The Capital Regional District is looking for input on the future of local parks and trails and will be randomly selecting local residents to complete an online survey as early as next week.
“Feedback from residents is invaluable and provides essential data to help improve use of and access to our regional parks and trails system,” Colin Plant, CRD board chair, said in a Jan. 23 news release.
The Regional Parks and Trails Resident Survey will ask residents how they use the 32 regional parks managed by the CRD, as well as to give their opinions on conservation, recreation and funding needs.
The CRD’s park system includes more than 300 kilometres of trails and covers more than 13,200 hectares of land on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, according to the Regional Parks and Trails Strategic Plan.
Chosen residents will receive a mailer with a code to complete the survey.
“This survey will help ensure future planning of our regional parks and trails system is based on updated and statistically valid information from people throughout our diverse communities in the region,” said Cliff McNeil-Smith, Sidney mayor and regional parks chair.
The survey is estimated to take about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on household size. Residents’ participation is voluntary and confidential.
Results will be publicly available later this year.
This is the first parks and trails survey undertaken by CRD since a 2017 combination online and mail-in initiative, and though this year’s survey is intended to primarily be done online, residents selected to participate can request a phone or physical mail-in questionnaire.
More information is available at crdresidentsurvey.ca and residents not chosen to participate who still want to engage with the CRD can go to getinvolved.crd.bc.ca.
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