On March 6, the Georgia Strait Alliance led a State of the Waterfront event at Simon Fraser University, Harbour Centre, as part of its ongoing Waterfront Initiative. I was excited to participate along with Michelle Pollard, vice-chair of the VPSN.

The GSA is a marine conservation organization that, in the words of its website, works “to protect and enhance Vancouver’s waterfront through cross sector collaboration, integrated planning, and targeted action.” Launched in 2013, the Waterfront Initiative represents the GSA’s effort to bring together a wide selection of disparate stakeholders from the region that have a part to play in the stewardship of this precious resource.

The purpose of this week’s forum was to present and discuss the preliminary results of the GSA’s work in assessing the condition of Vancouver’s waterfront. The GSA’s goal is to produce a comprehensive State of the Waterfront Report this spring, with a view toward planning action on the waterfront in the fall.

As explained in the opening presentation, the Waterfront Initiative started up when the GSA observed the success of the Waterfront Alliance of New York and New Jersey in guiding collaboration among many different agencies and other parties in that vastly complex metropolis. Restoring and protecting a city’s waterfront can be particularly challenging given that it requires involvement by organizational players that often default to functioning in a fairly siloed fashion.

This history really resonated with me because I grew up in Manhattan back when the waterways were so filthy that many of us wouldn’t even have put so much as a finger in the rivers, let alone swim races in the Hudson, as people are doing now. Reports of large marine mammals returning to the New York area have also been immensely exciting to residents there.

Vancouver variations

In our city here, we have every interest in acting now to protect a waterfront with complex ecosystems inhabited by a wide range of native species and to preserve and enhance public access for our human communities to as many stretches as possible.

Gazing at the waterfront from the Vancouver seawall

When we think of our waterfront, it’s curious that we often picture it in reference to the downtown core around the old Canadian Pacific terminal, Canada Place and SFU Harbour Centre itself. In fact, as the GSA’s event made clear, when considered holistically, it encompasses most of the city’s perimeter and, very arguably, the North Shore and Fraser River coastlines as well.

The Waterfront Initiative has identified five themes for focusing collaboration where it comes to sustainability for the waterfront’s natural and human communities:

• living (residential use)
• working (industry, commerce)
• moving (transportation, shipping)
• playing (recreation)
• environment (healthy ecosystems, climate change)

At this week’s forum, we heard a variety of presentations exploring specific aspects of the shoreline’s state. We heard from the GSA on its mapping efforts; from Metro Vancouver on coastal habitat; from Ebbwater Consulting on climate change and flood management; from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation on the traditional indigenous relationship to the waterfront and the nation’s present-day Burrard Inlet Action Plan; and from Bird Studies Canada on its B.C. Coastal Waterbird Survey, consisting of over 20,000 surveys conducted by more than 620 volunteers from 1999 to the present.

Habitat Island, Southeast False Creek, an urban oasis for plants and animals

The GSA presented a number of maps with data on various dimensions such as population densities, land use and amenities as they related to the waterfront, as well as transportation access. We broke out into table discussions focused on the Waterfront Initiative’s five themes, to comment on the data included in these maps and point out any information that wasn’t included but that we thought should be.

Next landings

At the VPSN we’ll look forward to reading the GSA’s final State of the Waterfront Report, commenting on issues of shared interest and staying tuned as waterfront planning proceeds. We’ll keep you posted.

Top image: evening on English Bay

The opening of the Canada Line in 2009 with its Fraser River crossing introduced a new pedestrian/cycling connection across the river. This popular new link between Vancouver and Richmond has helped to foster an increased interest in providing recreation opportunities next to – and along – the river.

The Canada Line; image by grumpygrimble

A recent ‘good news’ update on this front appeared when Council approved the Marpole Community Plan on April 2, which VPSN has reviewed and commented on. Included in the list of 10-year policies in the Public Benefits Strategy is the creation of a new waterfront park of up to 10 acres at the foot of Cambie Street. This represents a tremendous opportunity for a brand new, significant greenspace to be built in a neighbourhood that has less park space than most other areas of the city. And with construction cranes popping up next to Marine Drive Station, this new waterfront park will also help to serve the future residents of this emerging transit-oriented community.

While this new park will be a welcome Fraser River greenspace addition, the momentum needs to continue beyond just this one piece of the puzzle. The Marpole Plan also spells out direction for future extensions of the existing Fraser River Trail. In recent years the Park Board has made some small additions to the Marpole portion of the trail, along with some beautification efforts. However, the trail is still fragmented, and significant gaps around busy industrial areas highlight the need for a more comprehensive, long-term vision of a continuous link of waterfront trails and parks beyond just Marpole. We’re aware that Metro Vancouver is taking the first step in this direction with their collaborative vision to Experience the Fraser:

“Experience the Fraser is a unique vision to connect communities, parks, natural features, historic and cultural sites and experiences along the Lower Fraser River. The Canyon to Coast Trail and Recreational Blueway are the backbone of the project, connecting Hope to the Salish Sea by means of over 550 kilometres of trail (43% of which is already in place) and via the river itself.”

Strategies that add or improve pathways and wayfinding are welcome, as in some places it can be a challenge to navigate the pedestrian and cycling routes between the river and neighbouring residential areas.

[Oblique view of Vancouver and Fraser River looking north] Credit: City of Vancouver Archives; Reference code: AM54-S4-: LP 153.2; Date: June 5, 1948

By putting special focus on the Fraser River, Vancouver’s southern waterfront, we can improve access and help encourage a greater awareness and appreciation of the river’s cultural, agricultural, industrial, and environmental heritage, and provide much-needed opportunities for recreation and public space gathering.

The Big Ideas are 12 Priority Areas we see as an early release of the VPSN Manifesto on public space policy. We’ve made online access to the Routemap 2012-2014 and the original Manifesto 2008-2011.To learn more about this initiative and to get involved, please write us an email.