DESIGNATE OWL PARK AND PRESERVE ITS ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY!!

Stop ALL plans to develop "Owl Park" 3312, 3360, 3370 Hammond Bay Rd. 3355, 3443 Meadow Lane Road. Protect this area from development and preserve it for future use as a city park.

The previously mentioned properties (owned by Century group) make up what is now known as Owl Park. Owl Park is a fragile ecosystem of treed woodland, bluffs, and portions of wetland including duck ponds.

This park is a critical wildlife corridor connecting the adjacent Linley Valley park and Planta Park. This corridor is used by many species of nesting birds and by deer keeping more of them in the wilderness rather than on our streets.

The park has pre-established trail networks connecting many scenic viewing areas. It would take very little effort to make this into a city park and benefit the health and well-being of our community. The ecological benefits of protecting the land and species living in this park will be an asset for future generations.

This land is home to local owls (such as the threatened Western Screech Owl, the threatened Barred Owl, and the Great Horned Owl) eagles, ducks, geese and many other bird species, rabbits, deer, frogs, and salamanders. Owl Park is a critical link in a fragile ecosystem that is important habitat for at-risk species. 

This diverse parkland is home to a lovely Red Alder forest, naturally filtering wetland, rocky bluffs, rare Garry Oaks, towering Arbutus (found only on the south coast on rocky bluffs near the ocean), large western red cedars, and mature Douglas Fir trees that serve as a home for nesting Eagles and their young.

We feel that the community and surrounding neighborhood needs to be made aware of the loss of property value, privacy, green space and threats to species and wildlife corridors as well as the negative impacts on traffic in the area specifically Hammond Bay Road.

We are calling for an Environmental Impact Assessment, Species at Risk Environmental Assessment, community consultation (not just with Stephenson Point Community Association, but with all impacted properties surrounding this land), and Terrestrial Ecosystem mapping to preserve species at risk. If building was to occur, community consultation needs to be completed as well as a guarantee that ALL large trees would be preserved, no blasting would take place and no buildings would be erected higher than the natural bluffs to preserve the natural integrity of the landscape. All of these issues need to be re-addressed with the ENTIRE community prior to any development of the previously mentioned properties.