Bown Island, Canada's Newest National Park?

This idea has finally taken its first step to becoming a reality with the Bowen Island council unanimously voting to endorse the idea in principal of merging existing provincial and regional parks with private land to create the new national park. Should a new park be created it would bring the total number of National Parks and National Park Reserves in Canada to 43.

The idea was brought forward in an assessment by Parks Canada to see if it would be feasible to place a new park on Bowen Island. Mayor Bob Turner says that it is important for Parks Canada to see the island as being in support of the project and the unanimous vote shows the start of the backing the community will have.

The item that was voted on is just the beginning of the process and did not include any recommendations as to how to go ahead with the project. It gives the upper management at Parks Canada information on whether or not to go ahead with the development of a park on the island. The assessment looks at provincial crown land, regionally owned land, and private land which would all be included in the park.

The model for considering this new development was based on the southern Gulf Islands and if the project is to go ahead land will have to be purchased to make it work. Turner says that it is now up to Parks Canada to decide what they want to do with the information they have and the final decision will come down from them.