Land Acquisition

The Capital Regional District has provided a regional parks service since 1966. Since then, the regional parks systems has grown to include 33 regional parks, comprising over 13,300 hectares (ha) of land. 

The CRD has actively expanded the regional parks system through use of the Land Acquisition Fund. With the support of partners, the CRD has acquired approximately 4,900 hectares of land for regional parks and trails since 2000. In that time, the regional park system grew from 8,400 ha to more than 13,300.

Map of Land Acquisitions 2000-2023 [PDF/3.5MB]

Planning Land Acquisitions

Regional park land acquisition is guided by the Regional Parks Land Acquisition Strategy. This document lists the guiding principles and criteria for parcels of land to buy as a regional park. The Land Acquisition Strategy will be updated in 2024/2025 to reflect the priorities identified in the interim Regional Parks & Trails Strategic Plan 2022-2032.

The Strategic Plan meets global, national and local conservation targets in two ways:

  • increasing the area of park land in the region
  • increasing representation of all four regional park classifications: conservation areas, wilderness areas, natural recreation areas and conservancy areas

Funding Land Acquisitions

The LAF was established by the CRD Board of Directors in 2000 for the sole purpose of acquiring regional park land. The fund was initially set at a rate of $10 per average residential household and has increased over time.

In 2010, the LAF was renewed and an increase of $1 per year was approved. In 2019, the Board extended the LAF to 2029 at the rate of $20 per average residential household. Rates were set to increase by $1 each year through 2025 to a maximum of $25 per average residential household. The LAF collected approximately $4 million in 2021 for regional park land acquisition.

The CRD's 2022 Financial Plan incorporates a new approach to land acquisition that leverages borrowing capacity to buy land that would otherwise be unattainable on a pay-as-you-go savings model. This will create a revenue stream that can service up to $50 million of land purchases over 15 years, thereby leveraging a net increase in land values more than $100 million.

Partnerships

The CRD is committed to having meaningful discussions with its partners when entering land acquisition decisions. These parties include First Nations, municipal, provincial and federal parks agencies operating in the region, as well as land conservancy organizations and other potential partners.

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Territorial Acknowledgement

The CRD conducts its business within the Territories of many First Nations, all of whom have a long-standing relationship with the land and waters from time immemorial that continues to this day. Statement of Reconciliation