Shaping Our Spaces: The CSRD Invites the Shuswap to Reimagine Regional Parks and Trails
Sorrento Blind Bay Park (Photo credit: Melissa Bloxham)
By Melissa Bloxham
The scene at the Sorrento Blind Bay park on June 20 was a vibrant testament to spring and summer seasons in the Shuswap and the importance of parks in our region. A slow-pitch tournament was in full swing, the water park was teeming with children and young families, and picnics were being enjoyed on the grassy areas. On the nearby courts, teams rotated through pickleball matches, while residents walked the winding paths with dogs and friends. It was the perfect backdrop for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District’s (CSRD) recent pop-up tents, a direct effort by consultants from Urban Systems, hired to capture community feedback, ideas, and concerns right where life happens, helping to chart a new path forward for regional parks, trails, and recreation.
The driving force behind this initiative is the creation of a comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan, designed to bring past priorities into the rapidly changing present, engaging and collaborating directly with members of the community including residents, park users, First Nations and other organizations. During the pop-up, a long-time resident recalled a parks master plan drafted by a Toronto firm around a decade ago, asking what had ever become of it. Urban Systems representative, Hayley Inglis, acknowledged the plan and shared that significant changes over the past few years mean it's important to check in on previous community priorities. Changes at the CSRD staff level have meant some previous strategies didn’t gain proper traction, while regional changes such as growing communities, the influx of young families, and emerging sport interests such as pickleball and mountain biking are not reflected in old plans. The CSRD’s goal with this Parks and Recreation Plan is to weave past public insight with present data on the region, and current community priorities, to map a strategic path forward to meeting the region's transforming needs.
As the community grows, the definition of what constitutes a "park service" is expanding into local infrastructure. Residents vocalized a strong need for flatter, safer neighbourhood trails so that seniors can easily exercise and all residents, including children, can safely ride their bikes without having to drive to a trailhead first. This includes a resounding demand for parallel paths, which are multi-use trails constructed directly alongside major roadways (such as Blind Bay Rd.) to separate pedestrians and cyclists from vehicle traffic. Because these connectivity requests cross the line into public roads they technically fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Transit. While these departments don't usually mix, the significant volume of community feedback noted by the representative at the pop-up, means the CSRD might have to bring this to the table as an inter-departmental joint effort, alongside continued collaboration with the Shuswap Trails Alliance.
Looking toward the next decade, the feedback highlighted a strong desire for creative, climate-resilient multi-use spaces. A group of parents proposed a rink, but with recent winters failing to bring reliable cold and ice the idea presents financial and environmental challenges. The residents present at the pop-up suggested an iterative approach to winter recreation: starting with a simple flat surface and basic boards to build a community learning rink that can adapt to changing seasonal conditions. Other long-term visioning feedback ranged from requests to protect wildlife access corridors, a year-round community pool, and clearly marked easements to the beach that are public access. While all feedback is welcome, Inglis noted that building new facilities now faces steep funding limitations in today’s economic climate. Construction prices have drastically increased in the last few years since the pandemic.
The pop-up engagement events are now complete, but the opportunity for residents to have their voices heard is not over. The CSRD has an active online survey open on their project page until Aug 4, 2026. Following the public input phase, the CSRD will share the feedback on their Facebook page, promising transparency and direct community collaboration as they build the final plan.
