CRD regional parks are a shared treasure, welcoming over five million visitors every year. They’re also a public good that belong to everyone, and providing equitable access is a priority for the Capital Regional District (CRD).
Accessibility is about creating communities and offering services that allow everyone to take part without barriers. One of the key barriers identified by people with disabilities is a lack of clear information about terrain, facilities, and trail conditions before arriving at a park.
With approximately one fifth of the population between 15 and 64 living with one or more disabilities, CRD Regional Parks Division staff saw an easy and simple way to help address this: capturing Google Street View imagery of the parks! Street View imagery is captured using a 360° camera, then images are stitched together by Google to create a virtual representation of the surroundings.
So far, staff have captured and uploaded Street Views of 14 parking lots and day use areas, as well as 20 km of park trails in eight regional parks. Regional parks were selected based on visitation and the current accessible or user -friendly opportunities they offer. The imagery allows visitors to preview parking areas, day‑use spaces, and portions of trails to support informed trip planning. Detailed accessibility information is also available on the CRD website for four regional parks.
This work builds on the Regional Parks Division’s existing accessibility resources and is being completed within current staff and budget capacity. Additional parks will be added over the coming year, and staff will continue expanding detailed accessibility information available on the CRD website!
For more information, check out the Accessibility in Regional Parks page.
