Creatively United will be standing up for the Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park on February 20th at the CRD headquarters, 625 Fisgard in the 6th-floor boardroom on the importance of protecting and preserving East Sooke Regional Park. Please join us! See times below.
Courtesy of the Wilderness Committee
More than 20 years ago a huge tract of forest just outside the greater Victoria area was protected after a spirited and hard-fought campaign – the Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park.
But now this forest is threatened again – this time by short-sighted highway infrastructure.
The coming weeks and months will be a critical time to raise our voices and demand the Capital Regional District (CRD) reject the construction of a new highway through the Sooke Hills, to serve as an alternative to the Malahat.
We need you to attend the upcoming public meetings and, if you’re comfortable, to register to speak in opposition to plans to open Sooke Hills to park to development.
CRD Meetings:
Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 11:30 am
Regional Water Supply Commission
CRD headquarters, 625 Fisgard, 6th-floor Boardroom
Agenda Item: Protection of Greater Victoria Water Supply Area
Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 10:00 am
Parks and Environment Committee
CRD headquarters, 625 Fisgard, 6th-floor Boardroom
Agenda Item: Protection of Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park
*Note: the CRD hasn’t updated the online form since two committees merged – Regional Parks and Environmental Services – and they are now called the Parks and Environment Committee, so select “Regional Parks Committee.”
The more people that attend these meetings the better – to show public interest in this issue and let CRD directors know we’re concerned about the Sooke Hills. And the more people speaking in favour of continued protection of the regional park, rejection of road building permits and commitment to better alternatives to the Malahat, like the possibility of passenger rail service – the better.
Sooke Hills park protects important habitat for native species, buffers the source of the capital regions’ drinking water, provides outstanding recreational opportunities on our doorstep and limits suburban sprawl on the northwest edge of this region.
This forest was protected thanks to the hard work of hundreds of you who had the vision for this wild and critically important area. It’s up to us now to ensure the integrity of the Sooke Hills remains intact.
I am a CRD resident since 1992, a residential property owner since 1993, a business owner since 1994, and an employee at CRD, Environmental Service (Protection) since 2000.
During my role as a Water Sampling Technician, I frequently passed through the Goldstream and Sooke Main gates to work in the protected watershed areas.
I have seen first hand the damage that has been done when a few individuals obtained access to these protected lands. I am also aware of the type and quantity of resources that currently go into preventing this from happening.
Providing an Emergency Roadway through these protected park lands will provide an open gate for public access that will be difficult to close during non-emergency periods. The increased potential for unauthorized people being in the watershed areas will place a burden on all aspects of providing the first level of security for our drinking water supply.
Security and monitoring costs will go up. The risk of violent interactions with intruders will go up.
Please keep the gates closed to protect our water quality and to protect our workers.