Big Bad News for Sandy Lake - Our Response To It

On May 16, 2025, the Province of Nova Scotia announced that they decided that they will advance to Secondary Planning in the Sandy Lake Special Planning Area. This is big, bad news because it moves the Province one step closer to potentially allowing a massive, suburban sprawl development next to Sandy Lake, proposed by Clayton Developments (a Shaw Group company). The location proposed for development is right in the headwaters of Sandy Lake, surrounded by mature forests and wetlands, and right where a vital wildlife corridor passes through the city.

Our immediate response to the announcement was covered in the media by Global TV and the Chronicle Herald. Along with the announcement the government released the Background Studies completed about the Sandy Lake Special Planning Area. The Sandy Lake - Sackville River Regional Park Coalition is now digging into these studies to see what the study authors were able to determine about the environmental features of the area, and suitability for development in the area. Soon we'll release our analysis of these Background Studies. Our Coalition always has, and continues to, advocate for evidence-based decision-making by our elected leaders. So let's take a look at the evidence.