CRD MEDIA RELEASE
The Capital Regional District (CRD) has purchased two properties and transferred a former community park from the Pender Islands Community Parks and Recreation Commission (PIPRC) to create a new, 21.7-hectare regional park on North Pender Island.
The CRD paid a total of $1.865 million for two properties located at 2201 Paisley Road and 2210 Clam Bay Road, and the cost to transfer George Hill Community Park from PIPRC to the CRD’s Regional Parks Division. The purchase was made using a combination of Regional Parks’ reserve funds and the Regional Parks Land Acquisition Fund.
“The CRD recognizes both the conservation and recreation value of the properties acquired on North Pender to create a new regional park,” said Cliff McNeil-Smith, CRD Board chair. “This acquisition creates new opportunities to protect unique ecosystems and expand recreational opportunities for people on Pender Islands and across the region.”
The new regional park, which features panoramic views of the Southern Gulf Islands, will provide both forested and summit hiking opportunities to visitors. In addition, it is located within the Coastal Douglas-fir Moist Maritime Biogeoclimatic subzone, which is home to a unique set of ecosystems found principally on south-east Vancouver Island, portions of the Gulf Islands, and pockets along the south coast and mainland of British Columbia. Thanks to a Mediterranean-like climate in this subzone, flora and fauna thrive. Species at risk such as the sharp tailed snake have been noted on the property.
Covenants require the lands to be managed as a regional park in perpetuity. Alongside the CRD Regional Parks Division, the PIPRC will continue to be involved in helping to manage invasive species on the property.
“Transferring the former George Hill Community Park to the CRD’s Regional Parks Division and amalgamating it with the two additional parcels to create a new, regionally significant park is a win for residents of the Gulf Islands and the wider region alike,” said Paul Brent, Electoral Area Director for the Southern Gulf Islands. “The newly established park is a true destination with expansive views of the Gulf Islands and ecosystems worth preserving. Securing these properties as regional parkland will ensure continued public enjoyment and long-term land management by a division of the wider CRD organization that is well-equipped to do so.”
In the interim, the name of George Hill Community Park and the newly acquired lands will be changed to George Hill Regional Park. Renaming or co-naming the new regional park with an Indigenous name can be explored in collaboration with local First Nations as opportunities arise.
With the support of partners, the CRD has acquired approximately 4,900 hectares of land for regional parks and trails since 2000. In that time, the regional park system grew from 8,400 ha to more than 13,300. Find more information online, here.