Remediation & Restoration
The Capital Regional District has completed a project to remediate and restore the former shooting range at Thetis Lake Regional Park to naturalized park land. The 0.75-hectare contaminated site was remediated in 2014. Surface soils were excavated, and soil berms dismantled. Restoration work from 2016-2017 improved surface water drainage and soil conditions. Native grasses, shrubs and over 700 trees were planted. Invasive species spread from illegal garden disposal were removed and continue to be monitored and controlled while trees get established.
Help Keep the Site Natural
CRD Regional Parks restoration volunteers are working with staff to keep invasive species out of this site. Please help keep it natural: do not dispose of garden plants and soils in the park.
You can learn more on how to be plant-wise by selecting non-invasive and native plants, and properly disposing of invasive species from the Invasive Species Council of British Columbia.
History
This former shooting range site at Thetis Lake Regional Park was deemed contaminated under provincial legislation and required remediation. The CRD, as responsible stewards, committed to addressing the contamination associated with it to ensure public safety.
For over a hundred years, various police forces, security companies and gun clubs in the greater Victoria area used the area as a firing range. Ownership and management of the site were transferred to the CRD in 1994 as part of Thetis Lake Regional Park. All pistol and gun club activities ceased in 1999. The area contaminated by the activities of the pistol range is 0.75 hectares. It required remediation due to contamination by metals from bullets and casings.
In 2002, the CRD Board committed to clean up the former pistol range site in Thetis Lake Regional Park and return it to naturalized parkland based on the recommendation of a citizen’s advisory group. In July 2013, the Board approved the remediation project.
Budget
Between 2005 and 2012, the CRD contributed $80,000 per year into a project reserve fund. The total budget for the Thetis Lake Pistol Range site remediation project was $787,330, which included $712,610 in project reserve funds and $74,720 from a BC Brownfields Renewal grant. The total cost of the project was $736,071.