Daly Point Nature Reserve

The Daly Point Nature Reserve, with its 100 acres of marshland and forest and 6 kilometres of trails, is a veritable paradise for nature lovers, who can observe many species of flowers, plants and animals on the site. The park, which is run by the City of Bathurst, is located northeast of Bathurst harbour and can be accessed via Carron Drive.

The heritage value of the Daly Point Nature Reserve as an important local historic place stems from its value as an interpretive plant and wildlife conservation park.

The reserve was created in 1989 by Brunswick Mining and Smelting to protect 200 hectares of salt marsh. One of the main purposes of the park is to demonstrate the importance of the salt marsh as a wildlife habitat.

The heritage value is also attributed to the site because it is one of the only places in the world where the Maritime ringlet butterfly can be found. This butterfly lives exclusively in salt marshes and is a species protected under the federal government’s Species at Risk Act. The species also appears on the endangered list under the Endangered Species Act of New Brunswick.

Source: Bathurst Heritage Trust Commission Inc. file “Daly Point Nature Reserve”

The character defining elements of the Daly Point Nature Reserve include:

- 200 hectares of salt marsh;

- six walking trails;

- wildlife habitat, especially a colony of Maritime ringlet butterflies.