Skip to content

‘Preserve Crippen’ petition garners 1,021 signatures

Organizers of the petition to keep Crippen Park as a regional park, outside of Parks Canada's proposed national park reserve boundary, say that 1,021 eligible Bowen Island voters have signed the petition.

Organizers of the petition to keep Crippen Park as a regional park, outside of Parks Canada's proposed national park reserve boundary, say that 1,021 eligible Bowen Island voters have signed the petition.

"This is the largest, most successful petition drive in the Island's history," says Gayle Stephenson, who helped.

The petition reads, "We object to the federal government and Parks Canada taking over control and regulation of Crippen Park. We want to keep Crippen as a local regional park with its proven record of success and benefit for all of Bowen Island."

"We're overwhelmed with the level of positive response to our grassroots, volunteer effort," says campaign captain John Greene. "Our petition makes a very straightforward statement. Regardless of their views on the national park proposal itself, people are saying they want to keep Crippen Park under local administration."

David Smith, who spearheaded the campaign that resulted in creation of Crippen Park almost three decades ago, says, "The results of this petition are astonishing. Not just the huge number of people who signed but, more significantly, so many disparate voices reflecting a true cross section of the island."

The Preserve Crippen campaign, jointly sponsored by the Bowen Island Improvement Association (BIIA) and BowenBEAT.net, continues throughout April.