PARKS AND TRAILS MASTER PLAN GRANT OPPORTUNITY

PARKS AND TRAILS MASTER PLAN GRANT OPPORTUNITY

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT Council authorize staff to apply for the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM)– Strategic Priorities Fund 2025 grant to support the Town’s Parks and Trails Master Plan, identified in the 2025-2029 Financial Plan.

AND THAT Council support the proposed activities and provide overall grant management and support any potential cost overruns.

ALTERNATIVES:

That Council decline the opportunity to submit a UBCM Strategic Priorities Fund grant application for the Town’s Parks and Trails Master Plan.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to seek Council approval to apply for the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) – Strategic Priorities Fund 2025 grant to support the Town’s Parks and Trails Master Plan, identified in the 2025-2029 Financial Plan.

BACKGROUND:

UBCM Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF) is one of the three funding streams delivered through the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) in British Columbia, formerly known as the Gas Tax Fund. The SPF is an application-based funding program, which pools a portion of the annual CCBF for strategic investments that are considered large in scale, regional in impact, or innovative; and support the CCBF national objectives of productivity and economic growth, a clean environment, and strong cities and communities¹.

Based on the criteria listed in the Strategic Priorities Fund 2025 Program Guideline, the Parks and Trails Master Plan would fall into the Capacity Building Stream, which has up to $6 million in available funding. Expenditures within this stream can be used in developing and implementing:

• Studies, strategies, plans or systems related to asset management;
• Studies, strategies, plans or systems related to housing and land use;
• Training directly related to asset management planning; and
• Long-term infrastructure plans.

As part of the required application deliverables, a Council resolution in support of the application is required for the proposed activities and willingness to provide overall grant management and support of any cost overruns.

ANALYSIS:

The Town’s Parks Master Plan was adopted in 2017 and did not include the development of trails within our parks. Given the interconnectedness of parks and trails, it has been recommended that the Town develop a combined Parks and Trails Master plan. The updated plan will guide the future of the Town’s parks, shoreline access, and trail networks, and ensure they reflect the evolving needs of the community, promote an active lifestyle for our residents and visitors, and protect the natural environment over the next 10 years and beyond. The project objectives are the following:

• Undertake a park and trails needs assessment.
• Review existing parks inventory and undertake an analysis of existing parks and trails, including their condition, accessibility and usage patterns.
• Review the 2017 Parks Master Plan and identify strengths, opportunities, and needs for improvements.
• Identify existing and new amenities and facilities, and opportunities, and needs for improvements.
• Identify existing and new amenities and facilities, and opportunities for upgrades, accessibility improvements and Indigenous cultural presence.
• Identify current and future locations of parks and trails, including acquisition and park dedication, trail standards and an implementation strategy.

If the grant application is successful, the grant will provide an additional funding opportunity for the Parks and Trails Master Plan.

Impacts and implications can be summarized as follows:

ALIGNMENT:

The recommended option aligns with the Town’s following core guiding documents as follows:

Strategic Plan: Strategic Priority A, Goal 6: Sufficient and Appropriate Parks and Open Space. 6a | Update the Parks Master Plan Timing: 2026-2027 6b | Develop a Trails Master Plan Timing: 2026-2027

Official Community Plan: Policy PR5.7 – Integrate Parks and Recreational Planning – Ensure parks and recreation planning is integrated with broader Town planning efforts, land use and transportation decisions, and public realm planning and design.

Action PR2 – Seek cooperative capital funding for parks and recreation improvements that may include federal or provincial funding, private donations, service clubs, conservation organizations and business.

Other Policy Documents: N/A

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GOAL:

The desired level of public participation for the recommended option is:

[X] Inform [ ] Consult [ ] Involve [ ] Collaborate [ ] Empower [ ] N/A

TIME CRITICAL:

The application deadline for the Canada Community- Building fund is September 12, 2025.

CONCURRENCE:

REVIEWED BY:

ATTACHMENTS

1. Project Summary N-129 Parks and Trails Master Plan

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¹ UBCM (2025), Strategic Priorities Fund 2025 Program Guidelines, https://www.ubcm.ca/sites/default/files/2025-05/SPFProgram2025-FINAL.pdf