Point Pleasant Park

Point Pleasant Park is a forested peninsula at the southern tip of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and it is the city’s best-known green space, covering about 75 hectares of woods, trails and shoreline. The park looks out over the entrance to Halifax Harbour, where ships come and go from the open Atlantic, and the walks along its edge give broad views of the water, McNabs Island and the harbour traffic. It has long been the place where people in the city go to walk, run, bike and relax.

The park has a strong military history. The point was a strategic position guarding the harbour, and the British built batteries and fortifications here from the eighteenth century. The most striking surviving structure is the Prince of Wales Tower, a round stone tower built in the 1790s that is considered the oldest structure of its type in North America and a model for later Martello towers. The remains of several batteries, including Cambridge Battery and Fort Ogilvie, are scattered through the woods, and walking among them gives a sense of how the harbour was defended. The Mi'kmaq people knew these shores long before the forts, and the land later belonged to the British Crown. Since 1873 the City of Halifax has leased it from the federal government for a nominal rent of one shilling a year, a quirk of history that is sometimes marked in a small ceremony.

The park is also a place of natural beauty. Mature spruce, pine and hardwood forest shade the trails, and after Hurricane Juan struck in 2003, much of the forest was flattened, followed by a long programme of replanting and recovery. Today, young trees mix with older ones, and the woods are again full of birds and small mammals. Trails of many kilometres lead through the forest and along the shore, and the paths are mostly gravel and easy to walk, suitable for wheelchairs and strollers in many places. Black Rock Beach, a small shingle beach beside the harbour, offers a place to sit and dip your toes, though there are no lifeguards.

Dog owners enjoy the park, much of which is open to dogs off leash under rules posted at the entrances. In summer, Shakespeare by the Sea stages open-air productions in one of the old batteries, and families picnic on the lawns and rocks. Weddings and photographs are common on the grounds.

Visitors should note that rules vary, with certain roads and paths restricted for cycling, so check signs. The park is easily reached from the downtown by bus or by a longer walk through the south end, and parking is available near the entrance at Point Pleasant Drive. It suits walkers, history fans, families and dog owners. Allow two hours or more, and bring layers, since the wind off the harbour can be cool.