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Capital Regional
District directors voted unanimously Wednesday to kick in $3-million
to help buy 1,375 hectares of parkland in the Sooke Hills.
The decision, reached after more than 2˝ hours of discussion behind
closed doors, brought a smile to the face of Land Conservancy of
B.C. executive director Bill Turner.
He now has to pull together the other pieces of the $5.3-million
purchase to ensure the Sooke Hills regional wilderness park deal
is completed.
Turner is confident the parcel—the single largest remaining chunk
in the Sea-to-Sea Greenbelt from Sooke to Sidney—will become parkland.
"We'll find a way," he said.
The conservation group has already raised about $450,000 from private
donations.
It hopes to obtain the balance—about $2-million—from the federal
government before turning over the Seraphim lands, owned by a Canadian
holding company, to the CRD for a park.
The CRD funding commitment was good enough for the property owner
to extend a deadline on the purchase to Feb. 16, with a March 9
closing.
Turner hopes the federal funds will be available. "If for some reason
it didn't occur, we would find some way. We're not going to let
it slip through now."
CRD directors adjourned discussion on the purchase last week following
concerns raised by Sooke Mayor Ed Macgregor that his municipality,
formed only a year ago, hadn't been adequately consulted.
Macgregor called the purchase "a good deal for the whole region."
He said he was never opposed to the acquisition, but to the process
that had been undertaken.
The parcel, which forms part of the western backdrop for the region,
has long been identified in the CRD Master Parks Plan and in the
Green/Blue Spaces Strategy as critical for preservation.
But Macgregor said that identifying certain parcels of land as important
in a general way doesn't mean an offer to purchase should be made
before discussions with all the parties involved.
"In any partnership, I think it's important you agree in principle
to these acquisitions," said Macgregor.
"But before one of the partners makes the move, you generally go
back to the other and say: 'Here's the deal I'm putting forward,
this is the time frame and these are the conditions.' Then you have
the debate on it and you will go out there with one voice. We kind
of reversed that."
Sooke will now be fully involved in all discussions about access,
assessment of lands and the area management plan.
Four-wheel drive vehicles are another concern involving the property.
Off-roaders have been using part of the area for recreation. Under
TLC legal covenant, off-road use of the land will not be permitted.
However, the CRD and TLC want to work with the off-roaders to help
them find an area where they can have their fun.
"We are going to strike a committee as of this week and are asking
them to join us," CRD chairman Christopher Causton said. "We're
going to be asking forestry companies to sit with us on that committee
along with our own staff, TLC, and Sooke representation."
Causton called the decision to purchase the land forward-looking.
"I think it's a terrific legacy for everyone who lives here, not
necessarily for our generation but for generations to come."
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