FAQs

The region contains a range of parks and trails systems that are being managed and delivered by different government and non-government organizations (e.g. Parks Canada, BC Parks, municipalities, CVRD Electoral Area community parks, private land trusts) for different purposes.

Regional Parks and Regional Trails are regionally significant sites that are managed by the Regional District and funded by taxes from all Regional District residents. 

Generally speaking, Regional Parks are larger in size than municipal or electoral area community parks, but smaller than national or provincial parks. Regional Parks can help to protect the region’s ecologically and culturally sensitive and important areas, and support the region’s efforts to adapt and remain resilient to climate change. Regional Parks also protect regionally significant features, and help connect people to nature through a diversity of different nature-based outdoor recreation opportunities. Regional trails (e.g. the Cowichan Valley Trail) provide regional connectivity. Regional parks and trails provide cherished nature-based outdoor recreation opportunities that improve resident’s quality of life, build healthy communities, and attract visitors to the region.  

The CVRD’s Regional Parks and Regional Trails system currently includes the following 8 regional parks, a regional recreation area and 2 regional trails:  

• Stoney Hill Regional Park
• Spectacle Lake Regional Park
• Sandy Pool Regional Park
• Osborne Bay Regional Park
• Bute Island Regional Park
• Heart / Stocking Lake Regional Park
• Chemainus River Regional Park 
• Siddoo Regional Park 
• Cobble Hill Mountain Regional Recreation Area
• Cowichan Valley Trail (including the Historic Kinsol Trestle)
• Friendship / siiye ‘yu Trail

The CVRD Regional Parks & Trails Master Plan is a strategic level guiding document that identifies the vision, principles, goals, broad strategies and actions, and implementation priorities for the regional parks & trails system. It also includes a regional parkland acquisition strategy.

The current Regional Parks & Trails Master Plan was approved in 2007. While much remains relevant, there have also been many changes in the region, including a growing focus on reconciliation, and increasing pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss, land use changes, new recreation interests, intensifying visitation, and a growing population. A review and opportunity for an update is needed to ensure the Master Plan is responsive and adaptable for the needs of today and for the next 10-15 years. The CVRD Board is looking for the Master Plan update process be completed by the fall of 2025, in order to inform budgeting considerations for 2026. 

The Master Plan focuses on high-level policies for the regional parks and trails system as a whole. It provides guidance to the CVRD Board and staff to inform ongoing budget planning, policy processes, decision making, work planning, and for developing other, more detailed plans. It is not a detailed planning document for specific parks and trails, or for specific issues and interests. 

The update of the Regional Parks & Trails Master Plan is a key action directed by the CVRD Board in their 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. There are also many other recently approved, underway, or upcoming initiatives or plans with overlapping relevance for the regional parks & trails system. These include the CVRD Regional Active Transportation Plan (approved), Island Rail Corridor planning (underway), and the upcoming CVRD Regional Conservation Strategy, the CVRD Indigenous Relations Framework, and the Stoney Hill Regional Park Management Plan. There are also other key related initiatives being developed by First Nations, other governments, and non-governmental organizations, which will be considered through the engagement and research process. 

The CVRD is committed to advancing reconciliation with First Nations by supporting cooperation, collaboration, and relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in our communities.  The CVRD has reached out to the ten First Nations with reserve lands within the CVRD to provide information about the project, and to request feedback on how they would like to be engaged throughout the process. The CVRD seeks to better understand First Nations interests related to the Regional Parks & Trails Master Plan update, and how both the planning process and plan implementation can continue to support reconciliation. 

CVRD Parks & Trails maintains an "Interested Parties" list of over 170 groups who may have interests in our parks and trails. These groups were notified of the Regional Parks & Trails Master Plan Advisory Group recruitment process, and will be sent emails to encourage participation in the public engagement process. The CVRD and the project consultants have also worked with the Regional Parks & Trails Master Plan Advisory Group to add other potentially interested groups to the CVRD Parks & Trails Interested Parties list. A cross-section of interested parties will also be invited to participate in an interview survey. 

Signing up for project notifications ("Follow Project") on this webpage is a great way to stay up to date as the project develops. There will be two rounds of public engagement processes. Stage 1 focuses on a review of the current Master Plan, existing regional parks & trails, and concerns, opportunities, and ideas for the future. Stage 2 will focus on collecting feedback on the proposed key ideas for the draft updated Master Plan. Both stages will include online as well as in-person engagement opportunities. The input from each engagement stage will be summarized in a “What We Heard” report, which will be reviewed with the Regional Parks & Trails Master Plan Advisory Group, and presented to the CVRD Board.

The CVRD Board has appointed 12 members of the public at large to serve as the Regional Parks & Trails Master Plan Advisory Group (RPTMP Advisory Group), following an extensive outreach process to request Expressions of Interest. Members were selected for their knowledge and expertise in one or more of the following areas: ecological and biodiversity conservation, outdoor recreation, Indigenous interests, heritage conservation, accessibility and inclusivity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and parks and/or community planning. 

The role of the RPTMP Advisory Group is to advise the CVRD Board, the CVRD Committee of the Whole, CVRD staff and the project consultants regarding the CVRD Regional Parks and Trails Master Plan update project.