For more than two years, Yvonne Van Heddegem has kept an online petition active calling on Gibsons to provide park designations for Inglis Trail and the Charman Forest areas.
In addition to that Avaaz.org effort, she and a handful of other concerned citizens continue to gather signatures in support through emails and in person.
Speaking about those two “gems” that the group is asking Council to protect as parks in perpetuity, Van Heddegem said, “they are really wonderful places for people to go and get away from the hustle and bustle.”
Mayor Bill Beamish told Coast Reporter that while he appreciates the citizen’s concerns, Council is not considering any change to the status of the municipally-owned trail and undeveloped forest area.
“The Town has no plans to do anything with them right now… Before anything happens there needs to be a complete archaeological assessment,” Beamish said. He said the need for that work is “on the radar” of both the Town and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) but is not a high priority for either at this point as there are no plans to disturb the areas.
Both sites are currently being assessed under the Town’s Source to Sea project which is gathering data to help staff and Council make informed decisions regarding future uses of forested areas. Beamish estimated that work, which looks at ground water flows from Mount Elphinstone through the Town and to the ocean, will be finalized in December. Town natural assets being assessed as part of the project include forests, streams, creeks, wetlands, designated parklands, and the foreshore.
Another initiative that could factor into area protections is the Town’s work to establish a “healing forest” as part of its efforts towards reconciliation with First Nations. “The commitment to do the healing forest is there but the location has not been finalized,” said Beamish.
While the exact mechanism that the Town will use to ensure the areas are kept in their natural state remains undetermined, he said, “I certainly don’t see any initiative from Council that says those lands would be anything but protected or park areas.”
Council was petitioned by members of the public about protecting the lands in 2019 and 2020. In both cases it was supportive of those requests but took no specific actions.
When asked if the group plans to appear before council with another request, Van Heddegem said, “Absolutely…We want the forest protected; whether it’s a healing forest, a park or something else, that is all we are asking.”
