Mill Creek Nature Park

Mill Creek Nature Park is a 133-hectare (330-acre) municipal park located in Riverview, New Brunswick, Canada. The park is owned by the Town of Riverview and is managed in collaboration with the Friends of Mill Creek, a community-led advisory committee.[1] Mill Creek Nature Park is home to a network of trails which are used for year-round activities, including walking, cycling, and skiing. The park encompasses part of the Mill Creek watershed and includes a diverse array of habitats, such as mixed forests and wetlands.[2] Common species include forest birds, such as black-capped chickadee, common yellowthroat, and ovenbird, and mammals such as American red squirrel, snowshoe hare, and American beaver.[3] The most prominent feature in Mill Creek is an old dam and reservoir which were created by the Department of National Defence in the early 1960s.

Mill Creek Nature Park
Mill Creek Nature Park entry map
Mill Creek Nature Park is located in New Brunswick
Mill Creek Nature Park
Location in New Brunswick
LocationRiverview, New Brunswick, Canada
Coordinates46.063253118759874°N 64.7619152069092°W / 46.063253118759874; -64.7619152069092
Area133 hectares (330 acres)
Established2013
Owned byTown of Riverview
StatusOpen all year
Websitehttps://www.townofriverview.ca/parks-and-recreation/parks-and-trails/mill-creek-nature-park

History
Mill Creek reservoir

Mill Creek Nature Park is located south of the former Canadian Forces Station Coverdale, which was constructed by the Royal Canadian Navy in 1944.[4] The station conducted operations pertaining to high-frequency direction finding, which was used to monitor German communications during World War II. During its early years, the base was referred to as Special Wireless Station Coverdale and was operated by the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service.[5] In the late 1940s, the base was renamed to Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Coverdale, which it is still often referred to as today.[6] In the early 1960s, new facilities were installed which necessitated an increase in the base's water supply. To accommodate this, a concrete buttress dam was built on the nearby Mill Creek, creating a 5 hectare reservoir which still exists today.[7] In 1966, the base was designated as Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Coverdale, a title that it maintained until its closure in 1971.[8] While most have undergone renovations, many of the original buildings still remain, including the Coverdale Centre and the Victory Life Centre.[9] The dam and reservoir are now owned by the Town of Riverview and are located within the present-day Mill Creek Nature Park.

In the late 2000s, the Town of Riveriew, in cooperation with the City of Moncton's Urban Planning, began working on a plan to designate Mill Creek as a future park. A proposal put forward by students from Riverview High School in 2011 was followed by a public consultation process, which led to the development of master plan.[9] [10] In 2013, the park was officially established and work began on the development of trails. In 2016, the Friends of Mill Creek advisory committee was formed to assist the Town with the park's ongoing planning and management.[9]

Features and Amenities
Trail in Mill Creek Nature Park

Mill Creek Nature Park has a network of developed and undeveloped trails, which are used for a wide array of activities, including walking and cycling in the summer and snowshoeing, fat biking, and cross-country skiing in the winter.[9] A scenic lookout above the reservoir includes a shelter, public fire pit, and benches, and is designated as one of the Fundy Biosphere Reserve's Amazing Places.[11] The park continues to see ongoing development and has become a popular destination for outdoor recreation in the Greater Moncton-area.

See also

References
  1. Town of Riverview (2018). "Mill Creek Nature Park".
  2. Friends of Mill Creek (2016). "Habitat Variety in the Mill Creek Nature Park".
  3. iNaturalist "Mill Creek Nature Park / Parc Naturel d'Mill Creek".
  4. Belliveau, P. (2014). H.M.C.S. Coverdale Riverview's Forgotten Naval Base. Moncton: Kingswood Military History Editions.
  5. Proc, J. (2015). "HMCS Coverdale".
  6. Riverview Historical Association (1986) "The History of Riverview Amalgamating Bridgedale Gunningsville Riverview Heights". Lancelot Press.
  7. GEMTEC (2012) "Condition Assessment Mill Creek Dam".
  8. Town of Riverview (2020) "Damming the Creek" [interpretive panel]. Town of Riverview.
  9. DeLong, D. (2017). "Creating a Regional Nature Park: A Case Study on Community Engagement in Developing the Mill Creek Nature Park in the Town of Riverview, New Brunswick". Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management. 13: 18–30. doi:10.5931/djim.v13i1.6924.
  10. CollabPlan & Genivar (2013). "Mill Creek Nature Park 2013 Conceptual Development Master Plan". Moncton.
  11. Fundy Biosphere Reserve (2018). "Amazing Places in the Fundy Biosphere Reserve".
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