About Us

Welcome!  We’re a community-based organization formed in 2010. This year we’re celebrating ten years of helping to improve the ecological health and biological diversity of Oathill Lake.

OLCS runs on volunteers–neighbors and friends working together. We’re all keen to protect this small lake and its parkland for walking, swimming, boating, skating, skiing and fishing. We want this urban gem to remain a source of pleasure for this generation of families and future generations.

Education is the key to getting people involved. If you live in the area, or are a regular recreational user of the lake and trails, we encourage you to join in and help out. Simply leave us a reply in the section below for membership information. If you have a particular area of interest please indicate in your reply.

Thanks for visiting. We hope you find our web-site informative.

Beginnings

In early January 2010 a few concerned residents met to discuss how they might work together to restore and protect the ecological health of the lake. Citizens for Oathill Lake was formed that same month.  Today, it has evolved into a registered non-profit society representing roughly 80 families and 200 people – the Oathill Lake Conservation Society.

Activities to date include

  • Accessed the knowledge and experience of many non-governmental agencies and groups with similar interests regarding protection of our lakes and rivers (Dartmouth Area Watershed Network, Clean NS, St. Mary’s University, etc.).
  • Held meetings with various governmental and other agencies having a direct role in matters affecting the lake (e.g. Halifax Water, the Dept. of Fisheries Aquaculture and the Dept. of Environment, etc.) to try and effect changes supportive of improving the health of the lake.
  • Engaged in public education, primarily with our members but also the general public, on how to reduce their environmental impacts on this and other watersheds. (i.e. the need to use environmentally sound practices regarding yard waste disposal, use of storm sewers, etc.)
  • Developed and carried out a sampling regime for water quality monitoring for both ecologically-important physical and chemical parameters as well as for pollution and public health parameters (e.g. fecal coliform levels).
  • Carried out extensive reviews of the scientific and management literature as they related to the ecological health of the lake and the impacts that various factors may have on it (e.g. overstocking with top-predators – rainbow trout).
  • Conducted two very successful “clean-ups” of the lake (one on the shoreline and the other in the water).
  • Arranged for four extra waste receptacles strategically placed around the lake in an effort to reduce both littering and pollution.
  • Informed our membership on the various problems facing the lake and of changes affecting their recreational use of it (e.g. with information from Halifax Water, we able to immediately inform our membership that the pumping station at the top of Oathill Lake was not one of those that overflowed during Hurricane Earl and that the lake could safely be swam in).
  • Established a website for the information and education of our members, the general public and other governmental and non-governmental agencies that may wish to use our data.