Have you visited Nanaimo’s Linley Valley? It is located in the northern section of the city. Only part of Linley Valley has been saved, known as PRC1.

A group of local residents, known as ‘Linley Valley West Team‘ headed by Joanne Jonas, is trying to push for an environmental corridor in the area known as AR2 (circled in purple) and some sections of R10.  The brown areas, AR1 and AR2, are scheduled for development.  The Linley Valley West Team is seeking to have the link of wetland areas and beaver ponds preserved as an ecological reserve.

You can sign a petition at a number of retail outlets in Nanaimo: Romper Room, Wild Bird Store, Front Runners, True Blue Pet Food Store, Pirate Chips, Thirsty Camel Restaurant, Smoke Zone, Columbia Bakery, More than Movies and Valhalla.  If you would like to volunteer to collect signatures on the petition contact Edna: edna_chadwick(at)hotmail.com.  Their goal is to collect 10,000 signatures.

A Channel News coverage by Jonathan Bartlett

Here is Joanne’s description of the West Side of Linley Valley area:

  “There are deer, cougar, bear, heron, eagles, ducks, red legged frogs, kingfishers, all sorts of birds, endangered stickleback fish, owls, and many more species living right in this park. The wetland areas are all connected and are so important as are the forests. This area is a very large wildlife area and a corridor that is so vital for Nanaimo. So much wild space is being cut down to make room for more and more subdivisions and housing. Vancouver Island is a paradise and Nanaimo is a beautiful city, but unfortunately due to poor planning and clearcut development methods, all of our wild spaces are disappearing. There is no more room for wildlife and this is sad as many people relocate to Nanaimo to have a bit of the wild in the city.

“Ocean in front, mountains in the back, and the Linley Valley right in the centre.  Linley Valley West deserves to remain as an undisturbed, natural area for all of the creatures that inhabit it, as well as for everyone to take pleasure in walking in a real wilderness park in the city.”

Take a walk in Linley Valley West

Visit the Facebook page  “Save the Linley Valley West Side”
and see videos and pictures of the area.