By 2010 400,000 more people are expected to be living in the Capitol Regional District (CRD) of Victoria. Because of this anticipated growth, development pressures will be placed on Victoria's green space and surrounding recreational areas. If accepted, a proposal to expand the park system within the CRD would help to maintain the vitality and natural beauty of the south Vancouver Island region.

VICTORIa's Sea-to-sea green blue belt

Wilderness Committee Educational Report Vol.18 - No.08 Fall 1999

Overlooking Shields, Crabapple and Grasse Lakes nestled in the Sooke Hills above Sooke Basin at the south end of the Sea-to-Sea Green Blue Belt. These privately owned lands must be purchased and protected. Photo credit: Jeff Barber.

PROTECTED GREEN SPACES BRING ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Tourism provides lots of jobs and brings significant revenues into the Capital Region. In B.C. the tourism industry employs about 250,000 people and currently generates $8.5 billion a year. Tourism is the fastest growing industry in B.C.

"Tourism is the world's biggest industry and annually injects over a billion dollars into Greater Victoria's economy. Adventure and eco-tourism are the fastest growing sectors of the industry. We have the perfect setting to benefit from this growth, both in terms of increased economy and quality of life."(Former Tourism Victoria President, Stewart Johnston)

Victoria was rated number one in the world for "environment/ambience," by the Conde Nast Traveller magazine. The high ratings are in large part due to the Capital Region's wild forest backdrop and its surrounding marine areas, which are beautiful to the eye and soothing to the soul.

Green spaces not only bestow tourism benefits but also expand recreational opportunities for residents and raise property values. It is estimated that properties adjacent to protected greenways sell for 5 to 33 percent more than those without access to greenways. For example, in Boulder, Colorado values of homes adjacent to green spaces are up to 32 percent higher than those a kilometre away. There the total property value for the neighbourhood next to the greenbelt was estimated to be $5.4 million higher than it would have been without it.

Green spaces increase the overall appeal of a community to prospective tourists, new business and new residents.

Regional Parks


  • Protect regionally significant natural environments. They are places where nature is allowed to flourish and evolve.
  • Provide people with opportunities to participate in a range of outdoor activities.
  • Are places where people go to experience and learn about nature. They foster appreciation and respect for a region's natural environment.
  • Attract people and contribute to a region's liveability, health and economy.

    • Regional Trails

  • Are established in natural settings to provide a range of recreational opportunities.
  • Connect the region's communities and its protected areas.
  • Connect the CRD to other parts of Vancouver Island.
  • Provide natural corridors that link habitats and provide additional habitat and travel routes for animals and plants.
    • Adapted from the CRD Parks Master Plan - The Vision for Regional Parks and Trails

    CRD Park Land Acquisition Priorities


    Add Needed Lands to Existing Regional Parks and Trails:

  • Sea-to-Sea Green Blue Belt
  • Thetis Lake (View Royal), Mill Hill (Langford), Francis-King (Saanich), Mount Work (Highlands)
  • Mount Wells (Langford Electoral Area), Sooke Hills (Langford and Metchosin)
  • Horth Hill (North Saanich), Island View Beach (Central Saanich), Elk/Beaver Lake and Bear Hill (Saanich)
  • Witty's Lagoon (Metchosin) and East Sooke (Sooke Electoral Area)
  • South and West Salt Spring Island (Salt Spring Island)
  • Regional Trail

    • Establish New Regional Parks:

  • vicinity of Galiano Bluffs, Mount Galiano, and Mount Sutil (Galiano Island)
  • along Millstream Creek from Mill Hill Park to Esquimalt Harbour (Langford, View Royal and Colwood)
  • land adjoining Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site and land in Royal Roads University (Colwood)
  • land from Gowlland Point to Brooks Point (South Pender Island)
  • land surrounding Ford Lake, Cusheon Lake, and Fulford Creek (Salt Spring Island)
  • land adjacent to Sooke River (Sooke Electoral Area)

    • Comparing Protected Land Base in Different Jurisdictions


    Capital Regional District - 8%
    Greater Vancouver Regional District - 26%
    Auckland Regional Coucil - 15%
    (Auckland, New Zealand)
    East Bay Regional Park District - 17%
    (east side of San Francisco Bay)

    Note: Protected lands are National, Provincial, State and Regional Parks, Pacific Marine Heritage Legacy Lands, Ecological Reserves, Wildlife Management Areas, Islands Trust Fund lands, and Municipal Parks with nature conservation focus.

    Facts about the Capital Regional District Parks

    Total Area: 8,582 hectares
     (refers to Regional Parks -45% of all CRD parklands)

    No. Of Regional Parks: 25 + one trail
    No. Of Visitors: 2.2 million (1998)
    (Most visitors are from the region. About 20% of the visitors to some parks during the summer are not residents. Visitors are of all ages.)

    Activities: Most popular are hiking, cycling, horseback riding, nature study and swimming.