On Park Finances

Dear Mayor Leonard and Members of Council,

Thank you for your News Release

“Correction: Council makes public information about proposed Cape Roger Curtis park from Closed Council meetings” , March 7, 2023

These eight (8) Closed Council meetings spanned the period February 28, 2022 to July 11, 2022, with excerpts of the meetings only being released now. In that time, the discussion reported and voted on between Metro Parks staff and Bowen Island Mayor and Council moved from exploratory to: “support for protection of ecologically valuable land, and connect people to its value through hiking, nature observation and education, and camping” (April 27, 2022 Council resolution) in advance of purchase of the lands and Land Use Bylaw Amendment application.

On May 9, 2022 at a Closed Council meeting, a further resolution was adopted,

RES#22-331, including:

“Bowen Island Municipality: Will contribute to the proposed new park, within one year after the new park lands are acquired (or at an agreed upon time), the Cape Roger Curtis park lands managed by the Municipality, including Pebble Beach (Roger Curtis Beach), the waterfront trail connecting the lighthouse and the point adjacent to Collingwood Lane, and the interconnecting trails across the Cape Roger Curtis lands”

By May 24, 2022, at a Closed council meeting, a further Resolution, RES#22-365 carried unanimously, including:

“Bowen island Municipality will: Work with Metro Vancouver to rezone the lands from RR1 to Park, including camping, resident on-site supervision and office/concession uses; and Work with Metro Vancouver to begin discussions with the Government of British Columbia and the Islands Trust to explore the opportunity to extend the park into the adjacent Crown Lands and Fairy Fen Nature Reserve”