The Capital Regional District (CRD) announced that it has acquired a 10-hectare parcel of undeveloped land, which will be added to East Sooke Regional Park.

The newly acquired land is bordered on two sides by the park and runs along East Sooke Road, next to the East Sooke Volunteer Fire Department. 

Google Maps

According to the CRD, the parcel is one of the few remaining large undeveloped tracts of land that can be added to the park. 

The Copper Mine Road parcel was acquired in 2022, “further strengthening the park boundary and securing an important travel corridor for large carnivores that travel through East Sooke Regional Park.”

“This land acquisition in East Sooke Regional Park is welcome news and increases the amount of valuable and protected park land in our region,” said Colin Plant, CRD Board Chair. 

CRD

“The CRD is committed to making progress on climate action and environmental targets and through land acquisitions like these we’re working towards protecting biodiversity and furthering the protection of ecological assets.”

The property has a market value of $1,090,000 and was bought by the CRD for $950,000 in July 2023. The landowners, the Broadbent family, donated $140,000 of the land’s value.

They said that property was part of the original  Glenairly homestead, purchased by their great grandparents, Alex and Nellie Gillespie, in 1910. 
“Many Gillespie descendants have been fortunate to explore and play there, and we are delighted that it will now be preserved and shared for others to enjoy. We thank the CRD for making it possible,” said the Broadbent family. 

With the new land, the park is now 1484.08 hectares—making it the third largest park in the CRD after the Sea to Sea Regional Park and Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park. 

Many wild animals call the area home, including bears, cougars, wolves and smaller organisms. 

It also includes several old-growth Coastal Douglas fir trees estimated at over 250-years-old. 

The new property will be left in its natural state to buffer the park’s existing boundaries and to protect biodiversity and wildlife habitat.