The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) has acquired two pieces of property that will provide residents with additional greenspace in the electoral area of Puntledge-Black Creek (Area C).
One of the properties will provide an extension to the Nymph Falls park. The extension is 5.5 hectares in size and includes an existing 435-metre trail that runs along the Puntledge River and is used by pedestrians and mountain bikers.
The newly-acquired parkland connects to trails within Nymph Falls and also to trails on Crown land to the west. The CVRD is seeking a permit from the Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resources to operate and maintain the trails on the Crown land.
The other property is a four-kilometre section of the former Comox logging railway grade, in Black Creek and is part of the proposed north extension to the One Spot Trail.
It is accessible from Macaulay Road, 100 metres north of the CVRD's Macaulay Heights park. The long-term vision is to extend the trail from the Condensory Bridge to the Bear Creek nature park on the Oyster River.
“People use these pieces of property for a variety of recreation activities now — walking, jogging, mountain biking and horseback riding — and it is great that we have been able to purchase the land and ensure that it will remain as outdoor use areas for our residents for all time,” said Edwin Grieve, chair of the CVRD board of directors.
The Nymph Falls extension property cost $379,000 and the One Spot trail north property was $150,000. Both purchases were funded by the parks and greenways acquisition fund for Baynes Sound (Area A), Lazo North (Area B) and Puntledge-Black Creek (Area C).
There are no immediate plans for park improvements, and users are asked to respect adjacent private property boundaries.
Both the One Spot trail extension north and the Nymph Falls extension trail were identified as priorities for acquisition in the rural Comox Valley parks and greenways strategic plan.
See www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/parksplan for more detailed information.
— Comox Valley Regional District