BC Parks Foundation

The new park is on the mountainside of West Vancouver, on the North Shore of Vancouver. Locals know it as part of Hollyburn Ridge, or the Upper Lands. It is directly adjacent to, and on the southern side of Cypress Provincial Park.

The 781 hectare park is almost double the size of Vancouver’s famous Stanley Park and forms part of Vancouver’s scenic backdrop. It is a central puzzle piece in a larger connected system of protected areas, including Cypress Provincial Park, Capilano and Seymour Watersheds and other parks within the District of West Vancouver. It also protects lands around the Old Growth Conservancy, home to an important stand of old growth trees. Combined, these areas cover more than 32,000 hectares – one of the largest protected areas in the world so close to a major urban centre.

The park will produce many benefits for people and the planet.  It is great for our health and recreation, for viewscapes, for storing carbon, and for producing clean water and regulating water flow.

It’s also particularly important to address the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change facing BC and the world.  Wildlife populations around the world have declined an estimated 69% since 1970. Less than 23% of the world's landmass can now be considered wilderness, with the rest, excluding Antarctica, lost to the direct effects of human activities. Only a fraction of remaining wild areas are larger than 100 square kilometres. Protecting this area helps local wildlife populations and encourages BC and the world to meet its target of protecting 30% of the world’s ecosystems by 2030.

The new park will be a District of West Vancouver park.

A process to officially name the park will be developed and naming options will be presented to Council for their consideration at a later date.

While the area is currently used recreationally, formalizing these lands into park protects the natural and recreational assets valued by hikers, trail runners, dog walkers, birders, nature enthusiasts, mountain bikers, Hollyburn cabin users, and others in the community.

Council has voted to provide long-term protection to this area through a park dedication bylaw. The dedication of parks, in accordance with the Community Charter, is difficult to remove once established.

By dedicating these municipally owned lands as park, the community benefits knowing these highly valued lands, including the recreational and ecological resources and old-growth trees, will be protected into the future. Formally protecting the area also brings more focus and resources for management. 

The lands are now accessible to the public, with restrictions on visitation to the Old Growth Conservancy Area. Everyone is reminded to keep the area clean and free from any fires or other disturbances.

Budgets depend on facilities and amenities provided, maintenance requirements, and environmental considerations. Once a management plan is drafted a full budget will be developed. 

The Cypress Hollyburn Legacy Fund is a new fund to improve stewardship, experiences, accessibility, and safety in the Cypress Hollyburn region. It acts like a hospital or educational foundation, providing funding and volunteerism for projects above and beyond core government budgets.

Examples of projects include things like building and maintaining trails and bridges, wildlife research, wildfire prevention, invasive species removal, wayfinding, and guided and self-guided experiences.

The new Fund won’t just support the new park, but the entire area surrounding it, including Cypress Provincial Park.

The Wilson 5 Foundation has generously committed to match every donation into the new Fund, up to $3 million.

You can donate to the Cypress Legacy Fund here.

In recent years, partnerships have emerged amongst user groups and the District. In 2022, agreements were formed between the District, British Pacific Properties (BPP), and the North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA).

A Right of Way obtained over BPP lands provides access to mountain bike trails. These trails are now maintained by the District by way of a contract with NSMBA, who has been very successful in obtaining funding for the maintenance of these trails.

Other partnerships include the following:

• Old Growth Conservancy Society provides monitoring and education about the Old Growth Conservancy, old growth tree protection, and education in general.
• BC Mountaineering Club have expertly repaired a large portion of the Baden Powell Trail over the past five years, commencing where the trail turns north along the Skyline Trail to the BC Parks boundary.
• West Vancouver Streamkeepers provide expertise and resources to care for creeks.
• Hollyburn Ridge Association provides advice and education on the cabin area, as well as trail stewardship in that area.

Seeing the success of these partnerships and other relationships, it is clear there is consistent interest in the community to look after its public lands, including the new park.

Dedicating this large area as park provides the opportunity for a conversation with the community about how to continue to maintain the District’s valued recreational and ecological assets in the Upper Lands.

The area was owned by the District of West Vancouver. Council dedicated to preserve it as a protected place on May 27, 2024.

The District of West Vancouver looks forward to meaningful conversations with the community and with the the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Nation) about the future of this newly-dedicated park.

The District looks forward to meaningful conversations with the community and First Nations about the future of his newly-dedicated park.