Skaha Bluffs and Granby Provincial Parks are both set to grow in size, part of a series of park developments coming into effect on the heels of a record 2021 camping season.
More than 3.1 million campers stayed in provincial parks during the 2021 season, and more than 260,000 reservations were made on Discover Camping, marking the highest volume on record.
The provincial park developments include expansions, Indigenous renaming and the creation of a brand new provincial park by the Horgan government.
In the South Okanagan, Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park will grow by 65 hectares, while Granby Provincial Park in the Kootenay Boundary region will get an additional 147 hectares.
The government says the two expansions will protect local ecosystems and provide new recreational opportunities.
Both of these and a number of other changes are making their way through the legislative process with royal assent expected by end-November. Land for both expansions has already been acquired by the provincial government, with this latest step simply formalizing the land as parkland.
“People in the South Okanagan and Boundary love to get out and enjoy our parks all year round,” said New Democrat MLA Roly Russell.
“We’re expanding Skaha and Granby Provincial Parks to preserve the best of B.C. for generations, protect local ecosystems, promote wellness, and boost local economies,” he added. The additional land is from a private land donation, acquired through Canada’s Ecological Gift Program.
Skaha Bluffs Park is home to a variety of distinctive terrain features, including steep cliffs, riparian areas, grassland and open forest, which function together to provide habitat for many provincially or federally listed species at risk. This includes bighorn sheep, fringed and small-footed myotis (bat), western rattlesnake and western screech owl. The park offers opportunities for hiking, world-class rock climbing and wildlife viewing.
Meanwhile, spanning more than 40,000 hectares, Granby Park near Grand Forks is a wilderness area popular among hunters, horseback riders, snowmobilers and experienced hikers. The grassland
meadows from an old burn are considered rare and valuable habitats for grizzly bears, deer and elk. The additional land also provides further connectivity from the valley bottom to higher elevations.
In addition to the expansion of Skaha Bluffs and Granby Provincial Parks, a new provincial park on Southern Vancouver Island is also being created. Located in the Cowichan Valley the 143-hectare class ‘A’ park named Hwsalu-utsum by the Cowichan people will be located near the Koksilah River in the area of Eagle Heights.
The park will include a vital ecosystem that has been used by the Cowichan throughout their history and includes old-growth Douglas fir, limestone geological features, and rare species of plants in a grassland ecosystem.
BC Parks says it is also investing $21.5 million during the next three years to expand and enhance opportunities for outdoor recreation, including new campsites, trails and upgrades to facilities. The investment comes as parks in the province have come under severe strain as British Columbians turn to outdoor activities during the ongoing pandemic.
