Project Description:
LEES+Associates collaborated with Bowen Island Staff to develop an updated Parks Plan that provides a community-supported vision for Bowen Island’s parks, trails and beaches including connecting and protecting natural areas and marine environments, improving eco-tourism, encouraging stewardship and increasing recreation potential. The plan was informed by consultation with Cultural Advisor Sheryl Rivers of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) as well as with an extensive public and stakeholder engagement process that included:
- A visioning workshop;
- A statistically valid phone survey;
- An open-access on-line survey;
- Two open house events;
- Two farmer’s market pop-up events;
- Focus groups with youth and elders;
- Stakeholder workshops, and
- An online questionnaire to review key recommendations from the Draft Parks Plan.
The implementation plan identified high priority recommendations and provides planning, capital and operational cost estimates. The Parks Plan will provide guidance to municipal staff, the Parks, Trails and Greenways Advisory Committee, and Bowen Island Council over the next 10 years.
The Bowen Island Parks Plan was adopted in principle by Municipal Council in October 2017.