The province recently announced that it is selling former Provincial Capital Commission land along the Trans-Canada Highway in Langford as part of its strategy to balance the budget.
The land was originally acquired by the PCC as part of its former beautification and green-space mandate. The understanding by many was, therefore, that this land would remain as public green space in perpetuity. The shortsightedness of this sale is dismaying local residents, and in fact is in direct opposition to the province’s own science on the topic.
The land along the Trans-Canada provides an important green corridor entering and exiting Langford. Loss of forest at such a prominent site would be a blow to the community and anyone who travels through the area. Not only does green space beautify communities, but mounting evidence suggests the essential role it plays in human health and well-being.
The forest acts as a significant filter of highway noise and air and water pollution; for some residents (including seniors and young families) this land is the only green space within walking distance. The properties in question are not very suitable for development (constraints include: zoning and easement restrictions, topographical issues, sensitive ecosystems, drainage ditches and watershed protection) and would serve the community better to remain intact.
Property Group 4, in particular, includes a popular walking trail known as the Langford Parkway Trail, and forest in this lot has been identified as a sensitive and important woodland ecosystem following the 1994 B.C. Conservation Data Centre’s Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory for southern Vancouver Island. It also includes some of the last remaining unprotected older forest in Langford.
Despite the proximity of this land to the highway, it supports an abundant array of plant and animal life, including pileated woodpeckers, salamanders (an indicator of quality older growth forest) and an array of flowering woodland plants. Millstream Creek runs through this area and is a fish-bearing creek. Such intact corridors are essential for sustaining long-term wildlife populations.
If protected, the existing trail could be extended to connect Veterans Parkway Trail and Millstream Creek to Thetis and Mill Hill regional parks. This would provide residents with another great recreational opportunity, and enable people to avoid busy roads when travelling between local parks and businesses in Langford’s core.
Langford is a fast-growing, beautiful and thriving community, and a big part of its appeal is its relative abundance of green space. As we look toward the future, we need to be smart in our development strategies and this includes leaving certain areas undeveloped.
We have a unique opportunity here to protect a critical green corridor. Such land protection is essential in creating sustainable communities and ensuring that future generations will enjoy many of the natural riches we enjoy today.
Please join us in contacting Langford city council and the B.C. provincial government to encourage them to set some of this land aside as protected green space. You can also join our Facebook page Save Langford’s Green Corridor for more information and to help the effort.
Sections are already starting to sell, so it’s important to act quickly and voice your concerns. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Tricia Markle lives in Langford and is a member of Concerned Mill Hill Area Residents.
