Could opposition to camping derail the $40M Bowen Island park and campground?

When Metro Vancouver vice-chair John McEwen thinks about the 240-acre, waterfront parcel of land on Bowen Island that the regional government wants to purchase, a simple word enters his mind. 

"It's amazing," he said.

"And I think that having this open to the public domain rather than it being private residences is a very unique opportunity."

Eight months ago, Metro Vancouver announced they planned to buy the land at Cape Roger Curtis from a developer for $40 million, with the intention of turning it into a regional park and campground. 

At the time, it was seen as a way to add protected parkland to Metro Vancouver, while eliminating the possibility of dozens of new mansions on the island's waterfront. 

Today, the project is in serious jeopardy, with a series of local and regional meetings happening in the next few weeks that will likely decide whether the park goes ahead, or if the land will be returned to the private developer.

The reasons for the conflict are complex: a story of regional desires versus local concerns, island versus big-city culture, and the vagaries of consultations, elections and legal timelines. 

But it means something nearly everyone agrees could be a win for both Bowen Island and Metro Vancouver could slip through the region's fingers.

'It's Sleepy Hollow'

"I think absolutely everybody on this island is in favour of some sort of preservation … that's good news. The camping is the new part," says Coun. Judith Gedye.

Like many on Bowen Island, Gedye notes how long she's lived on the island without prompt — 43 years — and is protective of its unique character.

"We're going to have a whole bunch of visitors that come over and are disappointed. 'I thought there was going to be a shopping mall. I thought there was going to be a hotel,'" she said. 

"No, it's Sleepy Hollow. It's still rural. We're trying to keep it tiny."

A retired judge, Gedye was elected to council in October with the most votes, with one of her priorities being "no to camping on Bowen without safeguards against negative effects."

It's a stance with plenty of support on Bowen, with a petition sitting at more than 1,300 signatures, nearly a third of the island's population. 

Gedye admits there's some on Bowen fervently opposed to any overnight camping. 

However, she hopes most concerns can be addressed if Metro Vancouver and Bowen Island can come up with plans and funding to mitigate the traffic, noise, emergency vehicle and ferry issues that could arise with hundreds of more people travelling to the island every summer weekend.

"It's not a bad project. It's just a new project and it's a big project," she said, adding that a phased-in approach might get support.  

"So there's lots and lots and lots of details that we're familiar with because we live here and we live through the lineups every day."

To camp or not to camp?

But from Metro Vancouver's perspective, there's a sense of urgency in figuring out those details — and whether to go ahead with the purchase.

In a letter to the local newspaper, Gedye referenced May 9 as a deadline for the regional government to make a decision on the property. Metro Vancouver told CBC News they "can't comment on the particulars of a pending real-estate transaction," but when asked, directors haven't denied the date holds significance. 

Currently, the land is zoned for residential use, not for overnight camping. There is little indication that Bowen Island will accelerate its consultation process to fast-track a vote — let alone approval — on the rezoning.  

Metro Vancouver has rescheduled its regional parks committee meeting this month so it can be held after Bowen Island's council meeting next Monday, in the hopes of having more clarity. 

Without a firm commitment to camping, McEwen, who also chairs the parks committee, says it could be difficult to get the support from other Metro Vancouver politicians to move forward. 

"Forty million is a significant amount … that took us about four or five years to save those funds to be able to have that money in the bank to buy this land," he said. 

"Directors are starting to wonder if that money could be spent in [their own] municipality."

For her part, Gedye believes it was naive of Metro Vancouver to think they could purchase such a large amount of land and expect a rezoning from Bowen less than a year later. 

"They should have known, or been told that it was going to be controversial. Bowen rises to the occasion," she said.

"They love that. Everyone here is very well educated and has lots of experiences speaking out, and we encourage that, and so it was going to be something that we'd have to work through as a process." 

And McEwen isn't opposed to a process playing out, pointing out that across Metro Vancouver, smaller neighbourhoods have integrated popular parks over time with success, be it Quarry Rock in Deep Cove, or Buntzen Lake close to Anmore, where McEwen is mayor.

"When you're working with municipalities, anything can be overcome. And I think down the road the legacy that this could be created would be amazing for the region," he said. 

Whether it comes to reality is another question.

"It's not big bad evil Metro. It's not big bad evil Bowen," she said.

"It's trying to protect Cape Roger Curtis and figuring out if we can do that with camping."