A piece of a former Highlands homestead was sold earlier this month, when the Capital Regional District purchased a 12.1-hectare parcel from the Carrilho family.

The CRD bought the undeveloped property on Ross Durrance Road for $760,000 to add to Mount Work Regional Park, a move that expands the park to 742.1 acres.

For the family, the sale of this area of second-growth Douglas fir and intermittent rock bluffs comes with a hope for greater public enjoyment of the park.

“In 1959, my parents became modern-day pioneers with the purchase of 165 acres of scarcely used land at the end of a remote, meandering dusty road in the Highland District,” William Carrilho Jr. wrote in a statement, remembering his father William Carrilho Sr. and mother Helen Carrilho-Ansing.

ALSO READ: CRD, Habitat Acquisition Trust to spend $3.4M on 20-hectare forest park in Saanich

“Today, my wife [Isabelle Poirier] and I can think of no better use for the land than to have it revert to park. CRD Parks will be a worthy land steward, holding it for the common good and allowing the general public access and enjoyment.”

The ongoing Mount Work management planning process will determine what happens with the property. Find more information on the process at crd.bc.ca/project/mount-work-management-plan.

This property was acquired through the CRD’s land acquisition fund, with an aim of adding to the overall regional parks and trails system. More than 4,800 hectares of land has been secured through this fund since it was established in 2000.

“This acquisition helps preserve this area for future generations, provides important ecological connectivity and makes a wonderful addition to Mount Work Regional Park,” CRD board chair Colin Plant said in a release.

Find full details about Mount Work at crd.bc.ca/parks-recreation-culture/parks-trails.

ALSO READ: Highlands quarry proposal heads back to court

Do you have a story tip? Email:don.descoteau@blackpress.ca. Follow us on Instagram.