A group dedicated to protecting land around Cable Bay trail reports that it's in conversation with a foundation about the possibility of investing in the purchase of more than 80 hectares in the area.
Save Cable Bay, formed in 2020, is an advocacy group which opposes development of the lands around Cable Bay trail in order to preserve the surrounding ecosystems.
The area east of the trail is the subject of an application for a subdivision, while the area to the west, owned by Harmac Pacific, is the subject of a zoning application for industrial use. Both land uses are opposed by the group. An online petition started on http://change.org has over 22,700 signatures to expand and preserve the trail.
Cheryl Bancroft made a presentation to Nanaimo city council on Monday, July 30, on behalf of Save Cable Bay, updating council and making a series of requests.
"One of the major things that happened recently that you should know about is we've been out trying to find a funder to purchase the lands to the east of Cable Bay trail because the [real estate agent] representing the consortium that owns the land has told us that the land is for sale," Bancroft told council. "We have found a very large, provincially funded conservation funder, I don't want to name them at this point but they are interested in talking with us about saving these lands … We're at a stage now where we found a funder who's interested, but we need to plan a way forward, and we need your help to do that."
The requests include asking council to deny the subdivision application, work with Save Cable Bay and other stakeholders, add a 100-metre buffer zone from the trail to the west and provide a life safety ring at Dodd Narrows.
Jain Alcock-White, director of the Yellow Point Ecological Society and a member of Save Cable Bay, told the News Bulletin that the land on the east side is most critical in terms of natural value, with multiple Garry oak meadows as well as old growth.
"This is where the major Garry oak meadows are, and the old growth, and it connects directly to Dodd Narrows and Joan Point Park," Alcock-White said. "The east side is our goal because Harmac has already purchased the 200 acres on that [west] side."
Jackie Wasyluk, another member of Save Cable Bay, said the conversations with the foundation could lead to a fundraiser.
"It would be amazing if they could fully support it, but I would think there would be other organizations they could possibly work with," Wasyluk said.
Alcock-White said the Yellow Point Ecological Society has also submitted a complaint to the College of Applied Biologists regarding how the environmental assessments were done, as the group alleges "a number of deficiencies."
In response to the council presentation, Mayor Leonard Krog told the News Bulletin that he can't comment on the potential acquisition or disposition of any property, but the city has received a number of e-mails from all over the world from people with different connections to the trail.
"We have received a significant number of e-mails on Cable Bay," Krog said. "Some of them clearly indicate people don't understand what the current application is about. Many people seem to think the trail is going to be eliminated to Joan Point Park. In fact, what has been proposed … is an expansion of the trail. Is the province, the regional district or the city interested in the acquisition of more park land? I can say as a general theme we're always interested."
The expansion referred to in the city plan supports a significantly increased buffer of an average width of 100 metres on the west side of the trail, which is proposed to be secured through the land's re-zoning. Save Cable Bay has advocated for a strict 100-metre metre minimum, rather than an average.
Krog said some people expressed surprise at the potential to zone the west portion of the land as industrial, but pointed to the the city plan, which also "made it very clear the designation was going to be changed to industrial."
"Being the major port on Vancouver Island, industrial land is very much needed here to support the existing population but also the projected population. You've heard it before, you don't have to have been here that long – we're one of the fastest growing regions in the country."
Wasyluk said Save Cable Bay would like people to e-mail mayor and council, the Regional District of Nanaimo and their MLA
"Let them know that you would like Cable Bay to become a park," Wasyluk said. "We're hoping the foundation or trust or organization will then communicate with the city and the city will let them know they've received overwhelming response for Cable Bay to be a park."
