Waterfront Stewardship Plan

The City of Colwood is creating a Waterfront Stewardship Plan to protect the sensitive ecology and archaeology of its coastline and lagoon areas through thoughtful design that guides people through the space in appropriate ways. This master plan will inform Council decision-making for the next 10 years.

Planning will be informed by existing policies including the Official Community Plan and Parks and Recreation Master Plan as well as public and stakeholder input.

The Stewardship Plan will outline how sensitive areas could be protected by directing visitors onto a multi-use pathway from the Lagoon Bridge to Royal Beach and present concepts for environmental landscaping that incorporates carefully designed features such as view points, seating and washrooms.

The final plan will identify options for protecting the highly sensitive wildlife habitat and archeological resources with design that enhances accessibility and guides activity to the most appropriate areas beyond the lagoon area along the full length of the waterfront.

Where we are in the process

Phase 1 - complete: Analysis, Assessment + Partner Meetings: The Waterfront Stewardship Plan process began early in 2021 with detailed background analyses by the consulting team, review of previous studies and reports, and input from community members, key stakeholders, project partners, and Colwood’s Waterfront Coastal Processes Committee.

Phase 2 - complete: Consultation + Preliminary Concepts: That first phase allowed the team to sketch out some very early concepts for the waterfront which were shared with Colwood Council asking for their approval to proceed with continued community engagement.

Phase 3 - complete: Refinement + Ongoing Consultation: viewed public input and hosted additional meetings with First Nations and other stakeholder groups to compile a draft report of Findings and Strategic Directions. This report was presented at the Waterfront Coastal Process Committee meeting scheduled for October 28, 2021.

Phase 4 WE ARE HERE - Draft Plan: The first draft Colwood Waterfront Stewardship Plan was presented to Council in December 2021. Council directed staff to incorporate cost estimates for protection of the waterfront from weather and sea level rise. A revised plan is expected to be presented to Council and for comment by the public in February or March 2022.

Thank you for providing input

We've been listening and documenting input from the community in a variety of ways:

• Stakeholder meetings were hosted with many groups and individuals including First Nations, the Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada, Royal Roads University, residents in the Lagoon neighbourhood and many others.
• Pop up engagement booths were hosted at the waterfront and in various parks during the summer months.
• Sounding boards were placed in local shops, at the recreation centre and in the library for on-the-spot feedback.
• Online feedback forms encouraged the public to learn more and share their views.
• Letters, emails and phone calls have been received and input recorded.
• Presentations during public meetings of Colwood Council and the Waterfront Coastal Process Committee, where public participation is encouraged.

Your input will help to develop and refine the plan that will be presented to Colwood Council to make decisions about next steps.

The online feedback form is now closed. Data will be reviewed and incorporated into the draft report.