Keep East Sooke
wild, public, and free
A private company has applied to build a commercial operation on Crown land alongside East Sooke Regional Park — and the Province needs to hear from you before a decision is made.
4.87 ha / 12 acres
Intensive use footprint
71.75 ha / 177 acres
Total application area
50 km
Of public trails at stake
Comment Period Remaining
Day(s)
:
Hour(s)
:
Minute(s)
:
Second(s)
Why It Matters
This isn't just about one proposal.
East Sooke Regional Park is recognized as a regional wilderness area and one of the most significant parks in the CRD system. Decisions about tenures here can influence how Crown land inside or beside other parks is managed and evaluated over time.
A. Impacts on this place
01
Public access at risk
The tenure area overlaps the park’s coastal experience. Depending on its exact footprint and conditions, it could restrict or effectively deter public access along sections of the Coast Trail and nearby shoreline that British Columbians have used for generations.
02
Commercial "pivot" potential
Once cabins, utilities, access roads, and cleared pads are in place, the site becomes much easier to market to other operators as a resort, glamping, or high‑end retreat location. Without strong, enforceable conditions, future changes in ownership or business model can shift the use far from what was originally presented.
03
Ecological harm
The shoreline and forest here form sensitive habitat for coastal species. Clearing forest for training areas, constructing semi‑permanent structures, and concentrating human activity in a relatively undisturbed corner of the park all increase disturbance, noise, and edge effects.
04
Changed park experience and night environment
This part of the park is currently experienced as a dark, quiet stretch of coastline and forest, with little permanent lighting or vehicle traffic. Regular program activity, vehicle access, and any night lighting would erode that sense of remoteness and could affect nocturnal wildlife use of the area, even though there are no residences inside the park itself.
B. Bigger picture and precedent
05
A dangerous precedent
Allowing a private commercial tenure on Crown land embedded in a regional park normalizes the idea that protected landscapes are open to exclusive commercial occupation. If it is accepted here, similar applications in other parks and protected areas become easier to argue for.
06
Private profit from public land
Crown land is held in trust for all British Columbians, and regional parks are funded and cared for by the public. Granting one company long‑term exclusive use effectively turns a shared public asset into a revenue source for a private operator, while the ecological and reputational risks remain with the public.
07
Inadequate review process
Crown land tenure decisions are largely administrative and can proceed with limited public awareness compared with, for example, full rezoning processes. Without explicit policy protections for park‑embedded Crown parcels and proactive community engagement, major changes on the ground can occur before most residents even know a decision is pending.
08
Blurring the line between park and commercial zone
Introducing an exclusive commercial foothold inside an otherwise protected landscape blurs the distinction between regional parkland and surrounding multi‑use Crown land. Over time, this can shift expectations among decision‑makers and developers, making it harder to defend clear “no‑go” zones for intensive commercial use within or directly adjacent to parks.
One comment, delivered in many ways
Submitting through this website helps concentrate public input where it will be seen.
When you submit through this website, your comment is prepared as a response to all three linked Crown land applications — 1415403, 1415404, and 1415322. It is submitted to the BC Crown Land Applications portal, emailed to CRD Parks staff and the Regional Parks Committee, included in a printed package hand-delivered to the CRD before the May 6, 2026 deadline, included in an East Sooke Wild community submission, and published here as part of the public record using only your first name and city/community.