Tobeatic Wilderness Area

The Tobeatic Wilderness Area is a protected area located in south central Nova Scotia, Canada adjacent to and roughly three times the size of Kejimkujik National Park. The park spans five counties: Annapolis County, Digby County, Queens County, Yarmouth County and Shelburne County. In 1998, the Tobeatic Wildlife Management Area (the successor to the Tobeatic Game Reserve) and additional Crown lands, were designated by the Province of Nova Scotia as the Tobeatic Wilderness Area.

The word Tobeatic means "Place of the Alder" in the Mi'kmaq language.^[1]

The region is drawn with rivers and studded with many lakes. It contains large areas of pristine Acadian forest. The geography of the Tobeatic is quite varied as it consists of wetlands, woodlands, scrublands and barrens. The following glacial features can be found here: glacial barrens, erratics, drumlins, eskers, glacial outwash (sandur) and kettle lakes.

The Tobeatic differs from Kejimkujik National Park in that some hunting and public leasing of land is allowed, and that campsites, canoe routes, and portages are not as developed or maintained. However, the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour, Protected Areas Division, is in the process of opening some trails systems and retiring hunting camps. All Terrain Vehicle use within the Reserve has also been disallowed. Along with Kejimkujik, the Tobeatic is part of the UNESCO designated Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve.^[2]

The government of Nova Scotia has given approximately 30 leaseholders the choice of trading their leased land for $20,000 (Cdn. funds) and property on government land elsewhere. As of January 1, 2007, about 25 have agreed. Under the current lease agreement, leased land reverts to government control once the current leaseholder dies.

Geography

Geology

The Tobeatic Wilderness Area is made up of several geological units including: the Goldenville Formation, the Halifax Formation, and Middle to Late Devonian biotite monzogranite and leucomonzogranite. It's surficial geology is largely a stoney till plain and contains many moraines, eskers, hummocks and drumlins

Wildlife

Wildlife in the Tobeatic Game Reserve includes eastern moose and white-tailed deer.^[3]

Waterways

A book on "Paddling the Tobeatic" was published by Nimbus Publishers.^[1] The Tobeatic/Kejimkujik area is also the setting for "The Tent Dwellers", although at that time, neither the Tobeatic Wilderness Reserve nor Kejimkujik National Park existed.

Rivers

Rivers in the Tobeatic Wilderness Area include:

Shelburne River
Jordan River
Roseway River
Clyde River
Sissiboo River
Caribou River
Tusket River, East Branch
Napier River

Lakes and Rivers

Shelburne River system

Back Lake
Beverley Lake
Buckshot Lake
Churchill Lake
Cofan Lake
Dunn Lake
East Bingay Lake
First Beaver Lake
Flagstaff Lake
Granite Lake
Harlow Lake
House Lake
Irving Lake
Little Cofan Lake
Little Pine Lake
Little Tobeatic Lake
Little Tupper Lake
Lost Lake
Lower Silver Lake
Morton Lake
Oscar Lake
Pebbeloggitch Lake
Pine Lake
Sand Lake
Sand Beach Lake
Second Beaver Lake
Siskech Lake
Stoney Ditch Lake
Tobeatic Lake
Upper Silver Lake

Caribou River System

Headwaters (drains into Tusket river)

Clyde River System

Clyde Lake
Otter Lake
Third Bear Lake

Jordan River System

Babs Lake
Black Duck Lake
Boot Lake
Harlow Lake
Joe Flogger Pond
Long Lake
Longview Lake
Lower Branch Lake
Martin Lake
Mullins Lake
Spectacle Lake
Upper Branch Lake
Wainwright Lake

Napier River System

Chelsea Deadwater
Churchills lake
Dugeau Lake
Harlow Lake
Napier Lake
Rushy Lake
Stony Pond

Roseway River System

Bald Mountain Lake
Berry Lake
Big Dispatch Lake
Big Round Lake
Bluffhill Lake
Bowers Lake
Crain Lake
Cranberry Lake
First Round Lake
Grass Lake
Great Pine Lake
Handsled Lake
Halfmoon Lake
Junction Lake
Little Dispatch Lake
Little Stony Lake
McGill Lake
Mink Lake
Moose Lake
North Bingay Lake
Quinlan Lake
Rocky Pond
Roseway Lake
South Bingay Lake
Skudiak Lake
Three River Lake
Trap Lake
Twin Lakes
West Bingay Lake
West Roseway Lake
Whetstone Lake
Whitecap Lake

Sissiboo River System

Big Pine Lake
Cranberry Lake
Dish Lake
Granite Lake
Hardwood Lake
Little Dish Lake
Little Loon Lake
Little Pine Lake
Moosehide Lake
Rocky Daniels lake
Second Daniels lake
Sporting Lake
Third Daniels Lake
Western Lake
Whitesand Lake

Tusket River, East Branch

Clearwater Lake
Dog Lake
East Cranberry Lake
Little Lake
Oakland Lake
Rockyshore Lake
Rush Lake
South Wallace Lake
Sunday Lake

History

Myths & Legends

References

"Paddling the Tobeatic. A review by Sheena Masson". Shunpiking The Discovery Magazine. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
"Tobeatic leaseholders have 30 days to choose land trade". CBC News. 2007-01-01. Retrieved 2007-01-17.

^ ^a ^b Smith, Andrew L. (2004). Paddling the Tobeatic. Nimbus. p. 370. ISBN 1-55109-492-4.
^ SNBRA. "SNBRA's History". Retrieved 15 July 2011.
^ Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (2007). "Recovery Plan for Moose (Alces alces Americana) in Mainland Nova Scotia" (PDF). Nova Scotia Government. Retrieved 8 February 2016.

[Paddling_the_Tobeatic-1] Smith, Andrew L. (2004). Paddling the Tobeatic. Nimbus. p. 370. ISBN 1-55109-492-4.

[SNBRA-2] SNBRA. "SNBRA's History". Retrieved 15 July 2011.

[3] Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (2007). "Recovery Plan for Moose (Alces alces Americana) in Mainland Nova Scotia" (PDF). Nova Scotia Government. Retrieved 8 February 2016.

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