His 1929 vision was never realized, but even 60 short years ago, people were still fishing for salmon in Still Creek – until several decades of urban development intervened. The waterway was rerouted, narrowed and paved over. The salmon disappeared.
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Rapid growth and change
During this same period, the City of Vancouver lost nearly all of its wild streams to urbanization. Musqueam Creek, the city’s last remaining intact salmon spawning stream, was a notable exception – but the number of salmon returning each year had dwindled to a handful. Several other cities – including North and West Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody and Surrey – also managed to maintain some of these critical waterways, but the entire area saw a dramatic drop in salmon and freshwater habitat.
In just over 50 years, Vancouver’s 50 wild salmon streams had lost nearly all of their fish. While their numbers diminished, salmon never disappeared from city corridors: they still whisper in First Nations art, pop up in neighbourhood murals and mosaics, and swim colourfully along school fences.
A time for action
In the 1970s, salmon runs hit an all-time low, and people from many walks of life began to sound the alarm. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans introduced the Salmonid Enhancement Program to stop, and reverse, the Pacific salmon and trout decline. As part of this unique program, the government partnered with B.C. organizations and individual residents who rolled up their sleeves and got to work – cleaning damaged streams and making incubation boxes as part of a larger restoration program.
Streamkeeper groups began to spring up, run by city dwellers who worked collaboratively with government and larger organizations. Musqueam Creek became the site of a major partnership between the Musqueam Nation and the David Suzuki Foundation. Today, you can find these salmon allies in neighbourhoods across B.C. and the Lower Mainland, where they have managed to rehabilitate well over one million square metres of streams. Salmon and cities can co-exist if we understand what to do and why it matters.
A new start for Still Creek
As for Still Creek, 90 years after the first city planner dreamed of people strolling the lush, salmon-filled riverside, the Cities of Vancouver and Burnaby are working together to restore Still Creek and its watershed. There’s still a long way to go, but a small number of chum salmon are regularly returning to Still Creek and with them, hope of more restoration to come.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll feature more stories about people working across B.C. to restore wild salmon streams. If you’d like to pitch in, chances are there’s something you can do that’s right on your own doorstep. We’ll connect you with organizations that can show you where and how.
