Lake Banook

Lake Banook
A C-15 (Canoe Sprint) race on Lake Banook in 2009.
Location	Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Coordinates	44°40′51.2″N 63°33′24.9″W / 44.680889°N 63.556917°W / 44.680889; -63.556917Coordinates: 44°40′51.2″N 63°33′24.9″W / 44.680889°N 63.556917°W / 44.680889; -63.556917
Primary inflows	Shubenacadie Canal
Primary outflows	Shubenacadie Canal, Sullivan's Pond
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	1,210 m (3,970 ft)
Average depth	38 ft (12 m)
Surface elevation	20 m (66 ft)
Settlements	Dartmouth

Lake Banook is a freshwater lake located in Dartmouth within the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is home to three sprint canoe and kayak clubs, two rowing clubs, and a dragon boat club. It also has a claim to be the birthplace of ice hockey.

Lake Banook's eastern shore is bordered by Prince Albert Road (part of Trunk 7) and its western shore fronts Crichton Park, a residential neighbourhood. At the south end of the lake is a lock mechanism leading to Sullivan's Pond. At the north end of the lake a bridge carries the Highway 111 expressway, informally known as the Dartmouth Circumferential Highway over its waters. The bridge also serves as a dividing line between Lake Micmac, also referred to as Second Lake.

Birch Cove Beach is the only beach on the lake that is currently supervised. Another beach, Graham's Grove, was closed in the early-1990s, as a result of poor water quality stemming from the construction of the nearby "Mic Mac Par-clo" (partial clover-leaf), a large interchange connecting Highway 111, Trunk 7, and Route 318, which replaced the rotary previously on the site.

Lake Banook has undergone many modifications. It was originally approximately two meters shallower than its current depth, after being dammed during the construction of the Shubenacadie Canal in the early 19th century. When the water rose, it submerged a small island. During improvements for the 1989 Junior World Championships, the top section of the paddling course was dredged to meet depth standards. The fill was used to expand nearby Graham's Grove Park, and the former access road still remains underwater. There have been shoreline modifications for recreational beaches, private waterfront, boat docks, and municipal pipelines. Some natural shoreline remains at the north end of Brookdale Crescent Park, the north end of Birch Cove, and parts of Grahams Grove.