|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Bedford Offers Expanse For Outdoor Recreation Bedford is a goldmine of natural facilities with outdoor sports at the top of the list of things to do both in around the community. Most popular are aquatic sports. Since Bedford is nestled around the shores of the Bedford basin and considering the many lakes in the area there is plenty of water to go around. Swimming, fishing and ice skating in the winter have always been seasonal  l
favorites among the residents but Bedford's extensive yachting facilities
have earned the community national and international recognition.
A unique feature of Bedford's expanse of open space is the wide variety of landscapes. Basinside environments and inland wilderness areas to pastoral parklands and lookoffs. Bedford has more undeveloped parkland than most areas throughout the province. A huge expanse of land encompassing more than 90 acres around the point of Admiral Cove on the north side of the Bedford Basin has been designated parkland through provincial legislation. This park can be accessed form both Shore Drive and Snowy Owl Drive in Eaglewood subdivision. Admiral's Cove Park offers one of the few opportunities for public access to the basin. But more importantly it's the variety of the area that make it attractive as a park. A cliff on the edge of the park gives an unexcelled view of the basin and Halifax and Dartmouth. An important wilderness environment that remains almost untouched is another attribute to the park. The vegetation and topography of the area along with the proximity to the basin allows residents to experience wilderness recreation and pursue water-oriented sports. The Jack's Lake area is one of the closest lakes to the community. This small lake is probably the least exploited recreational areas in Bedford. Many people don't know that there is a network of natural trails excellent for summer hiking, bird watchers, cross country skiers and the like. The recreation department at the LeBrun Centre provides maps of the Jack's Lakes trails for the first time visitors to the area. These trails can be accessed from the Bicentennial Highway or Smith's Road off the Hammonds Plains Road. Another block of parkland more than twice the size of Admiral's Cove Park is located on the eastern shore of Sandy Lake. This 200 acre area is considered to be highly suitable for recreation and naturalist activities.Sandy Lake Park now has a beach, bathroom facilities and parking for almost 200 cars. A lifeguard will be on duty at the lake for July and August. Sandy Lake Park can be accessed from Smith's Road which is off the Hammonds Plains Road close to the exit from Hwy. #101. Fish Hatchery Park located in the downtown offers a place for a leisurely lunch and in the summer often lunch time concerts will be held here. This park is located on the shores of the Sackville River and is also very close to the Bedford basin. Feeding ducks is a pastime some enjoy in this park as well. Lions Park is located on the shores of the Bedford Basin. This park offers two pools and a playground area. There is a boat launch here as well. One of Bedford's best places to be in the summer. It is conveniently located on Shore Drive not far from downtown. Besides the vast open spaces there are several smaller parks and playgrounds throughout the community. Almost every subdivision has a playground and some have more than one. A list of some of the parks and playgrounds is found below.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
