Sullivan's Pond is an artificial
lake
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
and recreation area located in
Dartmouth in
Halifax Regional Municipality
Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
. It formed part of the
Shubenacadie Canal.
Shubenacadie Canal
The pond is located northeast of
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural har ...
at Dartmouth Cove as part of the
Shubenacadie Canal system. It is the first water body in the canal system when heading from the harbour to the
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy () is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its tidal range is the highest in the world.
The bay was ...
and was constructed as a holding pond for southbound vessels wishing to transit the remaining distance to the harbour. With an elevation several dozen metres (about 50 ft) higher than the harbour to the south, the pond was linked to the ocean by small inclined
marine railway which was used to haul boats to and from Dartmouth Cove. A
lock
Lock(s) or Locked may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainme ...
lifted boats from the pond into Lake Banook to the north.
After the Shubenacadie Canal was abandoned due to unsustainable competition from the
Nova Scotia Railway in the 1860s, Sullivan's Pond fell into disrepair and homes began to surround the pond. The area around Dartmouth Cove south of the pond became industrialized with construction of the Starr Manufacturing
ice skate
Ice skates are metal blades attached underfoot and used to propel the bearer across a sheet of ice while ice skating.
The first ice skates were made from leg bones of horse, ox or deer, and were attached to feet with leather straps. These skates ...
factory and the establishment of a
shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...
. Although the pond was uphill and mostly insulated from being polluted by these developments, a general air of neglect surrounded the water body for many decades.
Redevelopment
During the 20th century, the City of Dartmouth, also known by its nickname "The City of Lakes", undertook to restore or clean up the various lakes used in the Shubenacadie Canal system. Today, Sullivan's Pond is part of a park which runs along the southern shores of Lake Banook, providing habitat for
water fowl.
Since the 1950s, Dartmouth saw numerous residential developments, including several
subdivisions in the area surrounding Lake Banook and Sullivan's Pond. To reestablish public access to the water, the city developed a plan to gradually recover lands adjacent to the lake by purchasing properties as they became available, which resulted in the current park area.
Today, the pond features a small island with a
totem pole
Totem poles () are monumental carvings found in western Canada and the northwestern United States. They are a type of Northwest Coast art, consisting of poles, posts or pillars, carved with symbols or figures. They are usually made from large t ...
which was a gift to the city from the province of British Columbia for hosting the 1969
Canada Summer Games. There is also an open-air concert pavilion located near the pond constructed for the city by the Rotary Club of Dartmouth, and the cenotaph is located near the pond. In December 2006, a new fountain became operational. In 2018, city staff planted a cold-hardy palm tree in the park.
See also
*
List of lakes in Nova Scotia
References
External links
* Sullivan's Pond watershe
limnology
{{authority control
Lakes of Nova Scotia
Parks in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Landforms of Halifax, Nova Scotia