| Metro Vancouver Expands Kanaka Creek Regional Park | Metro Vancouver Expands Kanaka Creek Regional Park | | <div class="ExternalClass2B444A7C9D0A4B73AB5E4A800472C6D4"><p>Metro Vancouver has added 3.5 hectares of land to Kanaka Creek Regional Park in Maple Ridge, further protecting the ecologically important creek and creating opportunities for future trail connections within the park.<br></p><p>“For nearly 60 years, Metro Vancouver’s regional parks have protected natural areas and connected people to nature, and these land acquisitions are enhancing our ability to do exactly that at Kanaka Creek Regional Park,” said Mike Hurley, Board Chair of Metro Vancouver.</p><p>One parcel, a 3.19-hectare property on Trethewey Crescent, is at one of the narrow points in the park and includes a portion of the slope down to Kanaka Creek, perched wetlands, and tree stand openings where a variety of understory shrubs, ferns, and herbs thrive. It also connects 20 hectares of mature forest Metro Vancouver acquired in 2022 to the main stem of the creek. The lands directly north of this parcel are heavily forested and include some trees over one metre in diameter.</p><p>Kanaka Creek Regional Park’s trail network is disconnected, with some sections separated by long stretches that are inaccessible to the public. This property provides an excellent opportunity to develop an off-street trail connection in the northeast sector of the park, while also supporting ecological protection and enhancement.</p><p>The other parcel is about one-third of a hectare and located on 110 Avenue. It was the last private property overlapping the main stem of Kanaka Creek from the Fraser River to Dewdney Trunk Road. A house, patio, and swimming pool were located directly along the creek bank, and the land had been cleared of significant vegetation. This portion of Kanaka Creek, between 240th Street and Cliff Falls, is the most critical salmon habitat in the park and provides prime spawning and rearing habitat.</p><p>The buildings and other structures have been removed from this parcel and the lands within the creek setback area will be re-naturalized.</p><p>“It was a high priority for Metro Vancouver to acquire both of these properties because of their locations at some of the narrowest portions of Kanaka Creek Regional Park,” said John McEwen, Board Vice Chair and Chair of the Regional Parks Committee. “We are now lucky to have the opportunity to further protect the creek and surrounding riparian areas, and provide more connectivity within the park, where trails are often interrupted and access limited.”</p><p>The two properties were acquired for a combined total of $4.3 million that was financed through the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Land Acquisition Fund, which aims to protect the region's natural areas in the face of significant land prices and development pressures.</p><p>A map of the new properties can be found <a data-cke-saved-href="https://ln5.sync.com/dl/b54d112b0#ysm34su3-tfmy92sp-vhf9akmz-76exmujf" href="https://ln5.sync.com/dl/b54d112b0#ysm34su3-tfmy92sp-vhf9akmz-76exmujf">here</a>.</p><p>Kanaka Creek Regional Park received 528,000 visits from people across the region in 2025, and provides opportunities to hike, fish, boat, cycle, and horseback ride. The <a data-cke-saved-href="https://metrovancouver.org/services/regional-parks/kanaka-creek-watershed" href="/services/regional-parks/kanaka-creek-watershed">Kanaka Creek Watershed Stewardship Centre</a>, which is home to the <a data-cke-saved-href="https://keeps.org/hatchery/" href="https://keeps.org/hatchery/">Bell-Irving Hatchery</a>, is also in the park. The park provides habitat to a variety of wildlife, including bears, cougars, coyotes, and salmon.</p><p>Metro Vancouver’s <a data-cke-saved-href="https://metrovancouver.org/services/regional-parks" href="/services/regional-parks">regional parks system</a> is made up of 24 parks, five greenways, two ecological conservancy areas, and two regional park reserves, spanning nearly 14,000 hectares in communities from Bowen Island in the west to Langley and Maple Ridge in the east. Since 1967, Metro Vancouver has been expanding this system to create a resilient network of connected parks and greenways that protect natural areas while providing access to nature for the region's growing population.<br></p></div> | 8/10/2026 7:00:00 AM | | Metro Vancouver Media Relations | | | |