MATSON LANDS CONSERVATION AREA
The Birds, The Bees, The Flowers, The
Trees
In 1923, the first bird sanctuary in Pacific
Canada was established to protect a
busy wildlife corridor around the southern
tip of Vancouver Island that includes Juan
de Fuca Strait and the Salish Sea. The
Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary
(MBS) covers 30 km of Victoria’s
shoreline and includes West Bay.
This unique ecosystem covering the rocky
slopes below Swallows Landing was
slated for a large development in the mid
1990’s that would have covered much of
the area. Due to the efforts of the citizens
of West Bay, the municipality of
Esquimalt and the developers of
Swallows Landing, a compromise was
reached. It is interesting to note that the
West Bay Residents Association (WBRA)
evolved out of this process.
In 2004, the Matson Lands Conservation
Area was established within the MBS.
Owned and managed by Habitat
Acquisition Trust (HAT), the Matson
Conservation Area is situated above the
WestBay Walkway and is Victoria
Harbour’s last remaining Garry oak
ecosystem. Covering 2.4-acres along the
West Bay shoreline, the property is home
to countless wildlife species and provides
an important habitat corridor for native
plants and animals. Birds such as purple
Martin, raven, barred owl, Cooper’s hawk,
hummingbirds, and Great blue heron are
often on display.
https://hat.bc.ca/matson
In springtime, the meadows of the
Matson Lands are a-buzz with busy
