By Connelly Stirling
As Vancouver faces increasing pressure from climate challenges like flooding, extreme heat, and water pollution, green rainwater infrastructure (GRI) is emerging as a mitigation solution. This approach integrates natural processes into the urban landscape to capture, clean, and return rainwater to the
atmosphere and waterways, helping to build a more climate-resilient city.
What is Green Rainwater Infrastructure?
GRI mimics natural water processes, using plants, soils, trees, and built structures to absorb and filter rainwater before it reaches our rivers, beaches and sewer systems. When rain falls on impermeable city surfaces like streets, sidewalks and rooftops, it collects oil, litterand other pollutants, contributing to water contamination and overwhelming drainage systems during heavy rainfall events. In contrast, natural environments and surfaces like soil are permeable, allowing rain to soak more easily into the ground, filtering pollutants and slowing the water’s flow.
GRI will Support Still Creek!
Slocan, Beaconsfield, and Falaise Parks have been selected as sites to develop GRI to support the Still Creek Watershed in RenfrewCollingwood. Slocan will feature a new rain garden and Beaconsfield will be home to a new seasonal wetland. Both will be built this year. These GRI features will include a basin to
capture rainwater and will be surrounded by native trees and plants. Not only will these sites help control the flow of water, but they are also exciting spaces that support biodiversity and provide community members with a natural space to de-stress and view wildlife.
At Falaise Park, the city plans to terrace the steep areas of the creek to slow the flow of rainwater and prevent erosion. This, along with expanding the streamside vegetation, will improve this rare stretch of neighbourhood stream and provide more shade on hot summer days.
Still Moon will Support Community Involvement
The Still Moon Arts Society will host community planting parties at each new GRI site along Still Creek. Everyone is welcome to help create this ecological legacy that will serve Still Creek and its community for generations to come! Times and dates of the planting sessions are coming soon – to stay up to date, sign up for Still Moon Arts’ email newsletter at https://stillmoonarts.ca/newsletter.
Renfrew-Collingwood Community News 