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requesting the withdrawel of funds from the Parks Committee for the Tynehead Regional Park developments
until the Committee impliments the environmentally friendly practices in the Tynehead Regional Park Management Plan.
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Metro Vancouver's Parks Committee under fire
for misleading the public
It wasn't long after the Metro Vancouver Parks Committee received over 1 million dollars from the
Recreational Infrastructure Canada (RInC) program as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan to make improvements
to the 260 hectares Tynehead Regional Park in Surrey that it became obvious that the Parks Committee had no intent
to make the improvements that Metro Vancouver had proposed to the public and the public had agreed to.
The Tynehead Regional Parks Management Plan describes the improvements that the public agreed to after approximately
two years of consultations and surveys by Metro Vancouver. Central to the Plan is the adherence to environmentally
friendly practices. These consisted of "Alternative surfacing to asphalt (e.g. porous paving) will be
investigated to: minimize impervious surface area, reduce run-off into the Serpentine
River and meet Sustainable Region Initiative objectives".
The Plan advocates alternative trail and bridge materials will be considered
during the planning process of the 8.7 km multi-use trail that will run through the park at over 12 feet wide:
The 2002 planning process confirmed strong public support for the concept of a Perimeter Trail at Tynehead.
The long term goal is to design and build an 8.5 km multi-use trail to be located primarily within the
Perimeter Zone or 30-50 metre buffer around the park. Alternative trail and bridge design and materials
will be considered during the project planning process to minimize impacts on the natural environment,
provide opportunity for community building and partnerships, and address safety and crime concerns
(possibly using CPTEDą where appropriate)."
The Plan emphasizes that the Program adopted by the Department of Oceans and Fisheries in 2004 of using gravel will
be "implimented at Tynehead".
Shortly after the 1.1 million funding was received from the Federal government, a tip was given to Visit Vancouver by a concerned
individual that the perimeter trail,
which runs up to the salmon hatchery in the Tynehead Regional Park, would be made of "asphalt".
Despite the reassurances for environmentally friendly materials in the Plan, the Parks Committee clearly had another agenda unknown to the public which
was revealed at the July 13, 2010 Parks Committee meeting where it became apparent that the Parks Committee had sought funding specifically for
"asphalt". One of the Committee members inquired during the meeting whether another
material could be substituted. The strongest opponent to the suggestion was Counsellor Scott Hamilton (Delta).
When Langley City Counsellor Gayle Martin - who also chairs the Metro Vancouver Parks Committee -
was asked recently about the "asphalt" for the park's perimeter trail instead of the environmentally friendly materials
that the Plan advocated, she replied,
“We thought more park visitors would use the trail if it was paved,” and
“A paved surface increases the trail’s universal accessibility, it increases the number
| Who is who on the Metro Vancouver Parks Committee?
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Martin, Gayle (C) – Councillor, Langley City,
Metro Vancouver Parks Committee Chair
- Calendino, Pietro (VC) – Councillor, Burnaby
- Frinton, Peter – Councillor, Bowen Island
- Hamilton, Scott – Councillor, Delta
- Harris, Maria – Electoral Area A
- *Hunt, Marvin – Councillor, Surrey
- Kositsky, Mel – Langley Township
- MacLean, Don – Mayor, Pitt Meadows
- Peary, George – Mayor, Abbotsford
- Stevenson, Tim – Mayor, Vancouver
- Stewart, Richard - Mayor, Coquitlam
- Wright, Wayne – Mayor, New Westminster
* recently appointed
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of activities that can go
on the trail.”
Counsellor Martin was referring to the sports activities that the Parks Committee have envisioned for the trail: roller blading,
inline skating and skate boarding amongst bicyclists, pedestrians with children, pedestrians with dogs and the wheel chairs of the
peoples with disabilities. The Parks Committee's intent to combine recreational
sports with pedestrian activity is contrary to most park practices: Almost all parks provincially provide seperated areas for
sports such as inline skaters and roller bladers
to ensure pedestrian safety on park walkways.
The Parks Committee's decision to proceed with the tons of asphalt for what will look and feel like a road through 8.5km in the
park - which the Plan describes as mostly "wetlands" and "floodplains" - will not only undermine public opinion, but
will also present serious environmental problems with the decomposition of the asphalt due to the massive water passageways in
the region. The chemical pollutants and contaminants
from hundreds of tons of asphalt as it decomposses in the wetlands environment of the park stand to threaten wildlife and the fish habitat
in the park's salmon
hatchery.
The Parks Committee obtained the funding for the perimeter trail by claiming that it was complying with the Federal Accessibility Code
B651-04 for wheel chair accessibility and useage. The Code advocates an eco-friendly "well-compressed crushed stone" for external walkways.
The implications to the mostly farming and agricultural area on the east side of the Tynehead Regional Park were not considered or reseached
by the Parks Committee. No consideration was given to the residents on well water nor the effects to the health of the residents
as the chemical decomposition of
asphalt begins to erode and enters the water system.
The Tynehead Equestrian Society located near the park area is also asking the Parks Committee to restore horseback riding in the park. TES issued
a statement recently in regard to the park developments and funding "The Tynehead Regional Park Management Plan was agreed to
by the public and Metro Vancouver received over 1 million
dollars recently from the Federal government to realize the Plan and its sound environmental implimentations. Metro
Vancouver Parks Committee members are using the money to do exactly the opposite."
Metro Vancouver banned horseback riding in the park as it acquisioned the park lands over the years.
The red line in the map above shows the perimeter trail.
Email the letter below to the BC Premier and the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification,
requesting the withdrawel of funds from the Parks Committee for the Tynehead Regional Park developments
until the Committee impliments the environmentally friendly practices in its Tynehead Regional Park Management Plan.
Resources: The Tynehead Regional Park Management Plan
Groups supporting this article
The Tynehead Equestrian Society is pursuing the environmentally friendly materials for the Park
More information www.ttces.org
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Visit Vancouver will provide updates to our story as received.
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