Friday September 9, 2022 | JUAN DE FUCA, BC
Posted by Island Social Trends
A new community park is coming to the Sooke region!
The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board has approved the purchase of 23.5 hectares of land in Otter Point as a new Juan de Fuca (JDF) Electoral Area community park, it was announced today September 9, 2022 by CRD.
The property has been identified as a prime candidate for purchase as a community park for over 10 years as it has significant stands of timber, including several trees that would be considered ‘old growth’, and many secluded wetlands. It represents one of the last of available undeveloped large acreage lots in Otter Point.
Otter Point is in the the portion of the JDF Electoral Area that is west of Sooke. JDF also includes East Sooke.
Hicks is pleased:
“I am so pleased that the Juan de Fuca Community Parks Service have purchased this incredible property and preserved it as a community park,” said Mike Hicks, CRD Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Director.
“Congratulations to everyone that was a part of this project.”
Hicks has been the JDF Electorial Area Director for several terms. He is not running again in the 2022 election this fall.
Best as a community park:
When this property was listed for sale, community members made requests to the CRD Regional Parks Committee to acquire the property. While the land did not meet the necessary criteria for regional park acquisition, it was determined to be well-suited as a community park.
Donations were part of it:
The Admiral’s Forest property was purchased for $650,000 which was funded through over $130,000 in donations from The Land Conservancy (TLC) and individuals living in the Otter Point neighbourhood as well as the Juan de Fuca Community Parks Service.
“TLC is pleased to contribute $20,000 to the efforts of the Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society and the CRD in protecting Admiral’s Forest for the area’s ecological integrity and wildlife habitat,” said Cathy Armstrong, TLC Executive Director.
To ensure funding requirements for this purchase were met, the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission supported the transfer of Wrigglesworth Lake Community Park to CRD Regional Parks in exchange for land acquisition funds in the amount of $173,000. Wrigglesworth Lake Community Park is in the Malahat community of the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area and complements the immediately adjacent Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail (part of the Trans Canada Trail), which is owned and managed by CRD Regional Parks.
