British ColumbiaMore than three decades after it acquired the land, the Metro Vancouver Regional District allowed public access to Widgeon Marsh Regional Park for the first time on Saturday.Limited public access allowed in ecologically sensitive park located northeast of CoquitlamAkshay Kulkarni · CBC News · Posted: Nov 01, 2025 3:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesWidgeon Marsh Regional Park northeast of Coquitlam, B.C., is seen during summer in this undated handout photo. The park has opened for the first time in three decades. (Allen L. Cheng/Metro Vancouver)More than three decades after it acquired the land, the Metro Vancouver Regional District allowed public access to Widgeon Marsh Regional Park for the first time on Saturday.The park is located around 20 kilometres northeast of Coquitlam’s city centre, and the majority of its land was acquired by Metro Vancouver in 1992, via a partnership with Ducks Unlimited and the Nature Trust of B.C.Widgeon Marsh Regional Park is located in an ecologically sensitive area and part of the largest freshwater marsh in southwest B.C. Work to develop it as a park took decades and extensive consultations with area First Nations.The park includes a four-kilometre, accessible, paved trail. It has limited cell service and dogs are not allowed.”To preserve the park’s ecological integrity, dogs are not permitted except for service animals. This will be strictly enforced,” the regional district said in a statement.With access to the park mostly limited to a steep gravel road, visitors are asked to book parking spots ahead of time or use a free weekend shuttle service that runs to and from Lafarge-Lake Douglas SkyTrain station twice a day on Saturday and Sunday.Metro Vancouver officials hailed the park’s opening in a statement on Friday, saying it was a great opportunity for the region’s residents to explore a pristine area with beautiful mountain views and meadows.”This limited opening reflects our commitment to protecting sensitive habitats while creating meaningful opportunities for people to connect with nature,” said Metro Vancouver board chair Mike Hurley in a statement.The park features an accessible paved trail, according to officials, but two-thirds of it is ecologically sensitive wetland. (Metro Vancouver)Limited cell serviceThe park covers an area of 621 hectares (6.21 square kilometres), two-thirds of which is wetland.In a regional park management plan from 2019, Metro Vancouver staff said the wetland is important habitat for over 100 bird species and large animals like bears, cougar and deer.”The waterways are home to at least seven species of fish and nine species of amphibians, including steelhead, rainbow trout, northwestern salamanders, red-legged frogs, and rough-skinned newts,” staff said in the report.Widgeon Marsh is home to over 100 bird species, according to Metro Vancouver. (Metro Vancouver)In opening the park, staff said that protecting ecologically sensitive areas was an overarching goal.To underline this, Metro Vancouver is reminding visitors that the park comprises areas with limited cell service and no drinking water.”Proper preparation is essential,” the regional district said in its statement.Channels feeding into Widgeon Creek and Widgeon Slough provide spawning and rearing habitat for coho, chum, sockeye, cutthroat trout, and steelhead, according to Metro Vancouver staff. Visitors can paddle into the park via Widgeon Slough. (Allen L. Cheng/Metro Vancouver)The park is set to be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., barring severe weather or construction activity.ABOUT THE AUTHORAkshay Kulkarni is an award-winning journalist who has worked at CBC British Columbia since 2021. Based in Vancouver, he is most interested in data-driven stories. You can email him at akshay.kulkarni@cbc.ca.
Metro Vancouver opens Widgeon Marsh Regional Park 33 years after acquiring land
