The Province has rejected three related Crown land applications for a commercial outdoor-education and wilderness-training operation beside East Sooke Regional Park.
The decision closes a file that began in 2022 and drew opposition from the Capital Regional District. It also shows why a tenure application outside a park boundary can still become a park-access story.
What was proposed
One With Nature Corporation sought land and foreshore tenures in the south Sooke Basin area. The Province's August 19 reasons for decision identify files 1415403, 1415404 and 1415422.
The proposal involved a wilderness-training and outdoor-education operation. According to the CRD, the proposed use intersected two official park trails, including the park's busiest route.
That intersection mattered even though the applications involved Crown land rather than a transfer of East Sooke Regional Park itself. A commercial tenure can change how people move through nearby public land, how a trail is managed and what other uses share the same area.
Why the applications were rejected
The provincial decision cites conflicts with conservation, recreation and stewardship objectives. It also identifies potential ecological and cultural impacts and concerns about continued public access.
The CRD had opposed the applications. In its August 20 statement, the regional district said the proposal was not compatible with protection of the park and surrounding lands.
East Sooke is not a lightly used backcountry reserve. The CRD says the park receives nearly 250,000 visits a year. Its network includes roughly 50 kilometres of trails and the demanding 10-kilometre Coast Trail.
That scale helps explain the stakes. A trail crossing that looks small on a tenure map can affect many hikers over a season.
What the decision does not say
The ruling rejects these three applications. It does not create a new boundary for East Sooke Regional Park, settle every Crown land question in the area or prevent a different applicant from bringing forward a different proposal in the future.
It also should not be read as a general statement that all commercial activity near a park is prohibited. The decision is tied to these files, this location and the conflicts identified in the record.
If you are heading to the park
The land-use decision does not replace visitor information. East Sooke Regional Park has three main entrances at Aylard Farm, Anderson Cove and Pike Road. They lead into different terrain and should not be treated as interchangeable parking lots.
The CRD's current park page carries maps, alerts and route descriptions. Use that page before leaving, especially if the Coast Trail is part of the plan.
The August ruling protects current park and trail interests against this proposal. Its longer value is the public record it leaves behind: three applications, clear reasons for rejection and a test future proposals will be measured against.