Boundaries for the biggest park dedication in West Vancouver history were drawn around Whyte Lake at a council meeting Monday.
Located east of the Sea to Sky Highway, the newly christened Whyte Lake Park is bordered by Cypress Provincial Park to the northeast and Nelson Canyon Park to the south.
Dedicating the 120 hectares of old-growth forest, creeks and wetlands defends it from future development, explained Coun. Trish Panz.
"The interesting thing about all of this is that most people actually think Whyte Lake is already a park," she said.
Coun. Nora Gambioli described the dedication in three words: "A good beginning."
The protected area should grow, said Gambioli, who called for a corridor of dedicated parkland stretching from Whyte Lake to the Larson Creek wetlands.
The park dedication creates a "wildlife highway," according to Old Growth Conservancy Society director David Cook.
"It is gratifying to see that West Vancouver recognizes the importance of connectivity and linearity between natural areas," he said, explaining the "slow
decline" that can plague disconnected natural areas.
The large swath of parkland will sustain biodiversity, said Cook.
A concerned citizen in a frog costume called on council to compile an inventory of the species in Whyte Lake Park.
"Mr. Banks, you'll see that the frog gets safely across the highway," said Mayor Michael Smith, drawing laughs from many in attendance.
West Vancouver's resolve to preserve forests and wetlands gathered strength in the wake of the development of Eagleridge Bluffs, according to former West Vancouver mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones.
Despite ecological concerns, the province built a stretch of highway through the bluffs in anticipation of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
"The provincial government expropriated what we thought was our park," Goldsmith-Jones said. "Dedicating Whyte Lake as a park began with West Vancouver waking up and realizing what we had not protected."
Panz, who has referred to Whyte Lake Park as a sanctuary, agreed.
"We may have lost that battle, but we never lost sight of the big picture," she said.
The big picture involves preserving delicate ecosystems, according to Panz.
The district will likely assess the carbon credit value of the park, according to Panz.
While discussing watershed preservation, Coun. Bill Soprovich took aim at the British Pacific Properties-owned land near Eagle Lake. "They are going to have to give us that land and get away from that whole watershed area. It just has to be a trade-off," he said. "That's a key area that they're going to have to give us and not expect anything back."
In meetings with district staff, British Pacific Properties expressed interest in land use and density transfers, which may be a useful tool to protect district land, according to planning director Bob Sokol.
