Royal Bay Parks

After years of secret existence in the shadow of the gravel pit, a part of the City of Colwood's waterfront beach at Royal Bay is now easily accessible to both visitors and residents through a new park system developed in conjunction with the new Royal Bay community. Eventually, there will be over 100 acres of park comprising:

• almost 22 acres of new neighbourhood park
• 40 acres of community park, including pathways and hiking trails
• 5 acres of central community park as part of the school area
• almost 32 acres of district park
• approximately 17 acres of waterfront park space that has been dedicated to, and developed by, the City of Colwood.

The proximity of the beach at Royal Bay to the Esquimalt Lagoon - already a regionally-significant geographical and ecological feature - makes Colwood's waterfront one of the most diverse in the region, providing the opportunity for a wide variety of recreational activities and appreciation for the natural environment and its beauty. Trail access is provided through Hatley Park at the end of Gratton Road in the Hatley Subdivision. From there, the trail meanders down to the beach through the City of Colwood lands.

Delora Neighbourhood Park can be accessed from Delora Road and Wishart Road in the Delora Subdivision. A series of paths that are the second part of the proposed parks and trails network link the upland area down to Wishart Road. In order to maintain the natural character and ecosystems, 10 to 20m "no cut" zones have been established between the park and new residential development and Wishart Road.

The recently-completed Latoria Park comprises 30 acres of natural forest running alongside Latoria Creek. A walking trail with steep slopes, wooden bridges and lookout platforms provides a scenic view of the Creek and the tree canopy. Next to this park, a separate pathway will be created which will eventually connect to the Perimeter Pathway and run throughout the site to the village centre and waterfront.

Upon completion, this six-kilometre long park network encircling the Royal Bay Community will provide a trail system for cyclists, walkers and joggers, and will have linkages to neighbourhoods both in Royal Bay and Colwood. Royal Bay's entire foreshore will become a part of this network of trails, beaches and walkways.