species of bird found at the park is listed as critically imperiled.  This park is identified by the N.S. Department of Environment as a property (Patch # 551) that could contribute to the Province’s goal of protecting 12% of the land base by 2015.  Includes a rare dune slack system.

Education Values

Coastal processes, cultural history

Tourism Values

Regionally significant; one of the warmest beaches in Nova Scotia and one of the few public beaches on Cape Breton’s Gulf of St. Lawrence

Outdoor Recreation Values

Existing walking trail with potential for expansion; high quality beach, swimming, carry-in boat opportunity, picnicking, birding offers beach access, swimming,  picnicking, trail

Annual Visitation

Unknown

Operating Cost

Other Site Considerations

Susceptible to coastal processes (storm events with high tide surge or wind driven waves) that cause site erosion

Managed under Agreement with local group

Close proximity to Trans Canada Trail;

Mine shaft subsidence issues on adjacent Crown lands

Site maintenance impacted by sand dune moving inland and shifting from natural processes