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Soren Henrich

    BOWKER CREEK BLUEPRINT IS A BEACON OF INSPIRATION: “All these people are my teachers, and I am learning from all of them. Is this the intergenerational baton in action? Absolutely! You cannot just pick up the baton and not know where you are coming from. You need all that history,” stated Lindsey McCrank, the Capital Regional District’s Coordinator for the Bowker Creek Urban Watershed Renewal Initiative


    “When new members get involved in the BCI, they will be in the position to accept the intergenerational baton just as I did. I believe the Partnership document about the Blueprint history will be useful, as a legacy resource, in helping new members get up to speed. One has to keep moving forward, transfer the knowledge to new people, and blend their experience and thoughts. Every person who is involved will alter the course of our future actions. I am excited to see where the Blueprint will lead us in the next little while,” stated Lindsey McCrank.

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    BOWKER CREEK BLUEPRINT IS A BEACON OF INSPIRATION: “One of my passions is to bring nature into the city so that we do not have these two distinctive zones – this is where humans live and this is where nature lives. Those two things can come together. That is my vision for Bowker Creek and why I enjoy volunteering,” stated Brandon Williamson, Friends of Bower Creek, when describing the mission for restoration of a degraded urban stream


    “I grew up in Port Alberni, a small town and am a nature lover. But I have come to realize that I am a city person. And being both a city person and a nature person, well those two things are not irreconcilable. Over the past year, I have gained a passion for Bowker Creek and its restoration. I do understand that the work that needs to be done is a very long-term thing. I am committed and excited to volunteer over the long term to see out the vision,” stated Brandon Williamson.

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    BOWKER CREEK BLUEPRINT IS A BEACON OF INSPIRATION: “We are taking a new direction. We are saying that we can improve the health of Bowker. But there is still more pollution happening. We can see it happening. And so, we the Friends of Bowker Creek, are stepping it up,” stated Jessica Hartum, the Director who is leading a grass-roots water quality monitoring program


    “I am a water quality person and I believe that it is a steppingstone to everything else. Water quality is close to my heart. But I understand where we are in this world and that nobody is buying in for water quality alone. In my view, water quality is a lot bigger than just the salmon. But I do recognize that water quality and fish habitat are a package. Neither one is complete without the other one. We have to do both together. When I show community volunteers the insects that are in the water and what they mean, everyone has an Ah-Ha Moment,” stated Jessica Hartum.

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    A BEACON OF INSPIRATION: “Seeing that Bowker Blueprint map at the Creekside Concert Series event in 2020 was the moment that shifted my understanding that our city is overlaid upon watersheds. that was the moment when I asked what more can I do?” stated Councillor Jeremy Loveday after City of Victoria Council passed the game-changing motion that launched the second decade of the 100-Year Action Plan


    “You never quite know what is going to create a moment for someone that will shift their understanding forever. But we must do our best to make sure that we are presenting the opportunities for those moments to be created. I came to see celebration of the 10th anniversary as an opportunity for the City of Victoria to recommit to the Blueprint plus bring awareness of it to the forefront of people’s understanding of the city that they live in, and the difference that their actions can have on the watershed,” stated City of Victoria Councillor Jeremy Loveday.

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    RAIN GARDENS IMPROVE HEALTH OF BOWKER CREEK: “The fact that we have been given direction by City Council to move the Bowker Blueprint forward and look for opportunities to daylight the creek means everything. Unless you have the high level ‘this is what we want to do’ permission, pushing it up from the bottom really does not work,” stated Brianne Czypyha, City of Victoria representative on Bowker Creek Steering Committee


    “Victoria is a fully developed city. Because most of the work happening within the city is redevelopment which is increasing density, it is so important for us to be looking for opportunities to integrate rainwater management with landscaping features, and maximize the use of space for multiple benefits. The idea of multi-functional landscaping is key because we don’t have as much room for wetlands and riparian areas,” stated Brianne Czypyha.

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    CITY OF VICTORIA RECOMMITS TO BOWKER CREEK DAYLIGHTING: “Despite having covered it up, urbanized it with all the hard surfaces in the watershed, Bowker Creek is still here. Instead of just a ditch to move stormwater or carry away pollution out into the ocean, we’re looking at it as an environmental asset,” stated Soren Henrich, Chair of the Friends of Bowker Creek, when he commented on Council’s game-changing decision to kick-off the second decade of Bowker Blueprint implementation


    A significant portion of restoration efforts revolve around unearthing some parts of the creek currently underground. “Daylighting will not only help return salmon and trout back to the creek, but will breathe life into the vision of a biodiversity corridor, accessible to people across the municipalities. It would give people in the city a place where they can see and come into contact with flowing water. Imagine bike paths close enough to the creek so people could connect to Oak Bay, eventually connecting Oak Bay to the rest of the regional trail system,” stated Soren Henrich.

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