qathet Regional District directors have been urged to fully implement the regional district’s parkland acquisition strategy plan and start collecting funds for purchase of new parklands.
At the Thursday, May 9, qathet Regional District (qRD) committee of the whole meeting, two parkland advocates appeared as delegations before the committee outlining the need to proceed with the strategy.
Abby McLennan, speaking on behalf of Friends of Stillwater Bluffs Association, said in 2009 there was the development of the regional district’s parks and greenspace plan, including the development of an acquisition strategy. That parkland acquisition strategy was officially approved by the regional board in February 2017 and it still has not been enacted.
“I’m just following up today,” said McLennan. “We did a presentation in February of last year asking for this strategy to be enacted so we can start generating [money] for parkland acquisition.”
In that strategy are a couple of different recommendations for how to generate funds for parkland acquisition. She said her recommendation was to not just put the strategy under bylaw 439, which is the regional district’s parks and recreation bylaw. She said it is not so transparent when parkland acquisition is mixed in with other services.
“We are recommending to establish a new bylaw specific for parkland acquisitions,” said McLennan. “In doing that, it’s easier for people to make bequests and donations because it’s going under a specific fund. People will be confident that it’s not going toward administration or maintenance of parks.”
McLennan said a dedicated source of funding could be used to leverage other funding opportunities for parks and greenspaces. Once funding is established, the regional district could apply for other grants.
McLennan explained mechanisms for funding the parkland strategy that were outlined in the parkland acquisition strategy report, such as a parcel tax. She indicated that if qRD had implemented the strategy in 2017 when it was approved, and applied a $10 parcel tax per household across the region, $230,000 would have been generated for parkland acquisition. A $20 parcel tax over the same two-year period would have raised $460,000.
If a residential tax rate was used instead, based on 2014 numbers, $2 per $100,000 of assessed value would raise $73,702 per year and $5 per $100,000 would raise $184,256.
Committee of the whole chair and Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said there were six definite sites identified in the parkland acquisition strategy. These include Eagle (Lois) River and Stillwater Bluffs located in Electoral Area C, Heischolt Lake and Stromberg Falls on Texada Island, plus Orpana Lakes and Savary Island waterfront park located in Electoral Area A.
Powell Outdoor Recreational User Group (ORUG) trail society member Roger Artigues told the committee of the whole he was asked by Friends of Stillwater Bluffs to speak to the issue.
Artigues said that people basically want parks. The region is becoming known as a recreational paradise.
“There are people moving here because of the parks and open spaces,” he said. “I think you people in the back of your minds are thinking about the money but if you look at the success of the [Powell River] Recreation Complex referendum, people support these kinds of things.”
Artigues said he really likes the strategic plan. He added that Friends of Stillwater Bluffs and ORUG would be glad to help out.
“With ORUG, we’re kind of your workforce out there doing trail work and I think a lot of people here would be your workforce to help publicize this,” he added. “There is support for this out there. Please help us out and make this happen.”
