Beautiful British Columbia is teeming with biodiversity and pristine nature, but developments and deforestation continue to threaten the species of animals, plants and communities that call the region home
Fortunately, conservation-minded groups and landowners are working to protect and preserve the land, and a waterfront parcel on Galiano Island has recently been purchased to protect it against future development.
Spanning 26.5 hectares, the Cable Bay area is now designated towards conservation, allowing its ecologically diverse Douglas-fir forest and rocky shoreline to remain as untouched and pristine as possible. This protection is especially critical for the resident and migratory birds, intertidal life, fish and marine animals that inhabit the area’s nutrient-rich waters in the Salish Sea.
The announcement comes from The Nature Trust of British Columbia, one of B.C.’s leading non-profit land conservation organizations, and the Galiano Conservancy Association, a community-based land trust and registered charity dedicated to preserving and restoring the environment.
“Protecting the Coastal Douglas-fir zone is one of our top conservation priorities. We are excited to work with the local community on Galiano Island to save this rare and important ecosystem,” says Jasper Lament, CEO, The Nature Trust of BC.
The Cable Bay property is the latest addition in a network of more than 500 hectares of parkland and conservation areas that span the width of Galiano Island. Located approximately 45 kilometres southwest of downtown Vancouver, Galiano lies within the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone (CDF), the smallest and rarest of 16 such zones in Vancouver. The CDF zone has the highest number of at-risk species and ecosystems in B.C., so this protection will be of the utmost value.
“Preserving connectivity among biologically diverse parts of the landscape is an important step in enabling ecosystems to adapt to climate change; protecting Cable Bay will make the entire conservation network on Galiano more resilient,” comments Eric Higgs, professor, School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria and development committee chair, Galiano Conservancy Association.
The Cable Bay Area also has a long history of use and habitation by the Coast Salish Peoples, valued for its sheltered geography, abundant food sources and freshwater creek.
“The area is called Qw'xwulwis, a sheltered place to live with abundant halibut, lingcod, rock cod, seals, ducks, shellfish—and a creek with cool, clear running water," shares Florence James, Coast Salish elder and educator, Penelakut Tribe. "The location provided access up and down the coast and across to the Fraser River to fish—that’s why they were there. Qw'xwulwis is the word for the action of paddling."
The newly protected Cable Bay property is currently implementing a management plan and signage and is expected to open to the public early this year.
The area is beloved by locals for its nature and activities, and the locals are passionate about maintaining the essence of Cable Bay for future generations. Chessi Miltner, executive eirector, Galiano Conservancy Association, shares, “I grew up swimming and hiking at Cable Bay surrounded by majestic trees and wilderness—I’m delighted and thankful that my children can do the same.”