Hantspire Environmental Research Station
The Hantspire Environmental Research Station - also known as "The HERS Station" by locals - is a biological research laboratory located on the outskirts of Bishop Park in the namesake Hantspire, Nova Scotia. The research station was built in 1994 with funding from the Provincial Government and was designed as an upgrade and replacement for the previous station, the Bishop Park Research Centre that burned down in 1980. Funding for the station was cut in February of 2019 and the station is set to close by September of 2020. Currently there are approximately 17 researchers and staff employed by the station.
History
Previous Stations
Samuel Bishop Outpost
- Main article: Samuel Bishop Outpost
Bishop Park was established in 1902 by conservationist Samuel Bishop. Bishop was sanctioned by King Edward VII to begin extensive research of the area due to its rich soil and biodiversity. Around 20 scientists were assigned to help Bishop with his research and a small outpost was established in the heart of the park to allow them to stay for weeks at a time during studies. Before this, Bishop often worked alone, riding horseback into the middle of the forest to study unique plants and animals not found elsewhere on mainland Nova Scotia. Between 1902 and 1919 there is significant advancement in the cataloguing and study of the native species. This would abruptly end in December of 1919 when Bishop passed away and the outpost was shuttered.
Bishop Park Research Centre
- Main article: Bishop Park Research Centre
Following the Second World War and Newfoundland joining the confederation, the newly invigorated Canadian Government took a new interest in the rich ecosystem of the park and established the Bishop Park Research Centre. The research centre was operational from November 4th 1946 until it burned down due to a gas leak explosion on September 17th 1980. Not much is known about the research that the centre was responsible for as many of its projects were never made public. One notable study from this time period resulted in the development of a new photovoltaic power generation system based on the photosynthesis processes of local flora.
Establishment
After the destruction of the previous research station, the Canadian Government was hesitant to pour more funding into the area. The previous station had reportedly drained its entire research budget before going up in flames and the government was not immediately interested in rebuilding. However another economic effect of the loss of the station was on the local residents and businesses which had relied on the staff of the installation to stimulate their local economy. In 1980 the population of Hantspire was around 2000 with hundreds more commuting from nearby villages and towns, but by 1994 the population was just under 500. Long-time residents of the area petitioned the government to rebuild the facility and continue their research in order to revitalise the town. The petition gained traction when an environmental protections advocacy group picked up the petition as a way to protect the local ecosystem which they believed to be at risk without the governments intervention. The group used the parks reputation for housing unique species and rich biodiversity as reasons it should be protected and studied.
In October of 1993 the premier of Nova Scotia, John Savage, announced plans to build a new conservation laboratory in Bishop Park. The lab was going to be state of the art using designs and had an estimated budget of $1.2 million ($1.9 million adjusted for inflation). Construction of the lab began in April of 1994 and was completed on November 7th of the same year just before the ground began to freeze as winter set in. The station first began operation on November 21st with a staff of 40 which included 30 researchers.
First Decade
During the late 1990's and early 2000's the station was able to maintain a large staff of around 40 people. The lab did not allow volunteers or students to work there during this time, although that would change in its final decade, and instead relied on tenured researchers poached from labs and universities across the country. In these first years the station was able to conduct many studies which offered new insight into the local ecosystem, as well as new applications for the unique species of flora found within the park. However by the end of the decade there were less discoveries and breakthroughs being made which led to funding cuts by the province. By 2010 the staff had been reduced to just 7 researchers and a few support staff.
Effect on Locals
The local economy in Hantspire was not as effected by the development of the research station as they had hoped. Many of the staff did not end up moving to the area and instead chose to commute to the lab daily from the cities Halifax and Truro, which are both about an hour outside of Hantspire. Even though the economy was not strong, during the dot-com era the research station was fitted with fibre optic connections and as a result a fibre line was run through Hantspire making it one of the few places in rural Nova Scotia with highspeed internet. The locals had mixed reactions to the station at the time with some saying they regretted their participation in the original petition to construct it.
Recent Developments
By 2010 the funding for the station and the staff had been greatly reduced. From this time until now the station has seen very little progress be made in any field or area of research. As a result in February of 2019 the provincial government decided to cut funding for the facility and shutter its doors as soon as September 2020. This came as a disappointment to some, but many were nonplussed by the situation. Hantspire has since become forgotten relic of Canadian history and the exodus of residents since the 80's has reportedly long since killed any sense of local pride. There hasn't been a single published study from the lab since 2015.
Notable Research
This section needs more examples