Information Bulletin – Metchosin Foundation & BC Parks Foundation – Nov 2025

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Our Funding Partnership with BC Parks Foundation​

Since 2023, the Metchosin Foundation has been grateful to work in collaboration with the BC Parks Foundation (BCPF). Earlier this year, our respective agencies entered into a written, bilateral agreement. Recent local government policy changes may affect this important relationship. In response, this bulletin (available in PDF) has been created to provide our local government, Metchosin taxpayers and our own members, supporters and donors with information needed to support informed decision-making.

GENERAL INFORMATION: BC Parks Foundation and the Metchosin Foundation

  • The Metchosin Foundation undertakes its philanthropic work in partnership with other agencies, to magnify impact within and beyond our community. Since 2023, we have been grateful to work in collaboration with the BC Parks Foundation (BCPF). In 2025 our respective agencies entered into a written, bilateral agreement.

  • BCPF is not a service organization. BCPF operates as a province-wide funding partner, collaborating with many local governments and with smaller agencies such as our own.

  • A necessary condition for BCPF to invest its donors’ capital within a given BC region is local

    government policy support. The most basic form of policy support is an enduring waiver of all property taxes on land acquired for park-related purposes.

MONETARY BENEFITS TO METCHOSIN

  • Since 2023, BCPF has invested well over $3 million in land acquisition in Metchosin, acquiring 32 forested acres notable for freshwater habitat (ponds, wetlands and streams) and 51 forested acres notable for migratory bird habitat.

  • In support of these acquisitions, the Metchosin Foundation has contributed hundreds of hours of in-kind effort and over $70,000 in grants, made possible by our own donors’ generosity.

  • Per capita investment to date, for the benefit of all ~ 5000 Metchosin residents (5067 residents, per 2021 census) has been well over $600 per person (i.e. well over $300 per person, per year).

NON-MONETARY BENEFITS TO METCHOSIN

Properties acquired by BCPF (with contribution from the Metchosin Foundation) support the environmental dimension of the District’s Strategic Plan. These properties also help to sustain:

  • our community’s forest cover, ground water, climate resilency and biodiversity; and
  • to our community’s valued rural character, within a rapidly urbanizing Capital Regional District.

ANNUAL COST TO METCHOSIN’S PROPERTY TAX PAYERS

Based on CFO Kreek’s September 15, 2025 Report for Council (2026 Permissive Tax Exemption Report):

  • The District of Metchosin’s attributed share of BCPF’s permissive property tax exemption that would be payable by the owner(s) of an average local property would be under $2.00 per year.
  • The share of BCPF’s permissive property tax exemption attributable to other taxation authorities* and payable by the owner(s) of an average local property would be just over $3.00 per year.

* Since BCPF’s conservation & park properties do not create incremental demand for regional amenities such as schools, hospitals or recreational facilities, they should not be assessed a corresponding property tax levy.

Metchosin Foundation AGM – Sept 7, 2022

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by Valerie Jaeger

Water Always Wins was the title of the keynote presentation at the Metchosin Foundation’s AGM on September 7th. Erica Gies, author of the bestselling book by the same name, gave a talk at once sobering yet hopeful, spiritual yet practical and always enthralling. While the vision of the Metchosin Foundation is ‘Healthy lands and waters – the foundation for a healthy community’, the work of the foundation has focused to a great extent on land.

The introduction to what Gies calls the ‘Slow Water movement’ was well received by the 33 members and supporters in attendance. Surviving in a time of drought and deluge will require less push to control water and more understanding of what it is that water really wants, because water always wins. Examples of finding ways to slow down the movement of water and thereby increase the time during which water is available downstream were discussed: improving the hyporheic zones of urban streams forced underground, reintroducing beavers whose activity raises water tables and decreases downstream flooding, learning from indigenous people in Peru who enable water to more effectively enter the underground aquifer.

Erica divides her time between Victoria and San Francisco and was happy to connect with a local group such as the Metchosin Foundation which is passionate about conservation. Promises were made to continue the exchange of ideas and Erica’s website is now linked here. To listen to the audio recording of Erica’s keynote speech given at the Metchosin Foundation AGM click here .

Every registered charity has a lifecycle and the Metchosin Foundation is no exception. This year the Metchosin Foundation said good-bye to Nicole Lalonde as treasurer. It was with sadness that we accepted the fact that she had completed her term! Nicole has supported the Metchosin Foundation since its inception in many capacities – bookkeeper, supporter, director, treasurer, and mentor. After working alongside Nicole for a year, Mairi McKinnon has agreed to take on many of the bookkeeping responsibilities for the Metchosin Foundation and we are most grateful. At the invitation of VP Morgan Yates, each director gave a summary of projects for which he/she had been responsible. As part of this, Heloise Nicholl was invited to bring comments from the perspective of a new director. In February, we had welcomed Heloise to the board. She has been a wonderful addition and her appointment was formally ratified at this AGM. Heloise gave her perspective on not just being part of the Metchosin Foundation, but on why she is part of such a small demographic – people her age who volunteer. Challenges facing her generation make it almost impossible for its members to volunteer at all, anywhere. What we heard was profound and moving. Her words echoed in the very souls of those who were listening and were a resounding call to us in Metchosin as a community.

The Foundation has had a wonderful year. Our welcome task of working for healthy lands and waters, has perhaps never been harder because of external forces and yet, somehow, has never been more fruitful. 2021 saw the historic signing of the Standstill Agreement by Sc’ianew First Nation and other parties to explore the possible creation of an Indigenous Protected Area at Mary Hill. The Metchosin Foundation had provided consistent support for background work leading to this point and was honored to speak at the signing ceremony. 2021 was also a successful year financially which allowed for increased money for our scholarship recipients, continuance of existing programs such as Flying Insect Biomass study and Moralea Milne Meadow Restoration project, and participation in new projects such as Garry Oak Mycorrhizal Study and Butterfly Flyway projects involving school children and native plants.

The work of the Metchosin Foundation is a test of design thinking – balancing seeming opposites within an environment whose external changing parameters are beyond our control. All of our projects, small and large, have within them the tension of time; our actions now are the basis for contributing to a better ‘later’. Thanks to the foundation’s amazing group of directors, members, and supporters, even while working within our statutory requirement as a registered charity to be apolitical, we have found results in a social landscape where ethics and science themselves are sometimes viewed as political.

Just because something is priceless, does not mean that it is ethically devalued by putting a price on it! And so, we raise money; that is what foundations do. To every donor this year – Thank you! If anyone would like to learn more or contribute to our work, please go to metchosinfoundation.ca

Mushroom Art Cards Release – May 15

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The Metchosin Foundation and the Metchosin ArtPod have collaborated again to produce the latest in our series of nature-inspired art cards, this one featuring common local mushrooms! The 2022 Mushroom Art Card set features the artwork of local artists and field guide descriptions by our local authors of the new book Mushrooms of British Columbia — Kem Luther and Andy MacKinnon!

The Mushroom Art Card set will be released at a deck “unveiling” and artist appreciation event to be held at Bilston Creek Farm on Sunday, May 15th, 12:00 – 2:30pm.

Please visit the Metchosin Biodiversity page for more information about the cards, how to order yours, and details on attending the event at Bilston Creek Farm, where the cards will also be available for sale. Card sales proceeds will go to support the Metchosin Foundation and the Metchosin ArtPod. Big thanks to Bilston Creek Farm for generously hosting another arty nature card event, and for firing up their outdoor woodfired pizza oven for the season on the very same day! Online pizza pre-orders can be made here.