News Release - October 16, 2018

Gabriola Island's 707 Community Park is Growing

At the September 27, 2018 meeting of the Gabriola Island Local Trust Committee, final readings of Bylaws 289 and 290 were given, which will amend the Gabriola Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw and allow the transfer of 136 hectares of parkland adjacent to the 707 Community Park to the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) in exchange for the creation of up to 25 lots on the properties between Cox Community Park and the Village Core.

The new parkland is located between 707 Community Park and Coats Marsh Regional Park as shown in the map below. This parkland will increase the protected land inventory in the Gabriola Island Local Trust Area from 9.2 % to 11.5 %. With this transfer, 707 Community Park on Gabriola Island will increase from 707 acres to 1,043 acres, providing increased ecological protection to Coats Marsh and important trail connections for the island.

"It is exciting that the 707 Community Park, already the second largest park within the Regional District of Nanaimo's parks system after Mount Arrowsmith Massif Regional Park, has grown to over 422 hectares," said Electoral Area B Director Howard Houle. "Thank you to the organizations and residents who worked collaboratively to help grow the protected parkland on Gabriola Island and improve connectivity."

"The creation of parkland is one of the most gratifying ways for the Islands Trust to advance its preserve and protect mandate," added Laura Busheikin, chair of the Gabriola Island Local Trust Committee. "This amenity will be enjoyed by Gabriolans and visitors for generations, and the long-term protection afforded to the ecosystem has immense value. On behalf of the Local Trust Committee, I thank everyone who worked on making this happen. This is a great example of cooperation and thoughtful planning and we are excited to be part of it."

Until the 707 Community Park Management Plan is updated, the new parkland will be managed as an extension of the current park management plan. In the short term, the RDN has set aside funding to provide basic park amenities such as signage and park access gates. For more information about RDN community parks and trails please visit: rdn.bc.ca/community-parks-and-trails.

 

Contact:

Wendy Marshall Manager, Parks Services Regional District of Nanaimo 250-248-3252 wmarshall [at] rdn.bc.ca (wmarshall[at]rdn[dot]bc[dot]ca)

Laura Busheikin Chair Gabriola Islands Trust Committee 250-218-3216 lbusheikin [at] islandstrust.bc.ca (lbusheikin[at]islandstrust[dot]bc[dot]ca)