qathet Regional District’s (qRD) board of directors will consider adoption of a new regional district parks and trails strategy. The strategy proposes to guide the development, operation, management and acquisition of regional and community parks and trails over the next 10 years.
At the August 2 committee of the whole meeting, directors received a presentation from Megan Turnock, of consulting firm Lees and Associates, who outlined the findings of the strategy.
Turnock said the initial focus was to pull together previous plans. She said an inventory of existing parks and beach access trails was completed and the consultants visited most of them to determine the current level of service. A calculation was made of areas of parkland in hectares per 1,000 population of the regional district, which was one of the metrics used to assess parkland, she added.
In terms of public engagement, some key findings included the importance of the waterfront, being able to connect with nature, and access to recreational amenities.
“Some of the challenges and opportunities we identified included the opportunity to expand the amount of parkland and increasing the accessibility of parks and trails,” said Turnock.
After two virtual open houses and an online survey, the consultants heard participants reiterating the importance of involving the community, plus the importance of trail building and maintenance in the parks. Turnock said it is important to ensure that any future parks and trails welcome people of all ages and abilities.
“There was a strong emphasis on environmental protection and stewardship,” added Turnock.
She said the vision is that the parks and trails system preserves and enhances natural spaces, plus connects people to the waterfront, rich and biodiverse ecosystems such as forests and beaches, and each other. The vision goes on to say that the parks and trails system, supported by community partnerships, regional parks and trails, provide diverse, accessible and safe opportunities for relaxation and recreation that support health and wellness for all and a resilient environment for future generations.
Turnock said there are about 15 hectares of parkland in qRD per 1,000 residents. She said assuming growth of the region of about 1,500 residents over the next 10 years, a general target for parkland acquisition has been provided to maintain the same level of service at the same ratio.
“It’s a benchmark,” said Turnock. “It’s not meant to be a hard and fast, exact rule, but it gives you a sense of what is needed to maintain the current level of service.”
According to the strategy, by 2031, at 15 hectares per 1,000 residents, an additional 21.3 hectares of parkland would be required. By 2041, at 14 hectares per 1,000 residents, an additional 45.4 hectares would be required to maintain existing service levels.
“It amounts to about one regional park per decade,” said Turnock.
She said parks in the regional district are well-managed and there is a high level of satisfaction in the community.
There are five goals in the report. They include: identify, acquire and manage new regional parks and trails; increase protection and management of natural areas; strengthen community partnerships and volunteer resources; enhance the user experience at parks and beach access trails; and support active transportation and a connected community.
The committee unanimously voted to recommend to the regional board that it adopt the qathet Regional District parks and trails strategy to guide the development, operation, management and acquisition of regional and community parks and trails over the next 10 years.
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