Our 5-year Anniversary of our Licence Plate Program
It’s been 5 years since the partnership with ICBC and BC Parks started in January 2017 with the launch of the BC Parks Licence Plate Program! There is no doubt that the support of British Columbians who have purchased these plates have made this program a resounding success. BC Parks is very grateful for your support and would like you to join in celebrating the achievements of the past five years as we look forward to the years ahead.
Over 300,000 BC Parks plates have been sold, generating more than $18 million toward protecting and preserving our spectacular provincial parks and protected areas. The initial cost of the plate is $50 with $20 going to BC Parks. Renewal costs $40 with 100% going to BC Parks enhancement projects.
Sales have fluctuated somewhat for the top seller. By the end of December 2021, sales of Porteau Cove overlooking Howe Sound were 94,325; the Kermode bear at 97,120; and the top winner in sales is the Purcell Mountains of the interior region at 115,879.
The BC Parks Licence Plate Program funds projects across several areas:
Student Ranger Program
Our Student Ranger Program (bcparks.ca/studentrangers) provides outdoor employment opportunities for students that are interested in pursuing future studies or employment in a related field. Student rangers work in crews throughout B.C. during the summer on conservation, recreation, public outreach, and Indigenous reconciliation projects. Our Student Rangers have a wide variety of experiences working outside in our beautiful parks. Read about Riley’s (and others) summer experience as a student ranger crew member based in Dease Lake.
Conservation projects strengthen conservation partnerships and deliver results on the ground. This can include the maintenance and restoration of ecosystems, climate change adaptation, as well as the protection and recovery of biodiversity. Conservation is truly at the heart of everything we do, as this short video illustrates.
One example, of a funded conservation project, is this study of small mammals’ role in our ecosystem, including mice, voles and shrews, in the Okanagan. Read about it here.
Another funded conservation project is studying mountain goats in various parks. Did you know that half of the world’s mountain goats are found in B.C.? Here’s a story about one of the projects.
The Indigenous reconciliation program area helps BC Parks to action the articles of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (TRC) report, and the Province’s Draft 10 Principles and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act). These collaborative projects create opportunities for cultural connections, joint stewardship activities, and increased cultural awareness and understanding for BC Parks staff and visitors.
At Woss Lake Provincial Park, in collaboration with the Namgis First Nations, we worked together to restore a historic trading route between two nations. Watch this short video .
Another example is a partnership with the Líl’wat Nation and N’Quatqua, where a new kiosk was developed at the Joffre Lakes Provincial Park trailhead to showcase the ongoing Indigenous cultural connection to the land and reflect the shared St’át’imc value of i tmícwsa i ucwalmícwa, meaning “the people and the land are one.”
The engagement, education, and inclusion program area helps connect people to BC Parks by supporting projects that foster public engagement, education and inclusion. Enhancing park visitor experiences, such as the BC Parks Foundation’s Discover Park Ambassadors Program, is also a part of this program area.
Fire-based ecosystem and land management program area supports the protection, restoration, and enhancements of habitats, ecosystems and infrastructure that are at risk from wildfire, or that may benefit from the planned application of fire.
The BC Parks Licence Plate Program is made possible thanks to the partnership with ICBC and thanks to the support of British Columbians. We can all be proud of what we have accomplished, and we can all feel confident that our parks and protected areas system is well looked after.
For more information on this program, read our BC Parks Licence Plate Program Five-Year Report online.
