Cape Saint Mary Lighthouse Park, one of the six sites featured in the Baie Sainte-Marie Tourism Public Spaces Master Plan

Press Release
(For immediate release)

Little Brook, NS – August 31, 2021: The Municipality of Clare has released the Baie Sainte-Marie Tourism Public Spaces Master Plan, which pinpoints a list of improvements for six sites that will benefit those who choose to visit, invest in and live in Clare.

Chief Administrative Officer Stéphane Cyr indicates, “The Municipality of Clare is investing in infrastructure improvements to better the amenities for our residents and to attract and retain new families to the area. Revitalizing our public spaces is key to those efforts and comes at a favourable time with the Congrès mondial acadien set to take place in 2024.” 

The sites that have been identified in the project are Mavillette Beach Provincial Park, Smugglers Cove Provincial Park, Cape St. Mary Lighthouse Park, Joseph and Marie Dugas Municipal Park, Pointe à Major Cemetery and Chapel and Wentworth Municipal Park. Components of each site have been identified to receive enhancements through means of wayfinding, site planning and landscape architecture interventions to ensure a cohesive visitor experience within the region. Signage upgrades are also recommended for the region.

At the centre stage of this revitalization project is the desire to celebrate the natural beauty of the region. Some recommendations include the introduction of a new walking trail at Mavillette Beach Provincial Park, viewing platforms at Smugglers Cove Provincial Park and Cape Saint Mary Lighthouse Park and a new experience centre at Joseph and Marie Dugas Municipal Park.

Some other key interventions will involve both practical amenities such as restrooms and parking facilities, as well as interpretive and educational assets such as information kiosks, public art, interpretive exhibits, interactive installations and municipal signage. Improvements and additions to practical amenities will make the public spaces in the Clare region more welcoming and accessible for both visitors and local residents, and any new or improved interpretive and educational assets, designed with longevity in mind, will continue to inform and orient visitors to Clare for years to come.

Larry Peach, Tourism Manager for the Municipality of Clare, notes, “The Baie Sainte-Marie Tourism Public Spaces Master Plan is a high-level concept plan. It is meant to provide a foundation to improve these sites, but many details remain to be worked out, including schematic and detailed design for the various recommendations and initiatives proposed. In fall 2021, the detailed design phase for site improvements will be coordinated with consultants working with the Municipality of Clare and community stakeholders.”

The plan, prepared by UPLAND Planning + Design in Dartmouth, is divided into several phases. This will permit the Municipality of Clare to benefit from funding opportunities from various levels of government. Later this fall the Municipality of Clare is planning to hire professional consulting services from a request for proposal (RFP) process to begin implementing priority activities in the plan.

Those interested in consulting the Baie Sainte-Marie Tourism Public Spaces Master Plan can visit the municipal website at www.clarenovascotia.com. The Plan may also be consulted from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the municipal office at 1185 Highway 1, Little Brook.

- 30 -

Settled in 1768 and incorporated in 1879, the Municipality of Clare is located at the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia with approximately 8,000 residents. The Municipality of Clare is the only municipality in the province that conducts business and offers services in both official languages, French and English.

Media Contact / Interviews:

Larry Peach
Tourism Manager
Municipality of Clare
902-769-2031
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Stéphane Cyr
Chief Administrative Officer
Municipality of Clare
902-769-2031
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.