What was the Trust Society?
The Cape Roger Curtis Trust Society was officially formed in November 2002 under the British Columbia Society Act. The second Annual General Meeting was held on March 27th, 2004. At its peak there were about 300 members of the Society.
The Society’s Purpose
“To create the optimum solution for the future of the Cape Roger Curtis lands on behalf of the greater community.”
More specifically, the Trust Society was established to:
- Ensure that as much as possible of the Cape Roger Curtis lands remain in their natural state;
- Protect the unique ecosystems and the environmentally-sensitive areas;
- Retain and enhance the public use of the recreational lands within the Cape Roger Curtis property;
- Include Cape Roger Curtis as the “jewel” in the planned Greenway concept for Bowen Island, which includes a network of green spaces and trails.
Former Board and Action Committee
Board
- Ellen Coburn
- Pam Dicer
- Rina Freed
- Bill Granger
- Jean Jamieson
- Gillian Darling Kovanic
- Marion Moore
Action Committee
- Peter Drake
- Andrea Kaufman
- Louise Loik
Trust Society activities
When the Cape property was put up for sale, a private fund-raising campaign was undertaken. In August 2004, however, before sufficient monies could be raised to purchase half of the land outright for conservation, the land was sold to a development group (initially, the Cape Roger Curtis Joint Venture, now known as The Cape on Bowen Community Development Ltd.). From that point the Trust Society continued to advocate strongly for preservation of as much of the Cape as possible. Achievements included:
- Conducting an on-going public awareness campaign;
- Co-sponsored a public opinion survey;
- Initiated a campaign to promote a Wild Coast Conservation Plan;
- Sought support and expert advice from those familiar with the Cape’s natural resources, esthetic and park values;
- Demanded that longer-term studies of the Cape’s ecology and other attributes be conducted and fully taken into consideration;
- Urged the Municipal Council and staff to do all they could to protect the stated public interest as it pertains to the Cape;
- Engaged in a constructive dialogue with the Cape’s owners and their various representatives;
- Sponsored a workshop on how parks get created;
- Promoted the new Wild Coast Plan 2, an alternative Parks Proposal for portions of the Cape and adjacent Crown Parcel 6; and
- Built relationships with local municipalities, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks (formerly Greater Vancouver Regional District Parks), the BC Ministry of Environment, BC Parks, The Land Conservancy of BC, Bowen Island Conservancy, Vancouver Nature (formerly Vancouver Natural History Society) and others, to help achieve the best possible conservation outcome.