The wilderness area would form the heart of the larger Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park, which has been proposed by the city since 2006.

[5] It was presented by Robertson at the Future Inns in Clayton Park on 20 June 2016, where the mood was one of "great frustration and anger" and the public was not allowed to speak or ask questions.

[7] Regional council received more than 1,400 letters from the public, the vast majority supportive of the proposed park and critical of Robertson's report.

It claims the city "effectively expropriated" its land by rejecting the development plans and is seeking $119 million in damages as "fair compensation".

[4] The city asked the courts to dismiss the case on the basis it had no chance of success, but this request was denied by a judge in November 2019.

The first such purchase was made on 18 January 2018 when the city bought approximately 80 hectares (200 acres) of land around Hobson Lake from West Bedford Holdings, a private company.

In October 2019, the Nova Scotia Nature Trust announced a fundraising campaign that aimed to help purchase a 232-hectare (570-acre) property connecting the two chunks.