FAQs

• In November 2021, the Province completed the purchase of two private properties on Hornby Island adjacent to Tribune Bay Park. The two properties were purchased with the goal of adding them to the park system to improve recreational opportunities.  

• The benefits of acquiring the two parcels include: eliminating the threat of development and the opportunity to create a more sustainable, lower impact, environmentally friendly and accessible camping experience compared to the existing private campground service. 

• BC Parks has developed a concept plan for the recreation enhancements, reflecting the proposed improvements.  Please see the “BC Parks Tribune Bay Conceptual Plan Updated April 2024”, now available in the Documents and Maps section of the webpage. 

BC Parks has prepared draft management guidance for the addition of land and camping opportunities to Tribune Bay Park. This high-level management guidance will guide the development and long-term management of the new properties that have been acquired as well as the development of camping opportunities in the park, and is intended to be supplemental to the existing master plan for Tribune Bay Park. The draft management strategies, by theme, are available under the Documents and Maps tab on this page.

• We heard the request from the public for improved camping experiences, including more privacy and more dispersed campsites. Since there will be a decrease in the number of campsites at the existing campground, the new walk-in campsites will ensure the overall number of campsites is maintained. 

• Walk-in sites require a smaller footprint than vehicle campsites and require less road development, therefore reducing the overall impact of the camping footprint.  

• Smaller forested walk-in sites will provide the option of a quieter, low-impact camping experience and will reduce the number of RVs and larger vehicles taking up space on the ferries.  
  
    
  
  

• A similar number of campsites will be maintained, but the type of campsites will change and the layout will be reconfigured. The updated camping will be more dispersed and include lower-impact campsites, creating a more private and natural setting and experience.  

• New accessible facilities, including accessible pit toilets, and updated playground equipment, will be added.  

• A range of camping opportunities will be provided, including walk-in sites, vehicle campsites and bunkies. 
  
  

• The new camping configuration will include a higher proportion of walk-in/bike-in campsites vs. vehicle or RV campsites, promoting more sustainable and low-impact camping opportunities.  

BC Parks intends to have the campground continue to operate in a similar manner as previous years during this transition period. A private campground operator will continue to operate the Tribune Bay Campground for the upcoming camping season. Please refer to the Tribune Bay Campground website for up-to-date information on the campground and reservations. These camping opportunities will not be available through the BC Parks reservation system this year.

Much of the foreshore (approximately the area between the high tide line and low tide line) in Tribune Bay is already within the park. Feedback suggests that increased clarity is needed on the activities that are allowed on the beach. In order to provide consistent management on the beach to promote a safe and pleasant experience for all park users, BC Parks is proposing to add the foreshore in front of Parcel B into the park. BC Parks has consulted with First Nations, community members, and stakeholders regarding this potential foreshore addition. The map sketch below indicates the area of foreshore that is proposed as an addition to the park. 

Parcel B was acquired to enhance the recreational opportunities at Tribune Bay, and will be partially developed to provide campsites and associated amenities, and trails. While Parcel B is now owned by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, it will not be fully integrated into the park until the land is designated as Park on October 1, 2024. However, the Ministry does have authority to manage public use. Signage has been added to this area, and regular patrols will be carried out by the campsite contractor and BC Parks staff to ensure any public use of the property is compatible with the protection of park values. The path from Shields Rd to the beach is available for public use. 

Provincial activities in Provincial Parks are exempt from local zoning. The Interpretation Act (s.14(2)) exempts the government from any enactment that would restrict the use or development of land, or in the planning, construction, alteration, servicing, maintenance or use of improvements. This applies to government agencies, such as Crown corporations (e.g. BC Housing, BC Transit, BC Hydro, etc.) or contractors working for the government. 

• No. The current number of campsites is approximately 135. The total overall number of proposed campsites is 120 sites.  

• There will be a decrease in the number of sites at the existing campground, to improve the camping experience there.  

• Approximately 40 new walk-in/bike-in campsites will be provided adjacent to the access road to the day-use parking lot.  

• Please see the “BC Parks Tribune Bay Conceptual Plan Updated April 2024”, now available in the Documents and Maps section of the webpage. 

• The purpose of the walk-in campground is to encourage camping without vehicles, although some parking is required to accommodate guests who opt to drive and park their vehicles before walking or biking to their campsite. 

• BC Parks is committed to accessibility improvements and recognizes that nearby parking is required for some visitors with mobility challenges to use the walk-in camping opportunities.  

• The new parking area is intended to mitigate other problems that would arise if no additional parking were available, such as overflow parking on the road.   

Environmental assessments of the newly acquired forested property on Shields Road revealed a sedge meadow-wetland complex that holds significant moisture, as well as a large number of dead and decaying trees. This ecological community has high wildlife values. Therefore, this part of the property is not well-suited for campground development. By extending development into the existing park, walk-in camping is focused within the drier forested area, where campsites can be carefully located to preserve existing healthy trees. 

