After five decades in darkness, Burnaby's Guichon Creek may finally see the light of day, thanks to restoration efforts at BCIT.
On Monday, BCIT announced the creek would be "daylighted" in stages as the campus undergoes redevelopment, and the first phase may be as early as next year.
"You're talking about excavating a part of the creek and literally bringing it back in the light," said Mark Angelo, a retired BCIT instructor and founder of World Rivers Day. "It's kind of the epitome of river restoration in many ways."
Angelo was on campus for Monday's announcement, along with BCIT president Kathy Kinloch and B.C.'s Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon. (The creek is one of two in the province named after the Guichons, a pioneer family with ranching and farming roots going back to the 1800s.) The three released tiny salmon into the water to mark the news and highlight World Rivers Day, coming up this weekend in Burnaby.
Angelo was heavily involved in restoring the upper reaches of Guichon, but a 700-metre stretch downstream still runs underground, beneath the campus. If BCIT can connect the two sections by bringing the culverted section out from the underground, salmon may be able to return to the upper waters and spawn right on campus.
When Angelo first started teaching at BCIT decades ago, older residents would tell him stories of catching huge salmon and trout in Guichon Creek before it was culverted and buried.
In many ways, Guichon is the story of the little creek that could. The waterway was a polluted and lifeless drainage channel when Angelo started teaching at BCIT about 40 years ago. BCIT led the charge, and with help from its staff, students, the City of Burnaby and various groups, the upper area was restored to a natural state. Local residents often walk along the creek now, and students use it as a "living lab."
While Guichon has become a stellar example of waterway restoration, Angelo hopes the rest of the creek will become just as healthy, but the full daylighting process will likely take several years.
