FOSBA Bulletin May 2026

PARKLAND ACQUISITION FUND

May, 2026

Dear friends,

A pertinent and honest question we often receive is “How can we ever afford to buy the Bluffs?”. 

It may surprise many of you to know that FOSBA has been a force successfully promoting the establishment of a Parkland Acquisition Fund which is administered by our qathet Regional District (qRD). Today, all homeowners within the District pay a small tax each year into this fund so that, should a desirable location for a park become available, the money will be there to purchase it without the qRD having to go and ask for permission to borrow. 

The annual cost of this tax to the homeowner in 2026 will be $2.01 per $100,000 of a property’s value. In total, this fee adds $183,000 to the fund annually. By the end of 2026 there will be over $1,400,000 in the fund, an accumulation of past annual taxation amounts plus interest. These monies can only be used to purchase Parkland and cannot be diverted into general revenue or used for any other purpose. There are no restrictions upon using the funds for the purchase of one area within the qRD or for more than one. 

As well as this Parkland Acquisition Fund there is also there is also a Community Reserve Fund which is comprised of monies collected from development projects. If a development project results in 3 or more lots being established of less than 1 hectare each, 5% of the market value of these lots must be dedicated for the establishment of parkland. These funds must remain dedicated to parkland within the electoral area within which the development takes place.

Funds in the area C Community Development Fund are at present $169,294 and could also be used to help purchase the Stillwater Bluffs.

Taken together, these funds comprise a healthy portion of what it might cost to purchase the Stillwater Bluffs. It will of course be up to our area representatives to agree to use the funds in this manner, but there is no doubt about which area within the qRD is most desirable for parkland. The Stillwater Bluffs is a favorite across most qRD electoral areas hands down. If the qRD can partner with another supportive group, perhaps one of the non-profit organizations and land trusts actively purchasing or securing private land for conservation and public parkland in British Columbia such as the BC Parks Foundation, The Nature Trust of British Columbia, or The Land Conservancy of BC we could be well on our way to saving our Stillwater Bluffs.

When that day comes many of our past directors will be honored for their contributions of vision, tireless research, creative ideas, and for pushing our local Regional government to not only to develop a Parkland Acquisition strategy but most importantly pushing to have the Acquisition fund established such that the strategy could be effective. 

Thank-you past directors! You know who you are.

How to support FOSBA:

• Ten dollars per year, due after our AGM, will not only inform us of your continued support, but as well give the Bluffs a really important financial boost. E-transfer here friendsofstillwaterbluffs@gmail.com Further to that, why not consider a monthly contribution established through your bank. Find the donate button on our website: https://www.fosba.org

• Should you have a stash of wine or beer bottles or any other returnable container, keep FOSBA in mind. Simply ask the attendant at the bottle return depot on Duncan Street to place the funds in the Friends of Stillwater Bluffs account.

• Need a gift for a friend – why not a FOSBA T-shirt from the Gear Attic (n the Townsite Market at 5831 Ash Avenue). The shirts are of excellent quality and the owner takes a miniscule % for profit.

• Oh, and of course, most importantly, don’t forget to inform friends, family and new members to the community of our quest. 

Happy Trails

Lauritz

Pres. FOSBA