Fundraising underway to secure the Vanier Oaks as a nature reserve/nature park to be owned and managed by the City of Courtenay
We have seen several attempts to subdivide this property in order to liquidate it from SD#71's owenership. The School District has had this piece of land up for sale for since 2006 and with two attempts for development showing the incredible environmental sensitivites here the Comox Valley Land Trust beleives that this property should NOT BE DEVELOPED.
There is likely an opportunity to carve off two - four residential lots tucked carefully around the edges to help with the costs of purchase but these would need to be done with the utmost care and with low impact development techniques.
From the Comox Valley Record January 11, 2011
The Assessment of Restoration Potential for Vanier Grove report, prepared by the Garry Oak Ecosystem Rescue Team (GOERT), states that Vanier Grove is among the northernmost Garry oak and associated ecosystems in the world.
“Vanier Grove makes up the largest and most intact occurrence of Garry oak (Quercus garryana) at this northern extent in the species’ range,” it noted.
“It may be the only example in the world of a Garry oak/Sitka spruce association and is one of the few remaining Garry oak ecosystems in the Comox Valley, providing an invaluable reference ecosystem.”
This is a very special grove and a public/private partnership to acquire the property and hand it over to the City for long-term protection would be accompanied by a Conservation Covenant on title and held by both the CVLT and either Nature Trust of BC or The Land Conservancy of BC.
The Tsolum River Restoration Society (TRRS) has a huge interest in seeing this land protected as it is the headwaters of Towhee Creek. A major undertaking has been taking place on Towhee Creek since 2000 with channel restorations, some eight ponds created and two pedestrian bridges in place on the CV Fairgrounds. This project ground to a halt in the spring of 2007 when the School Board informed the TRRS that worked closely with both proponents to date and were able to wrest some small compromises pending the completion of the sale and subsequent approved building plans.
So far the land has won. We are proposing a proactive approach and have a natural partnership with the City, SD#71, the TRRS and the Land Trust to move long-term protection and restoration forward.
There is likely an opportunity to carve off two - four residential lots tucked carefully around the edges to help with the costs of purchase but these would need to be done with the utmost care and with low impact development techniques.
From the Comox Valley Record January 11, 2011
The Assessment of Restoration Potential for Vanier Grove report, prepared by the Garry Oak Ecosystem Rescue Team (GOERT), states that Vanier Grove is among the northernmost Garry oak and associated ecosystems in the world.
“Vanier Grove makes up the largest and most intact occurrence of Garry oak (Quercus garryana) at this northern extent in the species’ range,” it noted.
“It may be the only example in the world of a Garry oak/Sitka spruce association and is one of the few remaining Garry oak ecosystems in the Comox Valley, providing an invaluable reference ecosystem.”
This is a very special grove and a public/private partnership to acquire the property and hand it over to the City for long-term protection would be accompanied by a Conservation Covenant on title and held by both the CVLT and either Nature Trust of BC or The Land Conservancy of BC.
The Tsolum River Restoration Society (TRRS) has a huge interest in seeing this land protected as it is the headwaters of Towhee Creek. A major undertaking has been taking place on Towhee Creek since 2000 with channel restorations, some eight ponds created and two pedestrian bridges in place on the CV Fairgrounds. This project ground to a halt in the spring of 2007 when the School Board informed the TRRS that worked closely with both proponents to date and were able to wrest some small compromises pending the completion of the sale and subsequent approved building plans.
So far the land has won. We are proposing a proactive approach and have a natural partnership with the City, SD#71, the TRRS and the Land Trust to move long-term protection and restoration forward.
