Conserving Electric City
The Long Tusket Lake area of Nova Scotia has a unique human history.
In the mid-1800s, the area was the site of the settlement of New France, or “Electric City” — so named because of the lighted streets and houses made possible by an in-stream water-based power plant.
To this area came the Stehelin family, which emigrated from France in 1892. Over the course of several years, the Stehelin family established a successful timber enterprise on the banks of Langford Lake, just south of the donated lands.
The 370-acre (150-hectare) property contains an old-growth forest, wetland suitable for waterfowl nesting and close to a kilometre of lakeshore. The towering stands of red spruce, balsam fir, yellow birch and red maple found here host uncommon and at-risk birds, including Canada warbler, chimney swift and nighthawk. Nova Scotia’s endangered mainland moose is occasionally seen in the region.
These lands build on a previous acquisition of 5,077 acres (2,055 hectares) of forest and wetland habitat in the immediate vicinity by NCC.