PACE Atlantic Community Interest Corporation is pleased to announce a $5,000 donation to the Friends of Blue Mountain and Birch Cove Lakes. This community contribution aims to support the non-profit society’s ongoing efforts to create the second largest urban National Park in Canada.

Chair of PACE Atlantic CIC, Robert Patzelt, KC says “As a community interest corporation, we are obliged to re-invest 60% of our dividends in the community. This is a big milestone for us, after incorporating in 2020, it is the first community re-investment we’ve made. I can’t think of a better place – in our backyard – to help protect this treasured piece of wilderness.”

Mary Ann McGrath, Chair of the society adds, “Our hearts go out to the communities that recently suffered from the devastating wildfires in the Hammonds Plains area. Protecting our environment for generations to come and creating an enduring protected wilderness area is more important than ever to people, wildlife and our natural environment. The economic and health benefits of having such a unique wilderness so close to large population centers is becoming more and more evident. On behalf of the Board we’d like to thank PACE Atlantic for their donation, and encourage residents to sign up – and join the society for free at www.bluemountainfriends.ca to keep informed on the National Park development, sign up for guided hiking tours, and other events”

Julian Boyle, President of PACE Atlantic said, “Its truly inspiring how the volunteer society of Friends of Blue Mountain and Birch Cove Lakes is helping to make the vision of the second largest urban national park in Canada a reality.  I’d encourage other businesses to rally around and support this once in a generation opportunity.”

The partnership between Friends of Blue Mountain and PACE Atlantic signifies a shared vision for environmental stewardship and highlights the importance of collaboration between CIC’s and Non-Profit / Conservation Organizations.  PACE Atlantic will continue to fulfill their obligations as a CIC (Community Interest Corporation) by supporting green initiatives throughout the country.

About Blue Mountain and Birch Cove Lakes?

Blue Mountain and Birch Cove Lakes, located in between Bayer’s Lake Business Park, Kingswood and Tantallon is a wilderness area that is approximately the size of the of the Halifax Peninsula. It spans 1,767 hectares containing a mix of woodlands, barrens, lakes, rivers, and wetlands. This area acts a refuge for wildlife amidst an ever-expanding urban landscape.

These protected lands are also necessary in creating recreational, economic and environmental opportunities in a wilderness environment.

 These benefits include:

• Waterways for paddling and swimming
• Snowshoeing, skating, hiking, or skiing on frozen waterways when conditions are suitable
• Hiking on the large network of land-based trails
• Creation of jobs related to tourism, recreation and conservation
• Cleaner air and water
• Reduced pollution and noise
• Mediation of temperature
• Increased biodiversity
• Sequestration of carbon
• Creating appropriate buffer zones between wilderness areas and suburban development

About PACE Atlantic CIC

PACE Atlantic is a community interest corporation (CIC) with a mandate to reduce carbon through energy efficiency programming in partnership with municipalities. CIC’s are a unique corporation structure in Canada, with only British Columbia and Nova Scotia having enabled these forms of quasi-for-profit social enterprises. Nova Scotia passed CIC enabling legislation in 2016. As a CIC, PACE Atlantic must operate for a public benefit, re-invest 60% of any dividends within the community and report annually to the Province of Nova Scotia on its activity.

PACE Atlantic CIC (www.pace-atlantic.org ), based in Halifax, are the leaders of PACE programming in Canada. PACE Atlantic CIC has active programs in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and have been recognized nationally for transforming the carbon reduction marketplace through sustainable financing and programming partnerships with municipalities. In the last year over 1,000 homes have been retrofitted with solar, heat pumps, EV chargers, insulation and other carbon reduction technologies saving residents over $1.5M annually. In the last 14 months, over 330 jobs have been created in programming while reducing 4 million kg of CO2.

Media Contacts:

Julian Boyle, P.Eng., President PACE Atlantic CIC, (902) 802-0924, [email protected]

Mary Ann McGrath, Chair, Friends of Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes, (902) 410-7784 [email protected]