The Blackley’s Trail Broom Saga

The so-called Blackley’s Dyke Trail delineates the borders of the former Blackley’s dairy farm with their buildings still visible in the above photo below the trailhead. On the map, the trail along the crest of the dyke is marked in red. The old dyke which was breached in four places when the new dyke was built is marked in green, and the breaches are highlighted in purple.

In 2018, CERCA initiated a project to enhance “Blackley's Trail” in the Cowichan Estuary. This effort aimed to preserve access to the popular trail following the BC Nature Trust’s plan to rehabilitate the former Dinsdale Farm into a salt marsh. Despite numerous challenges, including bureaucratic hurdles and invasive species, CERCA persisted. In 2024, with the help of dedicated volunteers, we began the crucial task of clearing overgrown broom.

Learn more by reading this article

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