Regional Parks and Trails Service

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.

• February 2022 Regional Parks Background Study Report
• March 9, 2022 Staff Report - Regional Parks Service Background
• May 17, 2022 Staff Report - Regional Parks Service Establishment
• March 2022 Regional Parks Service Framework
• June 24, 2022 Staff Report - Regional Parks and Trails Serivce Establishment Bylaw - Options
• December 8, 2020 Staff Report - Regional Parks Service