History
This property was donated to the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) as an ecological gift with the reservation of a life interest in favour of the donors, Brian and Sarah McLoughlin. The life estate allows the donors free and unfettered use of the land and existing improvements for as long as either shall live. A registered covenant (held jointly by the Comox Valley Land Trust and The Land Conservancy) will restrict the use of the property to public park use and includes provisions to maintain the site in its natural condition in perpetuity. The covenant on the property allows for maintenance of the gardens surrounding the residence. The balance of the property is to remain in its natural state, a mature second-growth fir forest.
In the fall of 2016 McLoughlin Park was transferred to active park status. The CVRD assumed the maintenance of the property from the McLoughlin family and began actively maintaining the entrance road (which became the main trail in the park) and the ornamental gardens which were lovingly fostered over the years by Sarah McLoughlin. In late 2016, the McLoughlin Family began to create an artist-in-residence program through their newly created McLoughlin Gardens Society which would operate out of the family cottage located at the bottom of the property near the beach. In 2017, a lease agreement between the McLoughlin Gardens Society (a registered non-profit) and the CVRD was formalized to support the artist-in-residence program. The program is managed by the McLoughlin Garden Society. The Comox Valley Art Gallery also hosts visiting artists at the cottage during the months of May and June.
Artist-in-Residence
Each year, a number of poets, writers, and artists from the Comox Valley and farther afield are able to spend a week or two at the Gardens including poet Jane Munro, in 2023.
Past Artists-in-Residence
Playright Marcus Youssef was the writer-in-residence for 2020. Marcus is an artistic director, playwright and author based in Vancouver, Canada.
Maleea Acker, 2019 writer-in-residence. Maleea is the author of two books of poems and one of essays. She is also an award-winning Geography lecturer at the University of Victoria.
Rachel Grenon, 2019 artist-in-residence. Ceramacist
Arleen Pare, 2018 writer-in-residence while at the gardens completed a first draft of her latest book First which Brick Books published and released in May 2021. She resides in Victoria.
Valerie Salez and Lindsay Delaronde, 2018 artists-in-residence. Their exhibit Touching Earth Bodies showcased at the Comox Valley Art Gallery.
Rita Mckeough, 2017 artist-in-residence. Multi-disciplinary artist, musician and educator from Nova Scotia.
Joanne Bristol and Barbara Meneley, 2016 artists-in-residence. Barbara Meneley is a visual artist whose work engages with the landscapes and foundations of contemporary society and culture. Joanne Bristol is a multi-disciplinary artist and writer.
Anne Simpson, 2016 writer-in-residence. A Canadian writer of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Anne has published ten books.
Location
End of Tasman Road off Williams Beach Road, Merville (Electoral Area B)
Park Etiquette
- Walkers and cyclists only, no horses.
- Leashing is optional