Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
Sign In
Careers Contact Live Chat

Proposed Regional Park at Cape Roger Curtis on Bowen Island

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Phase two engagement summary

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback during the second phase of public engagement! The engagement summary report is now available. ​​

No public access

At this time, the land is not open to the public for day or overnight use (no camping).​


Metro Vancouver is planning to preserve a piece of forested and waterfront property at Cape Roger Curtis on Bowen Island as a regional park. The proposed regional park presents a unique opportunity to protect valuable habitat and connect with nature.​

On this webpage, you will find information about public engagement, the vision for the proposed regional park, project updates (including technical reports), the municipal rezoning process, and contact information.

Public enga​gement

Metro Vancouver is committed to engaging with the public and incorporating their feedback at each step in the proposed park development process and the Bowen Island Municipality rezoning process. The park planning process includes background research, inventory, and analysis. Each project phase will include engagement with First N​ations, the public, stakeholders, and ​ Bowen Island Municipality.​​​​

Engagement will take place in three phases​.

​​​Phase One
Listen and Learn
Phas​​e Two
Draft Concept
​​​Phase Three
​Final Concept Plan

In this phase, we listened and learned from the community to understand your priorities, concerns, and vision for the project.

We deepened our understanding of this unique landscape.

Your input informed the development of guiding principles and concept options.

In the next phase, we shared guiding principles, technical studies, and draft park concepts for your feedback.​​

In the final phase, we will share the final concept plan and next steps so you know what to anticipate in the future.​​​​



About the proposed park

​Metro Vancouver is growing the regional parks system into a connected network of parks and greenways that protect regionally important natural areas and connect them to residents. The proposed park at Cape Roger Curtis presents a unique opportunity to protect valuable habitat, and connect with nature through trails, education, stewardship, ocean viewing, and the opportunity to spend the night in nature — an experience that is increasingly difficult for residents to get.

In May 2023, Metro Vancouver finalized the purchase of 24 parcels of land at Cape Roger Curtis on Bowen Island. At this time, there is no public access to the site, for either day or overnight use (no camping is permitted). Municipal trails remain open and available for public use. Metro Vancouver will continue to work closely with Bowen Island Municipality on the park planning and municipal rezoning process before opening the park to public access.

The proposed park would preserve a large area of ecologically important and sensitive dry coastal bluff ecosystem and provide opportunities for residents of the region and the Bowen Island community to connect with nature. A preliminary program for the proposed 97-hectare park consists of day-use and overnight uses with opportunities for tent camping, picnic areas, trails, viewpoints, and waterfront access.

Cape Roger Curtis is eight kilometres from Snug Cove on Bowen Island. The property encompasses a large ecologically diverse dry coastal bluff waterfront, a landscape rare in the Metro Vancouver region and makes up less than one per cent of BC’s land base. It contains 15 plant communities listed as provincially threatened or endangered. The land encompasses about 900 metres of waterfront ranging from high bluffs to low bank and access to water’s edge. Along the shore, the coastal bluff plant communities are dominated by arbutus, shore pine, Douglas fir, and some 400-year-old maritime juniper. Huszar Creek flows through the site. In recent years, there have been frequent sightings of both orcas and humpback whales from this site.

The park would be adjacent to Crown land that includes the headwaters of Huszar Creek and Fairy Fen Nature Reserve, and the Wild Coast Nature Refuge. The park lies within the Átl'ka7tsem/Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve​​​​​

Vision for the proposed regional park

The proposed regional park at Cape Roger Curtis will​

Metro V​ancouver Regional Parks

Metro Vancouver Regional Parks’ role is to protect natural areas and connect people to nature. Regional parks are sustainably managed ​​and well-maintained for the safety of visitors and integrity of ecosystems, and provide the opportunity for people to benefit from exceptional experiences in nature. (Watch Regional Parks videos.) Metro Vancouver has a proven track record of over five decades of responsible regional park planning, natural resource management, and operations, including Crippen Regional Park on Bowen Island. 

Regional parks protect natural areas and connect people to nature. Expanding the regional parks system is a priority identified in Metro Vancouver’s Metro Vancouver’s Board Strategic Plan, the Regional Parks Land Acquisition 2050 Strategy and the Regional Parks Plan.​​​​​

Municipa​l rezoning process

​Metro Vancouver has submitted a rezoning and Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment application to Bowen Island Municipality for the proposed regional park. The land use is currently rural residential with a minimum lot size of 4.0 hectares.

The rezoning and OCP amendment proposes a park, with a variance to allow for supervised tent camping.

This land use designation will allow for the creation of a regional park complete with conservation areas, day-use amenities such as trails, picnic areas, viewpoints, and tent camping.

Input from Bowen Island Residents will inform the Bowen Island Municipality rezoning and OCP amendment process.

Read more about the municipal rezoning process and timeline, and view Metro Vancouver’s rezoning application on Bowen Island Municipality’s website.​

Project documents​​

Photo gallery

​​

Sign up fo​r u​​pdates


Subscribe to our mailing list to receive e-newsletters about this project.

Sign Up



Conta​ct


Metro Vancouver ​​Regional Parks, West Area​​ Office

  604-224-5739

  Email


Help create a new regional p​ark


This project is being supported by the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation, a registered charity dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of Metro Vancouver’s regional parks.

Learn more

​​​​


Related Links

By continuing to use our website, you acknowledge the use of cookies. Privacy Statement | Accept all cookies | Change settings