Minnekhada Regional Park wildfire sparks recovery fund

5 October 2022

MINNEKHADA Regional Park will benefit from an emergency fund created in response to the ongoing wildfire, the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks (MVRP) Foundation announced on Wednesday.

The purpose of the Minnekhada Recovery Fund is “to invest in restoring this landscape by replanting trees, rebuilding trails, and adding more native vegetation to help Minnekhada Regional Park’s ecosystem recover,” said Janet Antonio, Executive Director of MVRP Foundation, a charity dedicated to the protection, enhancement and restoration of local regional parks, which has stepped up to create an emergency fund that will aid the rebuilding of Minnekhada Regional Park.

With its sought-after trails, rocky knolls, towering trees, thriving marshland, and an abundance of birds and wildlife, Minnekhada Regional Park has been a beloved green space in the Coquitlam community for decades. In early October, Metro Vancouver residents likely noticed hazy skies, dense smoke and hazardous air quality levels due to a wildfire that ignited 14 hectares of iconic forest around the park.

The park’s new recovery fund is launched in partnership with Minnekhada Park Association.

“It will take some time to assess the damage and make an action plan, but we know we will need a lot of support to ensure the recovery and revitalization of Minnekhada,” said Antonio. “Once the flames are extinguished, the work to restore our beautiful parkland will begin.”

Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation is calling on the surrounding community (and beyond) to help bring new life to Minnekhada Regional Park through this fund.

In the coming months, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks will develop a restoration plan. With the help of donors, park staff, partners and volunteers, MVRP Foundation plans to work tirelessly over the coming years to: