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We see the protection of nature as an integral element of any solution for the problems that affect our community, so we envision solutions to these problems that are environmentally friendly while allowing for progress that moves us towards a resilient, equitable, well-housed, well-fed, integrated and collaborative community.
A recent example of this kind of solution was the creation of Salt Spring Community Park, a Salt Spring Solutions-driven campaign that preserved 75 acres of forest while creating a community park, a vision that a diverse community of supporters embraced from different perspectives.
In 2019, an opportunity arose to acquire land on the northeast slope of Hwmet’utsum/Mount Maxwell to establish the first community park on Salt Spring in decades. Although the first window to acquire the land was missed, the Salt Spring Solutions team persisted and a second opportunity was created to buy the property from new land-owners. The majority of the funds needed for purchase were secured by SSS from a private donor, a donation by the land-owners themselves, and finally funds from the CRD-PARC, which would become the manager of the park. A coalition of diverse community organizations, preservationists, and recreational groups all supported the public campaign for the remainder of the funds.
In November of 2022, all the additional funds necessary for purchase were secured, with a surplus to support the development and management of the park itself. The purchase is expected to be completed early in 2023, at which point the park development will begin, with active involvement from a variety of stakeholders and First Nations, to create a park that preserves and protects the land while providing multi-use trails for the mountain biking, hiking and equestrian communities and place to enjoy nature for all islanders.
