LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “In the urban environment, we cannot bring back the watersheds that were here historically. But we can do things to retain and improve natural areas and the quality of receiving waters,” states Hugh Fraser, former Deputy Director of Engineering, City of Delta
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on April 9, 2024 featured the City of Delta’s rain garden program for streetscape revitalization. Now in Decade Three, the program is driven by a vision for protection of stream health through the use of green infrastructure that captures and sinks road runoff. The story behind the story is told by Hugh Fraser and Harvy Singh Takhar and showcases the passing of the intergenerational baton from Hugh to Harvy.
Hugh Fraser successfully guided the City of Delta through the first two decades of its green infrastructure journey and streetscape revitalization program. He is an original “streetscape enhancement champion” in the Metro Vancouver region.
Delta’s rain garden program for streetscape revitalization
“Hugh Fraser is a green infrastructure pioneer in the Metro Vancouver region. In the early 2000s, Hugh was a leading voice on Metro Vancouver’s Stormwater Interagency Liaison Group when green infrastructure was in its infancy,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“At the time, this regional group had energy. And they made things happen under the umbrella of the rainwater (aka “streams and trees”) component of the region’s first Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP).”
“The regulatory requirement for this plan component flowed from the Fish Protection Act 1997 which itself was a watershed moment as Susan Haid explained in the April 2nd edition of Waterbucket eNews.”
“Delta’s rain garden program began in the 2000s as a demonstration application for operationalizing the region’s LWMP to achieve desired watershed health outcomes. The program is now in Decade Three. Shared responsibility and intergenerational commitment are foundation pieces for enduring success.”
Delta’s rain garden program is a team effort
“The intergenerational aspect of passing the baton within local government intrigues me. One of the things Hugh Fraser told me many years ago was about the need, as he saw it, to embed the green infrastructure ethic in the culture of the municipal organization and community at large,” continued Kim Stephens.
In 2014, Hugh Fraser provided this perspective:
“Everyone involved…students, designers, managers, constructors and operators…must understand and care about the big-picture goal. This is a team effort,” stated Hugh Fraser.
“Yes, we are making progress on the public side, but there is much more that can be done on the private side. The opportunities to work with property owners to retrofit rain gardens result from redevelopment, especially in commercial areas.”
“Creating a watershed health legacy will ultimately depend on how well we are able to achieve rainwater management improvements on both public and private sides of a watershed. There is a huge up-side if the private sector embraces their contribution to shared responsibility.”
Rain gardens cumulatively contribute to restoration of stream health
“Delta urban areas are built out,” states Hugh Fraser. “This reality means there are limited opportunities for slowing, spreading and sinking rainwater. The municipality is effectively limited to retrofitting of rain gardens within road corridors in order to provide rainwater infiltration that protects stream health.”
“Delta has some 500 kilometres of roadways. In 2005, the municipality embarked upon a long-term initiative to incrementally improve the urban landscape though a streetscape revitalization program. The corporate vision is to enhance community liveability by beautifying streets, one block at a time.”
Story behind the story
With the foregoing in mind, Kim Stephens stated that: “Curiosity prompted me to have a 3-way conversation with Hugh Fraser and Harvy S. Takhar about Delta’s rain garden program. Three years after Hugh’s retirement, I wondered, what intergenerational perspective Harvy would bring to what Hugh started? That is the story behind the story!”
TO LEARN MORE:
To read the complete story, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Delta’s rain garden program for streetscape revitalization.
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