Summit Park

Summit Park in Victoria has a Garry Oak meadow with spring wildflowers, walking trails, and a rich mix of Indigenous history, ecological restoration, and urban infrastructure

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Location

Victoria (Hillside/Quadra)
Google maps

About

Summit Park, formerly known as Smith Hill, is 4.48 hectares in size and was dedicated for recreational use in 1972
Indigenous Peoples worked to improve the growth of camas and other edible plants for harvesting on the lands that the park now occupies
The park is filled with Garry Oak trees and during the spring you will find non-native crocuses and daffodils and native flowers like camas blooming in almost every corner of the park
The non-native plants serve as reminders of the privately owned land that was acquired during the park’s initial establishment
The park is great for families as it has a playground and is a favourite spot for dog walkers
When visiting the park you’ll find several areas fenced off as the city is actively working to preserve the park’s ecosystem
To the south is the Smith Hill reservoir and a large telecommunications tower is also nearby
In 1973, BC Tel was granted permission to lease—and later purchase—park land for a communications tower site and right of way
The Smith Hill reservoir was completed in 1909 but became redundant after the Sooke Lake Waterworks was established in 1915
Between 1915 and the late 1940s the reservoir was used as a backup water supply for fire fighting
Although the reservoir is no longer in operation, it is a favourite of migratory and local birds, including Mallards, Bufflehead, and American Widgeon, and it has a walking trail that runs around its perimeter