Minnekhada Park to expand by 62 hectares

Nature is growing.

Following the sale of four Quarry Road properties for $14.5 million, Minnekhada Regional Park is set to stretch by 62.5 acres or approximately 25 percent.

Located north of the park, Minnekhada’s new territory includes fish-bearing streams, wetlands, and habitat for at-risk species including western painted turtles and Oregon forest snails.

The area is a “conservation hot spot,” according to Metro Vancouver vice-chair and Anmore mayor John McEwen.

“We are fortunate that we were in a position to buy these properties when they became available and preserve them for generations to come,” he stated in a press release.

The area is closed to the public. Metro Vancouver is planning to eventually join Minnekhada and Widgeon Marsh, allowing hikers and cyclists to venture from park to park.

Metro Vancouver’s goal is to create a network of interconnected wildlife areas that protect sensitive ecosystems, explained Metro Vancouver board chair Mike Hurley in a release.

“This new acquisition is yet another step in that direction,” he stated.

Coquitlam councillor and regional parks committee member Craig Hodge celebrated the news on social media.

“This land contains important habitat for some species at risk and will now be protected forever,” he wrote.

The announcement came one week after approximately 160 acres of land on Quarry Road was sold, Hodge stated, noting he’d advocated for the purchase.

Populated by wood ducks, beavers, bears, cougars, and hikers, Minnekhada typically gets more than 200,000 visitors each year, according to Metro Vancouver.

The name Minnekhada is taken from Sioux and roughly translates as rattling water.