A forensic autopsy will be conducted Tuesday on the partially burned remains of a body found near a popular hiking trail in Colwood, west of Victoria.
The exact cause of death has not been released, but police did confirm it was a homicide.
Attempts to identify the victim have been hampered by the damage the fire caused to the body but police are hopeful that an autopsy will help identify her and the cause of death.
Cpl. Darren Lagan said that once the victims is identified the RCMP will be able to determine the danger to the public.
"We can't answer the question about public safety with any certainty at this point," he said. "If it was a random act it raises our concern level for the public and if it was targeted it reduces it considerably."
Lagan said, for now, people using the trail should take extra precautions like carrying a cellphone and travelling in a group.
The 60-kilometre Galloping Goose is a cycling and hiking trail that connects the towns of Sooke and Sidney on the Island's southern shore.
Hikers who may have been on the Galloping Goose Trail on Thursday or Friday are urged to contact police if they saw anything unusual or smelled smoke.
In an unrelated incident, the body of a man was found Sunday along the Colquitz River in the northern section of the Galloping Goose Trail. Police say foul play is not suspected, and the man's name was not released.