by Celia Brauer

If you live in the False Creek district of Vancouver, you are accustomed to the urban landscape – paved streets, houses, businesses, industrial sites, and the ever-present sound of traffic. When it rains, water is carried to the sea in storm drains, out of sight, beneath the roads and buildings. A scant 150 years ago, this was a dense temperate rainforest with numerous creeks that emptied into the ocean through rich tidal flats. It was home to First Nations people who had lived in balance with the area’s natural abundance for thousands of years. Why were the forests cleared? What happened to the freshwater streams? It could be said that a different set of values came to the region by way of European settlement. The newcomers tended to see nature as inhospitable, something to be tamed. It took them only a few decades to extract, process, and sell most of the watershed’s abundant natural resources. The idea of “natural capital” – the value of nature as an essential part of our economy – had yet to become the significant issue that it is today. We now realize that our communities can, and must, be friendlier to the ecosystem of which they are a part. Green spaces in an urban environment help freshen the air and filter polluted rainwater before it enters the water table and the ocean. We have come to understand the importance of preserving this rich natural inheritance for future generations.
To picture what the land around False Creek looked like 150 years ago, one has only to visit the old-growth forest at Lighthouse Park, the clear waters of Lynn Creek, the historic native village site at Jericho Beach, or the vast tidal flats of Boundary Bay. Then imagine a creek choked with the squirming red bodies of hundreds of returning salmon. The watershed around False Creek was once dense with huge coniferous trees, some over 1,000-years-old. Berry bushes of all kinds flourished in the understory. Bears and cougars roamed the woods, elk and deer inhabited the grassy pastures. In marshy areas near what are now Douglas Park and Trout Lake, beavers built dams. There was a large bog called the Tea Swamp, south of 15th, between Main and Fraser. Creeks flowed from these marshy areas, swelled with countless other small streams, and wound their way down to the sea. Salmon and trout thrived. At high tide, the peninsula of present day downtown Vancouver was an island. The eastern end of False Creek was a large tidal flat, fanning out from a narrow isthmus of land at what is now Main Street. The shallows supported abundant sea life such as oysters, clams, crabs, and mussels. The seawater was rich with oolichans, herring, perch, flounder, and rock cod. Sturgeon came into still side waters to enjoy their warmth and calm. Because of the rich intertidal life, thousands of migratory birds lived around the creek, and seals and orcas were often seen. The First Nations used to say, “When the tide is out, the table is set.”
According to Major J.S. Matthews, Vancouver’s chief archivist at the turn of the last century, False Creek was “…originally a narrow sylvan canal, where, at high tide, the waters lapped the lower branches of towering trees, which lined its shores, a placid marine corridor framed in forest green.” False Creek’s lost streams – where did they go?
Although all of the creeks that flowed into False Creek have completely disappeared under the urban landscape, they played an important part in Vancouver’s development and prosperity.
China Creek, with a total length of 16 km, was the largest stream that flowed into False Creek. It drained a huge area west of the Renfrew Highlands, from 45th to 4th Avenue. Flowing towards the northwest, it passed through Trout Lake and picked up at least three more streams from the south, before reaching seawater at what is now the corner of Glen and 7th. This creek took its name from the Chinese market gardens and pig farms near its mouth. People often stood on its banks to spear fish for dinner. Deep ravines with fast flowing creeks were often used as garbage dumps, and China Creek soon became polluted. By the ‘50s, city council deemed it a health hazard, and the creek was diverted into a large sewer pipe. China Creek Park is located where the creekmouth used to be.
Mackie Creek began near King Edward Boulevard, followed close to Willow Street, and entered False Creek, which was then close to 6th Avenue. It cut a ravine 60 feet deep, which, according to Major Matthews, was “a natural barrier to travel.” In 1882, the foot of Mackie Creek was very busy. “Small tugs and scows landed hay and barley for the oxen at Jerry Roger’s logging camp in the muskeg where elk once pastured, now Douglas Park, Heather Street. After the oxen dragged the great logs down the skidroad, they were dumped into the boom from the tollway...” At least four more unnamed creeks west of Mackie began around Shaughnessy Heights and flowed into False Creek, close to the sandbar that was later built up to become Granville Island. One that paralleled Hemlock Street was well known for its cutthroat trout.
Brewery Creek, a deep watercourse that supported lots of fish, had its headwaters at 37th and Fraser where Memorial View Cemetery is now. It followed Fraser Street, then moved west towards Main and 15th at the Tea Swamp. Even today, the streets here are bumpy, due to the soft, boggy ground beneath. From there, it flowed steeply downhill, entering the now drained eastern flats at Brunswick and 1st Avenue. Near the turn of the century, its deep, fast moving waters were dammed at East 8th to power local breweries. Gladys Schwesinger, who lived at the foot of Brewery Creek from 1897 to 1908, describes the area as “our special preserve, our forest retreat, our playground, and my own personal conception of a fairyland on earth…” Gladys and her friends waded in the cool waters, “and climbed back and forth over the many logs, which had conveniently fallen across its deeper pools, joining rock to rock, and affording walkable bridges.”
Another large stream, the Bridge Street Creek, began on the eastern slope of Little Mountain, where Queen Elizabeth Park is today, and entered False Creek near Cambie Street. It was also well known for its fishing. Major Matthews wrote, “…at Cambie and Broadway (in 1900), salmon came through the southwest corner of the intersection in abundance.” Standing at this busy intersection today, it is hard to imagine a stream choked with salmon.

Salmon Celebration — remembering our history
The second annual Salmon Celebration takes place September 25, BC Rivers Day, in SE False Creek. Individuals are invited to celebrate Vancouver’s wilderness heritage and connect with groups who practise watershed stewardship and urban sustainability. This free event was created to honour the spirit of the salmon that historically lived in the streams that flowed into eastern False Creek. If the spirit moves you, dress up like a salmon or forest animal, or bring rattles, masks, or drums, whatever inspires you to remember a lost salmon stream. Gather in Jonathan Rogers Park (7th and Manitoba) at 1PM. The parade begins at 1:30 and travels to Creekside Park (near Science World), where celebrations include workshops, food, entertainment, an environmental fair, and representation by First Nations. Check the Public Dreams website for prop-making workshops and associated cultural events. www.publicdreams.org/salmon.htm

Under our feet, water still flows
The creeks that once flowed into False Creek are still there; you just can’t see them because they are hidden underground. If you live in the area, here are some ways you can help sustain the local ecosystem.
· Use non-toxic, fish friendly cleaners when washing your car, and keep other toxic substances off the street. The fish painted on many storm drains in your neighbourhood are a reminder that they empty into fish-bearing habitat. Yes, there are still fish and other sea life in False Creek!
· Patronize environmentally friendly businesses in your area.
· Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible. This includes water, green garden clippings, and small and large household items.
· Create a more natural, native landscape in your garden. Fill up large grassy areas with native shrubs, flowers, and trees. These reduce water usage and maintenance, attract birds and helpful insects, and bring more biodiversity and tranquility to the area.
· Follow the progress as the city of Vancouver moves towards separating the sewer/storm runoff system. Today, during heavy rainstorms, sewage overflows the present system and goes directly into the Creek. The city is working on a 30-year plan to twin these pipes so they do not mix. Staff need to know we support this progress.
· Support or join an environmental organization that is working in your watershed. The following are some helpful connections: Community advisor, Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 604-666-0743; Rivershed Society of BC, 604-941-5937, www.rivershed.com; The Salmon Celebration, www.publicdreams.org
Celia Brauer, a passionate advocate of the environment, produced the original salmon illustration.