Stewardship Association of Municipalities

Harbour Grace

SAM Member Since: July 2023

Area Protected: 387 acres

Located on the western side of Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula with a population of 2700, and noted as one of the oldest towns in North America, is the municipality of Harbour Grace. Two main rivers (Bannerman and Harbour Grace Brook) drain into Harbour Grace and the long harbour stretches from Rolling Cove in the southeast to Cookroom Cove on the northeast. Despite the long-standing influence of humans in the area, being founded in 1517, Harbour Grace maintains impressive and intact wildlife habitat; the Harbour Grace estuary, rivers and bog wetland complexes, rocky coastline and other important habitats contribute to the biodiversity and beauty of the area

Conservation Areas

The Town of Harbour Grace is in the Maritimes Barrens Ecoregion, in the Northeastern Barrens Subregion. This region is characterized by barren ecosystems, interspersed with peatland and forest. The Town of Harbour Grace has designated three Conservation Areas (CAs) within their planning boundaries, totaling 387 acres of conserved wildlife habitat: Harbour Grace Estuary, Pirates Path Coastline, and Bannerman Lake. Harbour Grace contains significant wildlife populations, including several waterfowl, seabird, shorebird, songbird, and mammals, among others. The designated CAs capture some of the most significant wildlife habitat within the town.

The Harbour Grace Estuary CA is found where the freshwater meets the salty sea in the harbour, extending along the coastline of the Spirit of Harbour Grace Municipal Park (including the outlet of Bannerman River), south to South River and Southside Road/Harvey Street intersection, and east, ending near Bows Road, encapsulating the coastline and the tidal flats. The area is a birding hotspot with over 110 species identified in the area, including Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The Pirates Path Coastline CA follows the coastline from Bears Cove up to Cookroom Cove and conserves the habitat surrounding Pirates Path Trail. Several sheltered beaches can be found along the coast, providing suitable Capelin (Mallotus villosus) spawning habitat, and nesting and feeding habitat for a myriad of seabirds. The Bannerman Lake CA, encompasses Bannerman Lake - which is protected water supply - and its surrounding riparian buffer. A large part of the area is considered peatland, a natural carbon sink, and, if left undisturbed by development, degradation, and/or overexploitation of land, it can continue to act as a mitigator on the effects of climate change.

Harbour Grace Conservation Plan