Oct 20, 2011, updated Oct. 24, 2011

Dear WRWEO members and friends,

Lat week WRWEO received major news from the Protection Branch of the Nova Scotia Department of Environment:
On Tuesday, October 25, the provincial government will announce protection of The Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area under the Wilderness Areas Protection Act. This area includes The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail as part of the 20,000 acres of protected Crown Land.
Two invitations follow.

First, you are all invited to attend the announcement that will take place at 1 pm at the St. Margaret's Centre (by exit 5 on Hwy 103). The details of the invitation are given in the message below and in the attached poster.

WRWEO has worked for more than a decade to achieve this end. The Bluff Trail was built in 2004-5 by WRWEO (after five environmental assessments and under the authority of the Province) with the aim that through use of the trail the public would come to know and to love this land and would support efforts to protect it as a precious wilderness space. That strategy has worked.

WRWEO together with many other community and environmental groups formed the Chebucto Wilderness Coalition in 2008 and collaborated to make this dream of protection come true. It is now finally a reality! The chair of the Coalition, Tom Musial, will speak to the significance of this achievement.

Second, following the announcement and a break. there will be a "virtual" unveiling ceremony at 2 pm*, also at The St. Margaret's Centre. The unveiling will show the new signs at the trailhead for The Bluff Trail that identify the area as a protected wilderness. There will be brief remarks from me, Oliver Maass (Nova Scotia Environment), Raymond Ploude (Ecology Action Centre), and Bill Estabrooks. This event will take about 20 minutes.
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*(Previously we had planned to do this at the trailhead, but changed to the virtual ceremony because of uncertain weather.)

I hope many of you will be able to attend these events.

With my very best wishes,

Richmond Campbell

Co-chair, WRWEO

poster