Two new properties adjacent to two recent conservation areas and a provincial park are being conserved, forming 568 acres of contiguous protected areas in one of BC’s least protected and most fragile ecosystems.
This Gulf Islands milestone was made possible through the Foundation's community of support, including the Wilson 5 Foundation, passionate individual donors, and the dedicated residents of Lasqueti Island.
When Philippe Taillefer first walked the land named the Mystic Ridge by local residents, its beauty made him feel like he was in a world-class national park. “I said to myself, ‘I can’t believe this is not a national park! This should be protected forever.’”
At the heart of the rugged 74 acres is a long, narrow ridge with panoramic views of Mount Arrowsmith and Vancouver Island. It’s marked by dramatic rock formations and ancient old-growth trees—some 350 to 400 years old.
Mystic Ridge will be combined with other new and recent protections to form a 568-acre conservation area—one of the largest land-based conservation areas on the Gulf Islands.
Philippe and his wife Alysha bought the property because they didn’t want it to be logged or developed. From the start, their intention was to keep it in the family or work with a conservation group to have it preserved. Through a partnership with BC Parks Foundation involving a partial donation, their vision has now become reality—and then some.
“We’re thrilled to put the beautiful land of Mystic Ridge into conservation,” says Philippe. “Partnering with BC Parks Foundation was the best solution for everyone. It’s best for nature. It’s best for the community. It’s best for the people who will be here after we’re gone.”
Just south of Mystic Ridge lives Wayne Bright, a Lasqueti Island resident of more than three decades. His 84-acre property hums with life: Douglas-fir and cedar forests, camas-covered hilltops, mossy bluffs, and ponds he dug himself, now glinting with salmon fry. Over the years, Wayne has planted over 3,300 trees and raised close to a million salmon—quiet acts of restoration rooted in a deep sense of responsibility.
The property is also home to a monumental yew tree, which Wayne posits, at thirty-four inches in diameter, is just two inches smaller than the largest recorded yew in BC. Yews are the slowest-growing tree on the Pacific coast, so a tree this large is likely to be hundreds of years old.
“The original name of this island was Xwe’etay, the Northern Coast Salish term for Yew Tree,” says Wayne. “This tree has been here a long, long time. And allowing it to continue to stand means I get to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. My goal was to leave more biomass, more biodiversity, more life, for the future.”
Philippe, Alysha, and Wayne’s conservation vision is adjacent to and builds on a recent partial land donation by another family, the Buttjes, called Young Point. BC Parks Foundation worked with them, and a local crowdfunding campaign, to protect 5 km of waterfront adjacent to Squitty Bay Provincial Park. That purchase built on a 2019 partial land donation by another owner and community effort to create Salish View Nature Reserve.
In total, the five areas now create a magnificent contiguous mature Coastal Douglas-fir forest and coastline, with wetlands, rocky bluffs, and other habitats. Coastal Douglas-fir is critical to protect because it is one of BC’s most fragile and least protected ecosystems.
“As our region’s population grows, these endangered ecosystems are increasingly important for the long-term protection of numerous species at risk,” says Ken Lertzman, Professor Emeritus of Forestry at Simon Fraser University and Director of the Lasqueti Island Nature Conservancy (LINC), a grassroots land trust supported by local residents.
With no car ferry and no connection to the power grid, Lasqueti Island is one of the least developed places in the Salish Sea. Its dark night skies add to the conservation value of the land.
“The combination of BC Parks Foundation expertise and resources and LINC’s local knowledge is a model of collaborative conservation success,” says Gordon Scott, a longtime LINC Director. BC Parks Foundation has been instrumental in bringing major funders into the mix to complement community stewardship efforts.
“Philippe, Alysha, Wayne, the Buttjes and other local community members’ unwavering care shows the power of individuals who truly connect with the land,” say Chip and Summer Wilson of the Wilson 5 Foundation, one of BC Parks Foundation’s major supporters. “Their commitment reflects our own belief in showing up for nature and protecting it for generations to come. We’re proud to help conserve this place so more people can connect with its beauty and pristine wilderness—now and forever.”
