Albro Lake Park offers one of the few supervised beaches in the Halifax region that is accessible by public transport. At the beach, bacteria levels are often above Health Canada’s Guidelines for Recreational Water Quality, resulting in frequent public advisories against swimming. These water quality concerns, along with a lack of shade, biodiversity and other ecosystem services, have contributed to this site being chosen for naturalization efforts in 2026.

The installation will take place along the shoreline of the park with the goals of increasing biodiversity and providing stormwater filtration while enhancing recreational experiences. The plantings are also intended to help manage negative impacts from the many Canada geese and other waterfowl that currently visit the park.The naturalization planting event will be open to volunteers who would like to participate, learn naturalization techniques, spend time in nature and give back to their community.

About naturalization

Naturalization is an ecologically based approach to landscape management that seeks to enhance biodiversity and ecological resilience in the urban landscape using native or non-invasive-adapted plant species including flowering perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees. To learn more about the municipality’s approach to naturalization, visit halifax.ca/naturalization.

The municipality is inviting the community to participate in an online survey to collect feedback on current park uses and ways residents would like to see the park improve. Results will inform the design of the naturalization project planned for the shoreline at Albro Lake Beach.

Public engagement opportunities include:

• Nature Walk and information session at Albro Lake Park (in-person)

• Wednesday, October 29 | 5 p.m. until dark

• Online survey (virtual)

• Open from November 3 to December 5

Information about current site use will guide decisions on naturalization design. Efforts will be made to accommodate established site uses as feasible but will also imagine other park uses that align with nature-positive outcomes for the park. It is anticipated that park improvements through naturalization will make more passive activities like nature walking and bird watching more enjoyable.

After the public engagement period closes, all feedback will be reviewed and used to help guide naturalization design and implementation.

We look forward to being onsite during the installation workshop in 2026 and encourage residents to get involved by volunteering for the installation and ongoing care of the site.