Legislation has been introduced to expand three existing provincial parks and rename two parks to recognize Indigenous connections.
Through proposed amendments to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act, Enderby Cliffs Park near Salmon Arm will be renamed Tplaqín/Enderby Cliffs Park. Maquinna Marine Park near Tofino will be renamed Nism̓aakqin Park.
Tplaqín (pronounced T-bla-qeen) means cliff in Interior Salish. The name Nism̓aakqin (pronounced nis-mock-kin) means “our land that we care for” in Nuu-chah-nulth.
“Indigenous people have been stewards of the water, land and wildlife for millennia,” said Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks. “Renaming these parks to traditional Indigenous names recognizes significant cultural values and supports ongoing reconciliation with First Nations. Expanding B.C.’s parks and protected-areas system enhances protection of important ecological, recreational, cultural and historical values that make these places special.”
The proposed additions will add approximately 143 hectares to three parks:
- Naikoon Park (Haida Gwaii): 104 hectares of land that is already surrounded by the existing park. The land will provide further protection of wildlife habitat.
- Wells Gray Park (near Clearwater): 33 hectares of land to protect wetland and forest that is surrounded by the existing park on three sides;
- Cinnemousun Narrows (near Sicamous): three hectares of land and three hectares of adjacent lake shore.
As part of the amendments, Kilby Park near Harrison Mills will be formally transferred to the Province’s Heritage Branch, which has managed the park and the adjacent Kilby Historic Site since 2003.
The amendments will also remove one hectare from Naikoon Park to allow the expansion of a neighbouring cemetery and will make administrative updates to several protected-area boundary descriptions.
Quick Facts:
- B.C. has 1,050 provincial parks, recreation areas, conservancies, ecological reserves and protected areas covering more than 14 million hectares, or approximately 14.7% of the land base.
- The Province acquires land each year through the BC Parks Land Acquisition Program to expand parks and protected areas.
- Provincial funding for the cost for these acquisitions is often augmented by partnerships with conservation groups, individual donors and corporations.
