VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Balancing our natural habitat with a need for outdoor recreational space. The former head Metro Vancouver Regional Parks was honoured this week for helping build a world-class system.

Richard Hankin was given the title “Land Champion” for his 25 years of service. During his time, Hankin saw the system expand from 5,000 acres to almost 30,000 and brought in 25 new parks.

“The creation of a regional park system that now has land worth billions of dollars at a mere fraction of that cost involved a huge array of people — citizens, politicians, staff,” explains Hankin. “Really on another level, it shows governments can work too.”

Kanaka Creek Park in Maple Ridge is one his proudest projects, where they dealt with over 150 land owners to build 12 kilometres of greenspace.

“When there was a fair opportunity to buy land, deal with people fairly, and yet act responsibly with public funds. And then comes the really exciting time when you begin to convert this land from real estate into active park land that people can enjoy.”

The BC Land Awards are put on by the BC Real Estate Foundation to honour sustainable land use in this province.