Land Search Initiative
Since our earliest days as an exploratory committee, the Gabriola Island Memorial Society (GIMS) has been actively working to find suitable land for a new green burial memorial park on Gabriola. That work has taken many forms — meeting with elected officials, reaching out to private landowners, and partnering with local organizations focused on land stewardship, environmental protection, and community health. Along the way, we've kept the broader community informed, sharing information about green burial and building awareness around the need for a new cemetery on the island.
One of our most significant efforts has been our collaboration with the Gabriola Land and Trails Trust (GaLTT) to secure protection for Honeysuckle Woods as community parkland with a small natural burial site. The more than 1,200 signatures collected in support of this initiative reflect how strongly our community values land that serves both conservation and human need. That momentum has had real impact: following a proposal by GIMS, the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is conducting a feasibility study that will explore options for transferring to GIMS a small piece of existing parkland or acquiring new land suitable for a green burial memorial park. GIMS is actively engaged in the project and looks forward to working with the RDN and the wider community to find a viable and respectful path forward.
Finding the right land is a shared challenge — and a shared opportunity. That's why GIMS is also launching a community land search initiative. Our goal is to raise awareness, share information, and invite the community's ideas and support as we work together toward establishing a much needed green burial memorial park on Gabriola.
The Gabriola Island Memorial Society needs your help. For five years, we've been working to find a home for a natural burial memorial park on Gabriola — talking with private landowners, elected officials, and community organizations — but we haven't yet found the right site.
Without a specific piece of land to point to, it's hard to build momentum and engage the communities imagination. It’s important to us that the community know exactly what they are contributing to and have confidence that the project will be realized. Once we have a location, we know we'll need significant community support to acquire the land and to develop the park itself.
There have been encouraging developments. In 2025, GIMS received charitable status from the CRA, meaning we can now issue tax receipts for donations — including donations of land. We're also partnering with the Regional District of Nanaimo on a feasibility study to identify potential sites, whether existing parkland or a private parcel for purchase.
Gauging community support is a key part of that process, and that's where you come in. We've put together a pamphlet with more details about our work and vision and we are distributing it in the community through this summer. Please consider helping us spread the word!
A Note About Honeysuckle Woods
Despite sustained efforts in 2025 to engage the new Minister of Transportation and Transit, GIMS and GaLTT were informed that there is no path forward for protecting Honeysuckle Woods as community parkland and a small natural burial site. At this time, MoTT appears committed to retaining the land for future industrial development.
This was deeply disappointing news. Honeysuckle Woods is a vital ecosystem with a well-loved community trail network and GIMS firmly believes it deserves protection. We remain hopeful that MoTT will reconsider and transfer the land to the community in the future.
GIMS is grateful to GaLTT for the tremendous hours of dedicated work put into this campaign — our partnership is valued, and we look forward to continuing to work together as GIMS pursues a green burial memorial park for Gabriola. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to every member, donor, and volunteer who supported the Honeysuckle Woods campaign. Your generosity of time, talent, and treasure meant a great deal.
Thank you!