Bowker's ready to party

June 09, 2008
Roszan Holmen
News staff

After four years of research and planning, the Bowker Creek Initiative team is ready to party.
Neighbours are invited to celebrate the creek on June 14. It's the first major public-awareness event since the initial outreach campaign in 2004. At that time, creek-restoration campaigners put up signs to alert people to the creek's existence, since it flows mostly underground in pipes.
"This drainage system is about more than getting water off the street," said Tanis Douglas, the creek initiative's co-ordinator. "People have an interest beyond storm water capacities," she said, adding the creek is a focal point for recreational activities, natural beauty and as an informal greenway weaving through Victoria, Oak Bay and Saanich. One of the main goals of the initiative is to daylight -- bring the creek back to ground level -- sections of the waterway. Another goal is to find ways to prevent constant flooding in areas like Fireman's Park and Trent Street.

In March, the committee completed a technical report outlining options for the eight-kilometre creek. In some places, it recommends daylighting and in others it recommends increasing underground pipe capacity. Other solutions include buying properties particularly prone to flooding and building detention ponds. The overall cost estimate for the project is around $30 million.
Considering the price tag, Douglas predicts the project will proceed in a piecemeal way, as infrastructure ages and needs to be replaced.
The next phase of the plan is the most difficult, she said. "Now we're getting to the point of social decision making and that's what going to be interesting. Trading values off against each other."
The party on Saturday will not address these controversial plans, however.
"It's time to reconnect with the public and share with you our vision for what we want with this creek," Douglas said.

Cheryl Bryce, lands manager for the Songhees Nation, has her own hopes for the watershed.
An old fish-bearing creek, Bowker provides a lot of access to traditional foods.
"That area is very well known for harvesting camas," said Bryce, who herself harvests the blue flowers in the parks. "It is really important to educate the community about how we still are connected to our homelands and our history."
As the price of imported food continues to rise, it makes sense to go back to natives foods, she said. She would like to find a way to reinstate the Songhees role in managing the environment and bringing back their traditional food.
Bryce will be speaking at the June 14 celebration. She'll bring camas bulbs with her and stories of her family's connection to the creek.

For more information about the Bowker Creek Initiative, visit www.bowkercreekinitiative.ca.
rholmen@saanichnews.com

Activities and events
The Bowker Creek Celebration takes place at Richmond elementary school, 2780 Richmond Rd, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Throughout the day there will be crafts, music, art installations, a watershed model, a seaquarium and a pledge sign-up.

The timeline of events are as follows:
-11:15: Walking Tours
-11:40: Storytime by local storyteller Gerald Harris
-12:00: Free wild salmon burger lunch
-1:00: Parade proceeds to BC Hydro Lands
-2:30: Speakers Vicki Sanders, Cheryl Bryce and Briony Penn
-3:00: Unveiling mosaic by Carolyn Knight
-3:15: Cake
-3:30: Great push mower challenge with prizes