Belcarra South Planning Program

Regional Park Context Belcarra Regional Park

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The mandate of Metro Vancouver Regional Parks: 1. Protect important natural areas 2. Provide opportunities for people to connect to nature MAP INSET B ed Dock we Picnic ll Bay Road Did you know... Area Parking Concession/ Lot • Metro Vancouver operates a regional parks system composed of Washroom ay Whu Building um eto 23 regional parks, three regional park reserves, two ecological T n m Dri u ve conservancy areas and five regional greenways T • The regional park borders on the Villages of Belcarra and Anmore and City of Port Moody • Belcarra Regional Park is valued because of its water focused BELCARRA REGIONAL PARK activities including: Study • Walking and hiking on water-side trails Area • Swimming • Crabbing/Fishing • Boating • Environmental interpretation and stewardship Belcarra South Planning Program

History and Past Land Uses Belcarra Regional Park

Did you know... represented him in the trial was Coast Salish potlatch, Burrard Inlet • The Belcarra Picnic Area was once a William Norman Bole who took title major First Nations Village. Artifacts to the land in return for payment of indicate settlement dating back legal services 3,000 years • The name Belcarra is derived from • Twelve archaeological sites have two Celtic words “bal” meaning, the been documented in or adjacent to sun, and “carra” meaning fair or the regional park lovely land • The local First Nations called the • J. Percy Hampton Bole, the son of area Tum-tumay-whueton which is Judge William Bole, retired and said to mean “good land” and or moved into the building known as “biggest place for people on Indian the “Bole House”. In the 1930’s Arm” and 1940’s, the seven cabins were built as summer residences • The mound north of the picnic area is a midden dating back to the First Sources: Belcarra Park Archeological History Nations use Report, 1985; Belcarra Regional Park Plan, 1985; • The term midden is derived from Forest & Fjord: The History of Belcarra, Ralph the Scandinavian word, “midding”, Drew, 2013. Forest & Fjord, 2013, p.43 and refers to an accumulation of refuse about a dwelling place • The first European settler was John Belcarra regional park midden site Belcarra regional park Hall who lived and logged on east site artifacts shore of Indian Arm. He was later tried for the murder of his common law wife’s mother. The lawyer who 50 m

LEGEND 20 midden * 0 * MAIN BEACH

Forest & Fjord, 2013, p.30 Forest & Fjord, 2013, p.32

Judge Bole

SOUTH BEACH

Forest & Fjord, 2013, p.197

BOLE Forest & Fjord, 2013, p.149 BEACH

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Planning History Belcarra Regional Park

Previous Planning and Design Belcarra Regional Park Pre- • In 1985 the Belcarra Regional Park Plan Design of Belcarra Picnic Area Site was developed and in 1994 a pre-design Expansion and Admiralty Drive, report was prepared • These documents provided a blueprint or 1994 guide for how a park should develop into • This document undertook an extensive the future. They are also reflective of the assessment of the park reviewing soils time they were created and periodically and hydrology, foreshore engineering, need to be updated to reflect current goals environmental and social sensitivities, and values archaeological importance, heritage • Both were prepared with extensive potential and civil engineering public input and paid special attention to requirements. The outcome was a concept protection of watersheds as well as to the plan that addressed outdoor recreational scale and location of regional park facilities demand in response to site constraints and road engineering design criteria Belcarra Regional Park Plan, 1985 • The pre-design document showed the following amenities at this area of the • This park plan from 1985 highlighted the regional park: importance of Belcarra as a regional park • Boardwalk and underscored the importance of its • Interpretive features history. The final plan set management • New wharfs policies for the regional park and outlined • Re-purposed Bole House opportunities for recreational development. • Canoe rental and storage The Belcarra Regional Park Plan proposed • Park operations the following amenities for this area of the • Work boat storage regional park: • Picnic areas with picnic tables • Picnic tables • Protected cormorant roosting area • Picnic shelters • Washrooms • Park centre for washrooms, food • Parking services, information and interpretive display • Park trails • Underwater marine park • Protected cormorant roosting trees • Parking lots • Beach and small picnic areas • Access to pocket beaches Belcarra South Planning Program

South Picnic Study Area Belcarra Regional Park

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1. Picnic Shelters 5. Cabins main south bole beach beach beach

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1 MAIN 2 PARKING BEACH AREA 2. Picnic Tables 6. South Beach

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Why is Metro Vancouver doing this work now? • The regional park is busier, particularly in 57% the summer months • The regional population has grown 22% • The 2011 Regional Outdoor Recreational Opportunities and Demand Study PARK VISITS demonstrated that the top two preferred The majority Since 2010 The MAJORITY of landscapes are: of people come to the VISITATION regional park users continue to regional park for GROW 1. ocean or ocean beachfront or ocean to the regional (57%) come from WALKING MORE RAPIDLY coastline park has ANMORE, BELCARRA, AND HIKING (92%), (average growth 2. wilderness or forested areas; INCREASED 22%. COQUITLAM, PORT PICNICKING (77%), In 2015 MOODY AND PORT rate 4%) • Previous plans did not contemplate the and SWIMMING the regional park COQUITLAM. than the general heritage designation and retention of the AND BEACH POPULATION cabins received The remainder come from ACTIVITIES (70%). 668,000 VISITORS, throughout the Lower (average growth up 7% from the Mainland and the Fraser rate 1.7%). previous year. Valley. Belcarra South Planning Program

Access and Amenities Belcarra Regional Park

Midden Rd.