• Through thoughtful design, BC Parks always works to minimize the impact of construction projects and retain as many trees and natural features as possible. 
• BC Parks has completed an extensive tree survey aimed at evaluating the health and potential hazards posed by trees, as well as important wildlife features of trees within the vicinity the proposed walk-in campsites. This survey has been used to guide the design, and it will also provide recommendations to enhance forest health over time. 
• The flags on the trees indicate the trees to be retained, as well as those that may require mitigation for safety reasons. More information on the results of the tree survey can be found in the Wildlife/Danger Tree Assessment Report, available in the Documents and Maps section of the project website. 
• While a number of standing dead danger trees will need to be removed from the project footprint for the safety of park users, BC Parks will work with the successful contractor to field fit the walk-in site design to avoid removing as many live trees as possible.

• To minimize wildlife disturbance, the construction will be scheduled outside of sensitive seasonal windows (e.g. bald eagle nesting, migratory breeding birds. 
• Environmental monitors will be onsite during construction. 
• Furthermore, additional measures will be taken, such as installing fences, designating trails, and putting up signs to protect rare ecological values from recreational impacts. 
• Campsites will be designed to reduce user-created trail systems from developing and trampling vegetation between campsites. 
• To mitigate any impacts to wetlands, a minimum 15 m buffer will be retained between wetlands and new construction.

• The designation of the remaining area of foreshore will become effective October 1st. Until that time there is no change to the current approach of allowing dogs on the area of the beach that is outside of the park at Tribune Bay. 

• In the future, BC Parks will work with the local community to explore options for providing limited opportunities for allowing leashed dogs on the beach if ecological values can protected.  

• We will consider seasonal, temporal or spatial restrictions for dog walking to minimize any potential negative impacts to wildlife or other beach users, and adapt our approach as we monitor interactions between dogs, wildlife, ecological values and beach users. 

BC Parks staff are meeting with school district representatives and others to explore options for continuing the unique offering of outdoor education at Tribune Bay Park. Outdoor education remains the focus for this area of the park. 

• In response to community concerns about potential traffic on Shields Road, campsites will be operated under a self-registration model to reduce traffic lineups and congestion to do with camping registration. Self-registration will mean that guests make reservations for their campsite before they arrive, eliminating the need for a gatehouse check-in.  

• To prioritize public safety, a separate trail adjacent to Shields Road has been constructed to bring foot traffic safely off the road.  

• The Tribune Bay campground improvement project is one of the most complex projects BC Parks’ has undertaken in decades. The Province is reconsidering the schedule of certain project phases and timeline to ensure the project is successful, aligns with provincial direction and policy, limits impacts to the community and ensures fairness to the vendor community.
• In consultation with legal counsel, BC Parks considered all options to proceed with this RFP; however, the Province concluded that cancellation was the only viable option. BC Parks is committed to delivering this project in the near future.

• BC Parks purchased the privately held land in 2021 and has been engaging with First Nations, Hornby Island residents, and local businesses for the past 3 years.  
• In total, 145 community members have attended our in-person information sessions, and we have received more than 200 survey responses.   
• More than 2,800 people have visited this website to learn more about the project.  
• Feedback collected through our online and in-person engagements has been incorporated into our plans to enhance the recreational opportunities for park visitors while protecting key park values, including modifying the design to address local concerns.  
• The feedback BC Parks gathered, as well as the modifications that have been made as a result, can be viewed in the Engagement Results and Outcomes and What We Heard reports in the Documents and Maps section of this webpage. 

• Local government bylaws and zoning do not apply to provincial lands, and therefore BC Parks and other similar provincial government agencies don’t obtain formal approvals from jurisdictions like the Island Trust. That said, BC Parks continues to engage with elected local government representatives and keep them apprised of updates and next steps.
• Park use and the development of park facilities are permitted under Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) regulations. BC Parks has consulted with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and ALC staff to ensure any park enhancements are aligned with the Agricultural Land Reserve Use Regulation.  
• BC Parks has completed an Ecological Assessment, which is available in the Documents and Maps section of this webpage. We are working with experts in a variety of fields to ensure that ecological values, including sensitive wetlands and wildlife, are protected. Environmental monitors will be onsite as required during construction.  
• As typical for planning processes for all BC Parks construction projects, BC Parks has identified all permitting requirements necessary to successfully complete this project, and approvals will be secured at the appropriate times during project implementation.

• Gravel is a key construction material in almost any development project. It allows infrastructure to be built on safe and compact surfaces at the right elevation, which is important for functionality and maintenance. Gravel also allows level trails and surfaces to be constructed, which not only helps manage and direct drainage, but also improves accessibility by ensuring surfaces are flat and graded to accessible standards.
• BC Parks heard local concerns about required gravel amounts and potential impacts to ferry access. BC Parks will require the contractor(s) completing upgrades to the existing campground and the new walk-in sites to find alternatives to the public ferries, including using private barging to deliver gravel to Hornby Island where possible.