Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, Provincial park in Central Saanich, Canada
Gowlland Tod Provincial Park covers 1,219 hectares of mixed forest with Douglas-fir, Arbutus, western redcedar, and Garry oak trees along the Saanich Inlet coastline. The park features diverse forest types and coastal habitats accessible from several entry points.
The park was established in 1995 as part of the Commonwealth Heritage Legacy Program and contains remains of the Vancouver Portland Cement Company from the early 1900s. These industrial ruins reflect the area's past role as a manufacturing zone.
The land holds meaning for First Nations peoples who continue to use specific areas within the park for medicinal and ceremonial purposes.
The park has multiple entry points including Tod Inlet near Brentwood Bay, Mackenzie Bight from Ross Durrance Road, and Caleb Pike Road, offering different starting points for exploration. Each access point allows visitors to explore different sections of the park.
The Finlayson Arm fjord reaches depths of up to 430 meters and its marine waters refresh only once per year, creating an isolated habitat with unusual conditions. This rare freshwater and saltwater mixing system supports specialized organisms found nowhere else.
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