Powell River’s parks, recreation and culture department will be initiating a parks and trails master plan.
“I’m just finishing off the request for proposals now,” said Ray Boogaards, director of parks, recreation and culture. “With this we are hoping to come up with a 15-year plan for parks and trails within the city.
“Right now, we have many parks and a lot of acreage. A lot of it is forested area, like Millennium Park, the Penticton trails and an unofficial park right off Barnet Street adjacent to the RCMP building. Those are large pieces of property with mostly trails going through them.”
There are also city parks with various equipment and amenities that need to be considered.
“What we need to find out is where we need to go in the next 15 years; we are not just determining through staff what is required, but we are going to have a public process,” said Boogaards. “We will be hiring consultants to go out and do the work. That’s what the request for proposals is for, to hire the consultants to come up with that plan.
“What do we need in the next 15 years to enhance the parks and open spaces? What do we need when it comes to trails?”
The master plan will be looking at items such as how many more trails are needed, or if there is a requirement for connectivity through the city. Boogaards said there are four distinct communities in the city – Westview, Townsite, Wildwood and Cranberry – and in some ways, the only way to get between the communities is by car. He said it might be nice if they can all be connected through the trail system.
“Where do we need to go with all of this stuff? said Boogaards. “That’s where it’s going to be so important to have a process in place.”
There will also be the need to have planning processes in place so the city has the time to review what grants are available, or having sufficient time to bring initiatives to Powell River Community Forest for funding.
Community involvement is going to be important going forward, said Boogaards. Powell River’s parks and trail systems are features of the community that many residents cherish, he added.
“When you talk to people who visit here or move here, it’s because of our outdoor space,” said Boogaards. “It’s so much healthier being out there in nature, and the trails provide that, when you look at how many thousands of people use the trails or the sea walk.”
The city has counters on the sea walk and the forestry trail, indicating extensive use of the trails.
The 15-year plan is important for looking at items such as where additional parkland is required in the community. The study will also answer questions such as whether the community is over or under-serviced.
“It’s going to be an exciting process and there will be lots of public input,” said Boogaards. “We are expecting the consultant to do a lot of meetings with the public and that’s part of the request for proposals process to tell us how they are going to engage the residents.”
The consultants will also have to have discussions with Tla’amin Nation and qathet Regional District to make sure there is dialogue moving forward about matters such as linkages to trail systems outside of the city.
Boogaards said right now there are 53 kilometres of trails in the city and a cadre of volunteers who are committed to the important task of maintaining those trails, with city staff helping in some areas.
“These volunteers do a tremendous job for the community,” said Boogaards. “The BOMB Squad and the forest museum group that takes care of the forestry trail, the Powell River Cycling Association, they all do so much work in the community.”
