The hearts of many West Vancouverites are filling with pride as a new park emerges before their eyes, as said in the words of Eagle Harbour’s unofficial poet laureate.
On Monday, members of council, dignitaries, developers and elementary students gathered under rain-soaked tent tops to witness 262 acres of forest be dedicated as park.
At a special meeting near the Whyte Lake trailhead, council marked the official hand over of the Eagleridge Lands to the District of West Vancouver from British Pacific Properties, as part of a density transfer agreement that allows the developer to build 3,700 housing units at its Cypress Village project.
The transfer was technically approved when the Cypress Village plan passed in June 2024, but the land didn’t become district property until February 2025. A vote on Monday made the park dedication official.
“This is a true milestone for our community,” Mayor Mark Sager said, reflecting back on the work of previous councils and activists to put the park dedication project – known as the Upper Lands – into motion.
“Combining this parkland with the other areas [of previously dedicated park], we’re now creating 3,400 acres of continuous parkland, and I’m told it’s one of the largest urban parks in the world,” Sager said. Last May, the district dedicated 1,932 acres in the Upper Lands region as park.
'A beautiful park, that’s all I need'
Old Growth Conservancy president Alan Bardsley voted against a district plan to clear cut as much as 140 hectares of municipal land to build a 27-hole golf course in 1990.
The conservancy has two purposes: to protect the forest by stopping people from living there, but also to bring people there to appreciate its beauty, he said.
“We’re just thrilled that there’s more land now available to bring people in,” Bardsley said, encouraging people to book tours through the conservancy’s website.
British Pacific Properties president Geoff Croll said he visited the Eagleridge Lands area 20 years ago with real estate appraisers to assess the land if it were developed into residential housing. It was estimated that around 300 single-family lots could be built, with a value of $500 million, according to the district.
“As a civil engineer, my career spanned hydroelectric plants, roads, bridges, industrial buildings, homes, neighborhoods [and] communities, which are enduring, tangible artifacts. But in the big picture, these achievements are not permanent,” he said. “A park is permanent. A park is forever. So today marks a highlight of my career.”
Eagle Harbour Montessori School Grade 5 student Pavlina Hladik read her poem Ode to the Opening of Nelson Canyon Park to commemorate the dedication.
A beautiful park, that’s all I need, a peaceful place to smell the breeze,
A place to play, a place to write my poetry,
A place to watch the eagles soar, a place to play on the sunlit shore.
I wish to see my peers grin, I wish to see our stories begin,
This park will spark our creations and imaginations.
And now the sun will rise on this beautiful place,
The edges of our hearts will fill with pride,
As our new park emerges before our eyes.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Alan Bardsley was part of a group of old growth activists in 1990.
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