Victoria, BC– The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board has acquired a 28-hectare property in the District of Highlands as parkland for $1,050,000. The property is located adjacent to Mount Work Regional Park. It will provide an additional area protecting the coastal Douglas fir ecosystem, including mature stands of Douglas fir, cedar and grand fir. The property also contains a rare ecological community and habitat for species-at-risk.
“This land being added to Mount Work was acquired through the Regional Parks Land Acquisition Fund. It is made possible by the foresight of the Kinghorn family, who have been stewards of this area for decades,” said CRD Regional Parks Committee Chair David Screech. “It will help complete the western boundary of the park and provide valuable greenspace for residents of the region.”
“It gives us great pleasure that this property will be part of Mount Work Regional Park and available for the public to enjoy,” said Russ Kinghorn and Sharon Macauley, the property owners. “It's been a big part of our family activities since our parents, Jim and Mary Kinghorn, purchased it 59 years ago, and this is the final piece to be turned over for park.”
The parkland was purchased through the Land Acquisition Fund, a levy dedicated to purchasing lands for regional parks and trails. This parcel of land was identified in the 2018-19 Land Acquisition Strategy, which provides the CRD Board with a road map for acquiring land to add to the regional parks and trails system. It is guided by the CRD Regional Parks Strategic Plan 2012-2021.
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Proud to be recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers and Canada’s Greenest Employers, the CRD delivers regional, sub-regional and local services to 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Governed by a 24-member Board of Directors, the CRD works collaboratively with First Nations and all levels of government to enable sustainable growth, foster community well-being, and develop cost-effective infrastructure while continuing to provide core services to residents throughout the region. Visit us online at www.crd.bc.ca.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Laurie Sthamann, Communications Coordinator
CRD Regional Parks
Tel: 250.360.3332
Cell: 250.889.8030