NATURE VANCOUVER’S POSITION ON THE PROPOSED 60-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR MOUNT SEYMOUR RESORT

NATURE VANCOUVER’S POSITION ON THE PROPOSED 60-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR MOUNT SEYMOUR RESORT

Mount Seymour Provincial Park is located on the North Shore of Metro Vancouver. Approximately 35 hectares in size, it extends from the urban area of the District of North Vancouver upwards and northwards into mountainous terrain, offering views overlooking the City of Vancouver, Mount Baker, and east over Indian Arm.

As the BC Parks website reports, there are opportunities for bird and wildlife viewing and nature walks. There are several lakes in the park. Elsay Lake is the largest. Its waters and those of De Pencier, Gopher, and Goldie drain eastward to Indian Arm. Some of the smaller lakes and ponds feed their waters west to the Seymour River. There are trails of various lengths and difficulty. Lower mountain trails are used extensively by mountain bikers and hikers, while upper mountain trails are for hiking only. Winter trails are put in place each year. The park offers extensive winter recreation facilities including skiing, snowshoeing, and a supervised snow-play area operated by Mt Seymour Resort.

BC Parks to date has not yet prepared a master plan for the Mount Seymour Park. However, the private ski resort operator has applied to expand its area of operation and its commercial activities, without a rigorous evaluation of impacts to the natural environment and or ecosystems of this area. The proposed expansion includes commercial operations such as: zip lines, aerial adventures, skywalks, suspension bridge, glamping and alpine slides.

In this context Nature Vancouver initiated contact with the BC Provincial Minister of Environment and Parks. Please see the ongoing dialogue below:

Letter From Nature Vancouver President – John Martin

June 18, 2026

Honourable Tamara Davidson

ENV.Minister@gov.bc.ca

Dear Minister Davidson:

Re: Proposed 60-year Development Plan for Mount Seymour Resort

Nature Vancouver (Vancouver Natural History Society) is a registered charity and celebrated our 100th anniversary in 2018. Nature Vancouver is dedicated to the appreciation, education, and conservation of the natural environment of Greater Vancouver and beyond. This letter is written on behalf of the conservation interests of our organization.

Our members are concerned that a current Park Management Plan has not been prepared for Mount Seymour Provincial Park. A Management Plan is essential to identify the park’s natural and cultural values, set limits to visitor capacity in sensitive ecological areas and provide long-term direction through public engagement. The Management Plan would follow the process outlined in the BC Parks Ski Resort Policy, 2015. This planning process should be completed before government considers Mount Seymour’s proposed 60-year Development Plan.

Please advise whether the Park Management Plan will be prepared before government considers this proposal, which would increase the size of the Controlled Recreation Area from 235 hectares to 334 hectares (approximately 40% larger). The existing park use permit for the Controlled Recreation Area does not expire until 2034, so there is time to prepare the Management Plan.

There is reportedly a Management Plan which was prepared in the late 1960s, but it no longer reflects contemporary ecological, cultural, recreational, and public planning considerations.

We look forward to your response.

Yours truly,

John Martin

President

cc. MLA Susie Chant, North Vancouver-Seymour

Susie.Chant.MLA@leg.bc.ca

Response From Assistant Deputy Minister – Jim Standen

Reference:  421369

July 29, 2026

John Martin

President

Nature Vancouver

Email:  john.martin@naturevancouver.ca

Dear John Martin:

Thank you for your email of June 18, 2026, regardingthe proposed Mount Seymour Ski Resort Development Plan (SRDP). Minister Davidson has asked that I respond on her behalf.

Mount Seymour Provincial Park does not currently have an approved park management plan and there are no plans currently to initiate a management planning process. Under the BC Parks Ski Resort Policy, BC Parks may review a Ski Resort Development Plan (SRDP) without a management plan, provided the best available information is used.

BC Parks recognizes the need for comprehensive information and engagement to support decision making. In evaluating the proposed SRDP, BC Parks will consider how and why the park was established; its ecological, cultural, and recreational values; past and current visitor use; existing management issues; and relevant studies related to Mount Seymour Provincial Park. This will include reviewing studies on the ecological values of the park and data such as species at risk occurrence records. As part of the SRDP review, BC Parks is engaging with First Nations, government agencies, and the public. These engagements allow input on potential park management changes that might otherwise be addressed through a formal management planning process. This approach of using best available information and engagement results ensures that both engagement and technical analysis inform decisions, even in the absence of a current management plan.

It is important to note that the SRDP is a long term, conceptual planning document. Not all proposed projects may be implemented, and approval of individual developments occurs after SRDP approval, through the process set out in the BC Parks Ski Resort Policy. Before implementation, proposed activities or facilities require more detailed technical planning and review, leading to a statutory decision under the park use permit that authorizes Mt Seymour Resorts’ activities. Project review includes policy alignment, the BC Parks Impact Assessment Process, and First Nations consultation. Depending on project scope, additional public engagement may also be required.

Thank you again for taking the time to write.

Sincerely,

Jim Standen

Assistant Deputy Minister

Conservation and Recreation Division

cc:       Honourable Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks

Response by Nature Vancouver President – John Martin

To: Mr. Standen, Assistant Deputy Minister Conservation and Recreation Division

Thanks for your July 29, 2026 response to Nature Vancouver’s letter regarding the proposed Mount Seymour Ski Resort Development Plan.

We appreciate your explanation of the process that BC Parks will use to evaluate the proposal. We were particularly encouraged to read that BC Parks is engaging with First Nations, government agencies, and the public, and that decisions will be informed by the best available information. 

We would welcome further information on how the public engagement process will be conducted. Will there be opportunities for public meetings, workshops, or other forums where organizations and members of the public can discuss the proposed developments directly with BC Parks staff? We believe that an open public dialogue would help foster a shared understanding of both the proposed developments and the values that Mount Seymour Provincial Park was established to protect. 

We also remain concerned that the proposed Ski Resort Development Plan does not include site-specific environmental evaluations for many of the proposed developments, nor does it adequately describe their potential effects on ecological values, biodiversity impacts as well as the quality of the public’s recreational experience.

One example is the proposed glamping facilities at Goldie and Flower Lakes. During the summer and autumn, the hiking trails that circle around these lakes provide one of the park’s most accessible opportunities for visitors to experience subalpine wetlands and alpine flora in a relatively undisturbed setting. Introducing glamping accommodations and the associated vehicle access required to service them would likely alter both the ecological character of the area and the wilderness experience currently enjoyed by visitors.  

On July 4, 2026, Nature Vancouver led a natural history walk through the Goldie and Flower Lakes area. Participants documented more than 560 observations on iNaturalist, illustrating the ecological richness of this landscape. We also prepared a summary highlighting species of conservation interest observed during the outing. 

These reports are available here: 

Since BC Parks has indicated that its review will rely on the best available information, we hope these field observations and community science records can contribute meaningfully to the assessment of the proposed developments. 

We would welcome the opportunity to meet with BC Parks staff or participate in any public engagement process to discuss these observations and other aspects of the proposed Ski Resort Development Plan. 

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to learning how Nature Vancouver and the broader public can participate constructively in the review process. 

Sincerely,

John Martin

President, Nature Vancouver

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