Commitment to Inclusion

Our Vision: B.C.’s provincial parks are welcoming and meaningfully accessible to all.

People of all ages and backgrounds love British Columbia’s extraordinary natural beauty. For some though, there are barriers to feeling included, welcomed, and safe in B.C.’s outdoor spaces. We acknowledge that some people and groups have been excluded from BC Parks due to both visible and invisible barriers.  

To address these barriers, we created BC Parks’ Commitment to Inclusion [PDF]   
in collaboration with diverse community partners. This is our pledge to work toward a provincial parks system that is welcoming and meaningfully accessible to everybody. It outlines how we will prioritize inclusion and builds a foundation for the work ahead.

Look on this webpage for:

Translations and accessible formats

We offer BC Parks’ Commitment to Inclusion in the following formats: 

BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion PDF in English BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion EPUB in English BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion Word document in English BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion PDF in ASL BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion in traditional Chinese BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion in Simplified Chinese BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion in Farsi BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion in French BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion in Punjabi BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion in Tagalog

We also offer BC Parks’ Commitment to Inclusion in braille. To request a braille version, please email parkinfo@gov.bc.ca.

Inclusion work already happening

Even though BC Parks’ Commitment to Inclusion is focused on the future, there is already work underway. Here, we highlight a small sample of the inclusion-related projects we’ve been working on.

For details about the projects and partnerships in the photos below, and alt text for each photo, visit page 21-23 of BC Parks’ Commitment to Inclusion.

 

A collage of photo showing inclusion projects

 

Plain-language summary

What is BC Parks’ Commitment to Inclusion?

BC Parks worked with our partners and members of the community to create BC Parks’ Commitment to Inclusion. This commitment celebrates the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) work that has already happened. It also launches a renewed focus on EDI-related work for years to come.

What is the vision of BC Parks’ Commitment to Inclusion?

Our vision is that B.C.’s provincial parks are welcoming and meaningfully accessible to all.

What are the eight principles in BC Parks' Commitment to Inclusion?

Principles:

  1. Engagement with park visitors 
    We seek opportunities to learn from a range of people and organizations and understand the changing needs of parks visitors.  
     
  2. Listening to diverse lived experience 
    We listen to visitors, volunteers, and partners to understand what people need to feel safe and respected in BC Parks. 
     
  3. Inclusive policies, processes, and practices  
    We seek to understand the negative impact of past policies and apply what we learn to our work ahead.  We make inclusion a key consideration in everything we do. 
     
  4. Universal Design 
    We follow the principles of Universal Design so BC Parks can be enjoyed as much as possible by everybody. 
     
  5. Continuous improvement 
    We focus on long-term innovation, growth, and learning, and are always open to changing our approach as we go. 
     
  6. Longevity 
    We practise a culture of inclusion and a focus on the future. We plan for long term engagement, maintenance, and adaptation in all inclusion projects.  
     
  7. Inclusive work culture 
    We foster a fair and respectful workplace that recognizes diversity as a strength and empowers every employee to flourish. 
     
  8. Workforce diversity 
    We cultivate a workforce that reflects the diversity of British Columbia because we know that diversity strengthens our organization.

For more information on these principles download the full BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion [PDF].  
 

Park accessibility information

BC Parks has been, and continues to be, a leader in promoting accessibility in parks. We strongly believe that people living with visible and invisible disabilities should be able to enjoy outdoor activities.

Want to know more about our work to improve accessibility to our recreational facilities, trails, and natural features? Download our Universal Design guide for frontcountry parks [PDF].

To find accessibility information for specific BC Parks, visit our accessibility page.

Get involved

As we embark on our Commitment to Inclusion, we will continue collaborating with community organizations. If you are a member of a community organization and want to help us realize our vision, please contact parkinfo@gov.bc.ca.

We acknowledge that this work is systemic and long-term. We are committed to sharing our progress and challenges with you as we put our Commitment to Inclusion into practice.

Follow our progress on Facebook, Instagram, and the BC Parks blog.