In September 2024, Kamloops City Council voted to rezone a piece of property along Ord Road from agricultural to urban—setting the stage for a planned 3-building, 185-unit development.  The land abuts Lac du Bois Grassland Protected Area (LdB) to the south and Rattlesnake Bluffs, owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, to the west.  Although small in area, Rattlesnake Bluffs is home to diverse wildlife, and LdB provides vital protection for the endangered grassland ecosystem—and its denizens.  Many grassland species thus visit or live in or near the newly rezoned property—and the incursion into the protected areas of many new human neighbours is equally problematic.  Many local groups and individuals thus spoke or wrote against rezoning, although their comments did not sway the majority of city council members.   

In the Pineview area, in the western portion of the city, rapid development has taken place over recent years; new apartments, new townhouses, and a new school have all taken up what were once treed and/or grassy areas around Python Lake and its associated wetlands—home to a diversity of breeding butterflies, bird species and nesting painted turtles.  Not only has this disrupted and displaced many plants and animals, it has also blocked many trails used by bikers and hikers; some of these trails connected Aberdeen to Pineview and were heavily used by residents of these neighbourhoods, as well as people from throughout the city.  

In Aberdeen, where most city development is expected to occur in the coming years, the threat to precious grassland has been recognized and studied for years, yet development continues at a rapid pace. 

The conflict between the housing needs of a growing population and our wildlife neighbours is happening all over the city and environs; from Orchard Walk to Westsyde, Bachelor Hills to Dallas, and Brocklehurst to Cherry Creek and Sun Rivers, our city continues to sprawl into wildlife habitat.  And when it occurs in what might be termed “inner-city” locations, trees and other green spaces, which benefit humans as well as wildlife, from pollinators to birds, are often lost.  And of course it’s not just in Kamloops.  Cities all over BC—indeed all over Canada—are coping with the often-competing demands of the need for homes, both for humans and for wildlife of all kinds.    

How can we navigate these challenges?

A new webinar series entitled Biodiversity Under Pressure: Navigating the Housing Crisis in BC aims to provide information and tools to help. Resulting from a collaboration of the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and the Thompson-Nicola Conservation Collaborative, the series will run live via Zoom from noon to 1 pm every Tuesday from February 4 to March 11, 2025.  

“As housing demands surge, municipal and regional jurisdictions face increasing pressure to accommodate growth while protecting our natural environment.  This series will delve into case studies, essential information and practical tools to help planners and environmental professionals navigate these challenges.”  

Sounds like this series is worth a listen. For a complete description and to register for each Tuesday session, visit the webinar page. 

Photo credit: DejaVu Designs