Comox Valley Regional District

The Regional Parks and Trails Service provides a mechanism to protect valued natural areas and complements the existing community and provincial parks network. As our region continues to grow, it will be important for us to work together to protect regionally significant natural areas, provide opportunities for people to connect to nature through nature-based recreation, and to create trails to connect our core communities.

In November of 2024, a Regional Parks and Trails Strategic Plan was adopted to guide the delivery of the recently established Regional Parks and Trails Service over the next 20 years.

CVRD staff identified a three-step process to explore the potential establishment of a regional parks service.

Phase One: A Background Study - Complete

In early 2022 a regional parks background study was presented to the Town of Comox, City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland, and the CVRD. The study, which describes how other regions have structured their parks services and the difference between regional parks and other types of parks, was intended to help local governments understand what a regional parks service could look like in the Comox Valley.

After reviewing the background study and hearing from the regional parks working group, each of the region's Municipal Councils and the CVRD Board expressed their support for the establishment of a regional parks service in spring of 2022.

Regional Parks Background Study Report

Phase Two: Service Establishment - Complete

The Comox Valley Regional District formally established a Regional Parks Service on September 29th, 2022. The Service was established with consent of region's Municipal Councils and a full regulatory review by the Province and the CVRD Board. The Regional Parks and Trails Service bylaw (No. 719) defines the governance model, funding and operational structures, and regulatory requirements for the service.

Phase Three: Strategic Planning - Complete

Thank you to all who contributed to the Regional Parks and Trails Strategic Plan process. The final phase of engagement concluded in October with input from the Regional Parks and Trails Committee (RPTC), the community, interest groups, and the Working Group. A summary of the comments received, the changes made, and the final plan was presented to the RPTC on November 26, 2024. The RPTC unanimously adopted the Plan and directed staff to offer a Plan presentation for K'ómoks First Nation, the City of Courtenay, the Town of Comox, and the Village of Cumberland.
A regional parks service function was established by Supplemental Letters Patent (SLP) in 1971 issued by the Province to the former Comox Strathcona Regional District (CSRD) which included the areas now captured by the Comox Valley Regional District and the Strathcona Regional District. The participants included a number of the electoral areas and municipalities within the CSRD. Under this service, the Board of the regional district could acquire, develop, operate, and maintain regional parks within all electoral areas (EA) and municipalities that participated in the service.

The regional parks service functioned for a number of years with the acquisition of different parks including Seal Bay Park and Mount Geoffrey Park. However, operations and maintenance continued to be funded by the individual community parks services. Activity under the regional parks services eventually diminished and after several years of stagnancy the remaining funds in the regional parks service were distributed back to the participants.
A considerable amount has been written on the health, environmental, social and economic benefits of parks in general, and regional parks in particular. Key benefits include:
- regional sustainability
- ecosystem services
- protected biodiversity
- improved physical health
- improved mental health
- social connection
- cultural recognition
- economic development and tourism
These benefits exist in all regional park systems but are particularly evident in systems that serve larger urban areas, as well as in systems that exist in fast-growing regions. Indeed, as regions develop, become more populated and busier, the benefits of regional parks take on added value.
Currently the CVRD operates and manages a rural community park service which is funded exclusively by the electoral areas. This includes a community parks service for the Electoral Areas Baynes Sound A, B and C, as well as separate community parks services for Denman and Hornby Islands. Each of the three municipalities within the regional district (Town of Comox, City of Courtenay and Village of Cumberland) also individually operate their own parks services.

A regional parks service would be a separate and distinct function which would be administered and funded separately from the community and municipal park services. A comparison of community versus regional parks can be found below.
- The ‘community’ parks service within the CVRD is primarily for the benefit of the local rural areas with funding provided exclusively by the electoral areas for the acquisition, development and operation of these parks.
- The ‘regional’ parks service is for the benefit of the region as-a-whole (residents of electoral areas and local municipalities) and would have all local governments contributing to the acquisition, development and operation of these specific and significant parks and trails.
In general, all services operated by regional districts and provided to the community must be created through the adoption of a service establishing bylaw. This bylaw outlines what the service is, how it will be delivered, who will benefit, the maximum cost and how the costs will be recovered.

Despite having an historic regional parks service, the longstanding dormancy means that a new service for regional parks needs to be created if the regional district wishes to provide such a service to the community. Creating a new service by bylaw includes a number of required legislative steps including approval by the Province as well as participating area approval, which may be achieved through an assent vote (referendum), alternative approval process (AAP) or municipal council consent/electoral area consent.

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