Regions - Vancouver Island - North - Mount Arrowsmith
The Alpine Club of Canada, with several partners, is working for park status for Mount Arrowsmith. This mountain had an important role in the evolution of Canadian mountaineering – Phyllis & Don Munday first espied Mystery Mountain (Mt. Waddington) from it in spring 1925. The area was designated a United Nations biosphere reserve in 2000, is home to rare plants and animals, and several towns rely on its snow pack for water. Some of the area is in the current Mt. Arrowsmith Regional Park and its abandoned ski area (actually on Mt. Cokely), some is crown forest reserve, and some is private forest land. The park might not include the existing Arrowsmith park until it has been cleaned up. It appears that access routes that cross private land en route to the proposed park will have buffered passage. Nanaimo Regional District and the B.C. government are key parties in the proposal, although there would be a substantial volunteer commitment to planning and maintenance. The regional district would administer the park. Other interested parties, including First Peoples, industry, and tourism, are also being consulted. For more information, info(at)mountarrowsmith.org