I’m responsible for The Coast’s “On Patrol” section; you can usually tell how busy I am with other stuff by how great/lame the On Patrol is for that particular week.
Last week, I got a call from a Spryfield resident complaining about “the creek at the end of River Road”—that is, MacIntosh Run, a creek that runs from Long Lake to Herring Cove. The caller said the creek had a bunch of garbage in it—shopping carts and the like—so I drove out today to have a look.
I’m quite familiar with MacIntosh Run—I’ve explored most of its length over the years, hiking an all purpose trail next to the creek at the Spryfield end, and more or less bush-whacking my way through the woods towards the Herring Cove end. (I understand the city has extended the trail considerably since i last visited.) A few years ago I went out behind the hockey arena and was distressed to find a lot of construction debris in the creek, presumably from a nearby subdivision going up in the area. And a couple of years ago, I found myself along MacIntosh Run again when I set out, successfully, in search of the origin of the Spryfield Fire.
Anyway, I’m happy to report that the creek and its adjoining trail are today in excellent condition. I don’t know if the caller is all wet, or if city crews cleaned up the area over the last few days, but garbage is at a minimum, almost non-existent.
The trail, too, is graded and in good shape. I was on my lunch hour, and so only made it about three kilometres in, but everything looked great, throughout the length I walked.
I was also glad to see people using the trail—a couple of older couples, and a lot of teenagers. Some of the teenagers were of course smoking pot, but they were courteous and behaving themselves. (I’ll never understand why people have such a problem with teenagers smoking pot in the woods; it gets them out in nature, they get some much needed unstructured time and they get to test limits and experience a relatively safe form of rebellion, ultimately making them better citizens. I wish there were more kids smoking pot in the woods, to be honest.)
All of which is to say, one of HRM’s active transportation trails is a huge asset to Spryfield, and city crews are evidently keeping up on maintenance or responding to complaints in a timely manner. Good job!
This article appears in Feb 16-22, 2012.
Um, Tim, “people have such a problem with teenagers smoking pot in the woods” because they burn people’s houses down. Are you for real?
http://www.thecoast.ca/RealityBites/archiv…
Oh right, not THOSE teenagers, they’re the ‘good’ pot-smokers. It was those ones over there, the bad apples.
I respect a lot of what you do, Tim, but sometimes you gotta take your head out of your ass.
Camp fire = smoking pot?
People smoking cigarettes never start fires?
You’re right, it is an assumption on my part. I’ve come across more than enough party campsights but the only evidence left behind was beer and liquor bottles, never any partially smoked marijuana cigarettes.
People are really careless with cigarettes, and everyone has at least one. An entire group of people will share one joint, and they’re very careful with it.
🙂
That’s why you use a pipe or some other device.
BTW, thanks for reminding me about this place, I might try fly fishing further down the run this April.
It’s really quite lovely.
MacIntosh Run, especially at the end of River Road where the bridge and path to Inspector/Theakston and Learning/Levis is, is normally filled to the brim with grocery carts. Before the most recent cleanup a couple of weeks back, there were *13* carts by and under the bridge. But don’t worry, it’ll be back to its normal state in a couple of weeks, most likely.
As one of the many who use this path several times a week and get to enjoy the wounderful scenery and beautiful people out their, those shopping carts urke me as much as the one who called you about them Tim. The tranquility of sitting in the middle of the river on one of the rocks (for those who venture out their, I’m the one with the little red notebook) there is only one other spot in the city where I can be at peace like that (and it is the most beautiful spot in the Dingle park). If you haven’t visited this trail you should make plans to see it, you will not be disapointed.
As a side note, the problem in my opinion isin’t those teenagers smoking pot it’s the laws that surround the amazing herb. Hell if you find yourself a first or second edition of the old testiment, it says that Adam and Eve “smokith the herb”. They removed it after they started to vilify it. Just a point of order eh.
Tim: Great to see and read your piece on the McIntosh Run Community Trail on Monday. It truly is a hidden gem in Spryfield and is adding a lot to our community. Great too, to read the comments of folks who are using and enjoying it.
FYI the Trail has been built and is being maintained by volunteers with the McIntosh Run Watershed Association. Check out our web site at
As soon as the ground thaws new signage promoting the Trail will be installed.
This project is one of many in HRM where HRM Trails staff, the Province and others are partnering with about twenty community trail groups that belong to the Halifax Regional Trails Association (HRTA).
Dick Evans VP MRWA
Dick– good to hear! And: noted.
Tim, why don’t you dig a little deeper and find out why it looks great? Every year for as long as I can remember, students and staff from JL Ilsley High School spend a Saturday down in the muck pulling out shopping carts and garbage (literally tons a year). Rather than crapping on local teens commentors why not give them their due?
And it looks like I was optimistic in my estimate of a couple of weeks – only took 9 days. 🙂 Crossed the bridge this morning and there were two carts in the river.