The park is located at the east end of Tasman Road in the Williams Beach area of Merville. It is within the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation. The CVRD is committed to reconciliation and relationship building with Indigenous Peoples and fully respects K’ómoks’ interest in the land within and surrounding the park.

The CVRD received Maris Nature Park through two land donations, the first from Christopher Investments Ltd. in 2022 from and the second from Resolute North Holdings Ltd. in 2024, through the federal Ecological Gifts Program.

The CVRD will develop a management plan for the park. The plan will guide decision-making for the park and outline the vision and management directions based on existing and potential ecological, cultural, and recreational values identified through a management planning process.

From April 22 until May 30, 2025, residents were encouraged to complete a 3-5 minute survey (below) to identify what park values and features are important to them at Maris Nature Park.

Parks staff were on site at the following locations to speak with residents and community interest groups:

• MARS Wildlife Rescue Open House (1331 Williams Beach Road, Merville)
  • Saturday, April 26
  • 10am - 4pm
• Eagles Drive Park (trail entrance)
  • Saturday, May 3
  • 9am - 12pm

• Sarah and Brian McLoughlin Nature Park
  • Sunday, May 25
  • 11am - 3pm

Since the land was donated in 2023, staff have been working to understand the park's unique ecological, cultural, and recreational values.

For more information and historical background to the project, visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/maris.

• Nature Parks conserve natural features and provide opportunities for recreational activities.
• As an Ecological Gift, land development such as trail building, parking lots, and other features will require federal government approval through the Ecological Gifts Program. More information on the program can be found at: https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_...
• The park lies within a designated area of archeological potential; any development in the park will require a Cultural Heritage Investigation Permit to ensure cultural values are protected.
• A steep bank separates the park’s inland area from the waterfront. This may restrict the kind of amenities possible in the park.

No public access is currently permitted to ensure public safety and to protect the park’s fragile ecosystems. The park will be opened to the public once the management planning process is complete and any infrastructure that supports public access is developed.