Just over 150 years ago the greater Vancouver area was a rich temperate rainforest with countless salmon-bearing streams. Today, Vancouver’s streams are mostly lost; filled in, covered over or robbed of their original water source. In 1995 the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation was founded to provide support to volunteer community groups working on stream health and restoration projects in BC. The Spanish Bank Streamkeepers was founded shortly after and have partnered with government departments and agencies, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to renew and revive the streams of Spanish Bank.
This collaboration led to the daylighting of Spanish Bank Creek in 2000 and both Oncorhynchus keta (chumsalmon)and Oncorhynchus kisutch(coho salmon)were reintroduced. Our main objective is to safeguard salmonid species, and provide educational experiences to students and local community members in regards to the importance of preserving and restoring salmonid habitats. The Spanish Bank Streamkeepers work with the local community, UBC students, and land owners/users to raise awareness of salmonids in the stream habitat near them. Because of this collaborative effort, salmon advocates and the general public now have an opportunity to view salmon at Spanish Banks Creek.