The Regional District of Nanaimo is currently developing a 10-year management plan for the Beachcomber Regional Park, located on Marina Way in Nanoose Bay.
The 2017-2027 plan will be the first of its kind for the one-hectare, oceanfront property cherished by residents in the area as well as by visitors.
The goal of the RDN initiative is to identify the future needs of the park, which currently provides activities that include walking, birdwatching, tidal pool exploration, swimming, enjoying the surrounding views, dog-walking and picknicking. The plan will focus on ensuring visitor safety and enjoyment, ecological protection and addressing annual maintenance costs in the future.
Currently, the maintenance cost is around $3,000 annually. It covers incidental repairs, vegetation management and contractor services.
The management plan was initiated in the fall of 2016 and included public consultation through an open house, online survey, and ecological and arhaeological assessments. The community’s response to the plan has been positive.
Out of 33 survey respondents, 32, or 97 per cent, were generally happy with the existing park amenities and the level of maintenance that is being provided.
That being the case, 70 per cent want to retain the status quo and do not want to see any additions or changes considered in the future.
Around 30 per cent of the respondents felt that some improvement may be beneficial. Examples cited include invasive plant removal, parking area, picnic tables and a small play area for children.
Closure of secondary trails for reasons of public safety and ecological protection was favoured by 58 per cent of the respondents who also recommended an accessible primary trail or stairway to the beach along the north entrance. The estimated cost to create this is $15,000.
The park was established in 1955 by the Beachcomber Park Association, which then donated it to the regional district in making it the first regional park of the RDN.
It is easily accessible, has woodland trails, bluffs and rocky outcrops, tidal pools, views across Northwest Bay to Mount Arrowsmith, and views across the Straight of Georgia to the mainland coastal mountains.
It also features an eagle nest tree and is surrounded on three sides by water, and contains mature stands of arbutus, Garry oak and Douglas fir.
