Burns Bog - History

History

Burns Bog has traditionally been an important place for First Nations people in the area. They practiced controlled burning of patches, which promoted the growth of a variety of berries including Vaccinium (bog blueberries) and salal berries. Berries provided an important supplement to their diet. Various plants such as Labrador tea were used by First Nations people for medicinal uses.

Peat was mined from the area in the 1940s, leaving large holes and drainage ditches in the middle of the bog. During the second World War, the U.S. military sought to use the peat to refine magnesium for artillery shells.

Large scale peat harvesting stopped in the 1980s but resource extraction remained to be the official land use zoning of the majority of the bog until 2004. A small peat harvesting operation continues to operate on the south side of the bog. Before the establishment of the Burns Bog Ecological Reserve in 2004, only 60 acres (24 ha) of the bog were protected as the Delta Nature Reserve. Another 2,300 acres (931 ha) of the bog were owned by Western Delta Lands Inc., which in the past had tried to develop the area but have been denied permission from the local and provincial authorities. The Burns Bog Conservation Society lobbied the province to buy the bog from the company, but in 1996 a $27.5 million offer was turned down by the Western Delta Lands owners, the McLaughlin family in Ontario, who also own Grouse Mountain ski area.

In March 2004, 2,042 hectares (5,050 acres) of Burns Bog was purchased to be protected as the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area. The four purchasing partners are the Province of British Columbia, the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the Corporation of Delta, and Canada. A legally binding conservation covenant placed on the property will ensure Burns Bog is protected and managed effectively as a natural ecosystem. On behalf of all partners, the Greater Vancouver Regional District will act as the lead managing agency.