CORNER BROOK, N.L. — The Cabox GeoPark is one step closer to coming to fruition.
After a Corner Brook council meeting on Nov 18, the project now has the support of every community in the Bay of Islands region.
The city council approved and accepted the Strategic Tourism Areas and Regions Plan (STAR) report, a strategic tourism development plan for the Bay of Islands, Corner Brook and lower Humber Valley Area.
The plan included support of the development of the Cabox GeoPark.
RELATED: Cabox Geopark Information Centre launched in Humber Arm South, will be fully open soon
Corner Brook was the last municipality within the proposed boundaries of the GeoPark to declare its support.
The GeoPark will educate visitors on the unique plate tectonics and geological history of the Bay of Islands ophiolites.
Paul Wylezol, chair of the Cabox Aspiring GeoPark, has been waiting for years to get support from the City of Corner Brook.
According to Wylezol, this means there’ll be no gaps in the region the GeoPark will cover.
“It’s good to have everyone onside in the region,” he said. “There’s no holes in the landscape in terms of the GeoPark designation. That makes things like signage a lot easier.”
He hopes the City of Corner Brook would contribute financial support to the GeoPark’s development, suggesting the city would be the major beneficiary of any added tourism throughout the region.
Wylezol was opposed to the STAR report’s requested amendment to expand the name to Bay of Islands Cabox GeoPark.
“There are significant reasons why it was named ‘Cabox’ and the GeoPark will extend north and south beyond the Bay of Islands and its adjacent mountains and watersheds,” he said.
However, he says there is some wiggle room as to what they can incorporate into tag lines for marketing purposes.
Funding for the STAR report was provided by ACOA, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the City of Corner Brook.
The report is available on the city’s website.
To learn more about the Cabox GeoPark, readers can visit www.caboxgeopark.org.
stephen.roberts@thewesternstar.com