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springboard trail SOUTH BEACH LEGEND rock outcrop

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hiking/cycling trails water access hiking trails maintenance road - no public access access road

concession and washrooms BOLE picnic shelters admiralty picnic tables BEACH point trail cabin - no current public access existing amenity area

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Did you know... Limitations Opportunities • Visitation to this area of the regional park has • High levels of use in this part of the regional • Belcarra south beaches are the only ones increased 22% since 2010 park cause congestion at existing facilities along the Belcarra shore line with favourable, • Metro Vancouver forecasts an increase in • Existing parking and picnic facilities are not sunny aspects and modest, accessible slopes population of 1 million people by 2040. meeting the current demands and access to • There is the potential to open additional water Planning will address future increased use the ocean is limited oriented trails • In 2015 there were 25 days when the parking • Transit service to the regional park is limited • There is the potential for interpretation of was over capacity compared to 11 days in • When the parking lot is over capacity, natural features and sensitive ecosystems 2010 cars park in the cycling lane taking up • The maintenance road could potentially • Capacity is especially an issue on summer infrastructure intended for alternative provide public and emergency vehicle access weekends between Victoria Day and Labour transportation in the future Day • Given its First Nations history, the possibility • There are 188 parking stalls near the picnic of finding archeological material is high at this area and approximately 100 overflow spots in site. Archaeological assessments are required the bike lane to be performed as part of detailed site planning. Belcarra South Planning Program

The Bole House and Cabins Belcarra Regional Park

Did you know... Limitations • Preserved historic buildings – unoccupied and • The responsibility for heritage is mandated by the • The mandate of Metro Vancouver’s regional parks for the public to view; may accentuate the park Province to local governments through the Local system is to protect important natural areas and to landscape, provide shelter or may provide interesting Government Act provide opportunities for people to connect to nature information to visitors • Cabin one, located in the Village of Belcarra, does not • Where there is a heritage property within regional parks, • Shelter for picnicking have a heritage designation a balance is sought between encouraging public uses • Concession for recreational equipment rentals; • The six cabins in Port Moody have been designated as and the enjoyment of the natural environment with • Concession for food services (snack bar, café, protected heritage property under the City of Port Moody heritage conservation restaurant, teahouse) Heritage Designation Bylaw 2015 (No. 3006) • Depending on future uses, buildings may require • Caretaker use • The Port Moody Bylaw prevents exterior alterations, structural, architectural and servicing upgrades; • Event space for weddings, parties, events, seminars; structural changes or moving of a building without an • Current capital budgets do not include funding for • Meetings space, storage, offices, multi- purpose approved Heritage Alteration Permit (HAP) required upgrades rooms, program space for staff, park associations • Changes to the buildings may take place if a HAP is • Exclusive residential use is not considered a regional or park partners operating in one or more regional granted park service parks • The Bole House is on the City of Port Moody Heritage • Artist studio or art gallery Register. The register does not provide legal protection Opportunities • Short term overnight stays but enables the monitoring of proposed changes to Public uses of buildings in regional parks include: heritage properties • Buildings which serve as a base for an education or • The cabins and their surrounding landscapes are interpretive function (nature house, visitor centre, located on public land and are publicly owned education centre, gathering place, stewardship centre)

Bole House, circa 1980 Forest & Fjord, 2013, p.193 Bole Beach, circa 1935 Forest & Fjord, 2013, p.188

LEGEND cabin

MAIN BEACH

1 belcarra port moody 2 character of south beach character of cabin trails SOUTH BEACH 3

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0 20 50 m 5. Cabin 5 6. Cabin 6 7. Cabin 7 8. Bole House Belcarra South Planning Program

Environment

Belcarra Regional Park

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Did you know... Limitations • Belcarra Regional Park has several water • The edge between the intertidal zone • Disturbance of pond to be avoided related ecosystems including freshwater and the forest vegetation along the shore • Impacts to existing vegetation are to be wetlands, eelgrass beds, riparian edges, provides essential habitat for birds such as minimized intertidal mud flats cormorants and kingfishers • Steep rocky slopes limit development • Forest ecosystems include mature, mixed • Eelgrass provides important habitat for opportunities in some locations forest and mature, coniferous forest aquatic species • The forest is mostly in the Coastal Western Hemlock subzone consisting mainly of Opportunities western hemlock, western red cedar, • Where possible, park amenities can be douglas fir and big-leaf maple placed on previously disturbed sites • Vegetation south of the existing picnic area • Previously developed trail network could be is in various stages of succession due to re-used requiring no additional disturbance human disturbance • Previously impacted sites have slopes • Salmonberry, huckleberry, ferns and other suitable for picnic areas and other native plants compose the forest floor amenities.