Metro Vancouver has protected more scenic and ecologically sensitive lands for public enjoyment, with the recent addition of 3.4 hectares of property to Kanaka Creek Regional Park in Maple Ridge.
Over the last decade, 12 parcels totaling 42 hectares have been added to the park, which stretches for 13 kilometers along Kanaka Creek from the Fraser River to the base of Blue Mountain. The total cost of those land purchases was $12.45 million.
The latest land purchase, at $2.25 million, was financed through the Metro Vancouver Regional Park Land Acquisition Fund and aims to protect the region’s natural areas in the face of escalating land prices and development pressures.
Located on Dewdney Trunk Road near Garibaldi Street, just west of Whonnock Lake, this latest addition boosts the size of the park to 454 hectares, widens an especially narrow area and provides an opportunity to extend and connect trails in the east end of the park. The land includes a portion of a creek tributary, and features open field and forested areas.
Kanaka Creek Regional Park provides trails for walking, cycling and equestrian use. In 2020, about 673,000 people visited the park, a 43-per-cent increase from 2019.
