Advocacy
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Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society Mission Statement (as of May 2024)
Our Mission is to advance the awareness, appreciation and importance
of the natural environment of the Sooke and Juan de Fuca region.
Goals
The Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society conducts activities in support
of its’ mission:
- To promote and create a legacy of parks and trails
- To encourage appreciation, respect and enjoyment of the natural
environment
- To educate on matters relevant to the natural environment
- To promote best practices for stewardship
Objectives
The Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society conducts activities in support
of its’ mission:
- To seek out new park lands within the Sooke and Juan de Fuca region
- To expand and improve the Sooke Urban Trail network
- To create a Stewardship structure for the Admiral Forest preserve
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Sooke Urban Trails
The Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society has been working with the District of Sooke to develop and sign an Urban Trail System. These trails make use of existing Sooke parks, trails and sidewalks as much as possible. Read more about it and see pictures of the trail being put together.
Admiral's Forest Community Park a reality!
Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society spearheads acquisition
of the Admiral’s Forest Community Park.
This Community effort was initiated by The Juan de Fuca Community
Trails Society through a letter writing and fundraising campaign
backed by The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC). TLC immediately
pledged a release of the $20,000.00 raised in an earlier effort and
doubled it with $20,000.00 more. An anonymous donor pledged a
donation of $25,000.00 and another anonymous donor pledged
$13,000.00 Many others donated generously to achieve a total
donation of $130,000.00. All pledges were honoured as soon as the
CRD purchase was assured.
This Park could not have been achieved with out the enthusiastic co
operation of the land owner John Charles , the Juan de Fuca
Electoral Area Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, the staff
of CRD Parks, theTLC and the Juan de Fuca Community Trails
Society. Developing the park will open plenty of opportunities to
volunteer.
This true Community effort resulted in the following press release:
Media Release.
September 9, 2022
For Immediate Release
New community park land acquired for Juan de Fuca Electoral
Area. Victoria, BC
The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board has approved the purchase
of 23.5 hectares of land in Otter Point as a new Juan de Fuca
Electoral Area community park.
The property has been identified as a prime candidate for purchase
as a community park for over 10 years as it has significant stands of
timber, including several trees that would be considered “old growth”,
and many secluded wetlands. It represents one of the last of available
undeveloped large acreage lots in Otter Point.
“I am so pleased that the Juan de Fuca Community Parks Service
have purchased this incredible property and preserved it as a
community park,” said Mike Hicks, CRD Juan de Fuca Electoral Area
Director. “Congratulations to everyone that was a part of this project.”
When this property was listed for sale, community members made
requests to the CRD Regional Parks Committee to acquire the
property. While the land did not meet the necessary criteria for
regional park acquisition, it was determined to be well-suited as a
community park.
The Admiral’s Forest property was purchased for $650,000 which was
funded through over $130,000 in donations from The Land
Conservancy (TLC) and individuals living in the Otter Point
neighbourhood as well as the Juan de Fuca Community Parks
Service.
“TLC is pleased to contribute $20,000 to the efforts of the Juan de
Fuca Community Trails Society and the CRD in protecting Admiral’s
Forest for the area’s ecological integrity and wildlife habitat,” said
Cathy Armstrong, TLC Executive Director.
To ensure funding requirements for this purchase were met, the Juan
de Fuca Electoral Area Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission
supported the transfer of Wrigglesworth Lake Community Park to
CRD Regional Parks in exchange for land acquisition funds in the
amount of $173,000. Wrigglesworth Lake Community Park is in the
Malahat community of the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area and
complements the immediately adjacent Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail
(part of the Trans Canada Trail), which is owned and managed by
CRD Regional Parks.
Read more about the History of the Admiral's Forest.
A History of past Accomplishments of the JdF Community Trails Society
Accomplishments between 2005 - 2023
- Saved King Creek trails from being sold for subdivision
- Supported establishment of William Simmons Memorial Park
- Facilitated the establishment of the Parking lot and the Wieland Trail
- Facilitated establishment of the Butler trail in “The Woods” subdivision
- With permission from the BC Government to establish public access and maintain trails on Broom Hill, we engaged Canada World Youth to help connect the Weiland Trail to the historic trails on Broomhill
- Also with CWY we re-opened many of the trails damaged by the 2005/06 storms
- Facilitated the CRD purchase of Jordan River Regional Park (Sandcut), addition toSooke Potholes lands and a right-of-way towards the Matterhorn
- Conducted approximately 500 guided hikes in the Juan de Fuca and Sooke Hills
- Have been clearing the Whiffen Spit of Scotch Broom since 2007
- Participated in the development Sooke Master Trails and Parks Plan
- Participated in the Otter Point and Shirley Visioning
- Participated in the development of the Otter Point Official Community Plan
- Participated in development of CRD Parks Master Plan
- Designed and helped wittich environmental Build SEAPARC trail stairs, and
Brownsey Rd. to Horne Rd trail
- Designed, built elements (map tables, way finding posts) and supported installation of the Sooke Urban Trail System
- Facilitated CRD acquisition of the Admiral’s Forest Community Park Sept 2022
- The extension of the Wieland trail to Kemp Lake Rd is scheduled to proceed in 2023
- Supported Coldest Night of the Year three years, Team led by Linda topped funds raised 2/3 times
A PDF of these accomplishemnts is available here.
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