WC145 NovDec 2025 - Magazine - Page 35
STORMWATER
Sustainable by Design
How a sinkhole at BCIT led to expanded access to nature
British Columbia Institute of Technology
BY CONRAD MCCALLUM
ROM COAST-TO-COAST, Canadian water
projects are embracing adaptive and responsive
design approaches that prioritize community needs
and goals while setting a high standard for resilient
infrastructure planning and delivery. In doing so,
these projects go far beyond simply repairing, replacing, or
upgrading aging systems. They also advance broader objectives, such as protecting and enhancing natural waterways
and supporting the habitats connected to them.
Guichon Creek was historically a salmon and cutthroat
trout bearing stream, but through the years it was developed over, degrading a habitat of high ecological value. In
particular, a section of the creek was culverted to flow underground from the south to the north of BCIT’s campus
in Burnaby, B.C. Over time, failure of the culvert caused
F
Conrad McCallum is communications
manager with the Institute for
Sustainable Infrastructure.
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
When a sinkhole formed on its south campus, BCIT launched an innovative
remediation project that addressed the infrastructure and safety risks but also
restored a portion of Guichon Creek to its natural condition.
a sinkhole next to one of the institute’s buildings—posing a
safety risk but also unexpectedly providing an opportunity
to design new infrastructure that would favour the natural
environment and return part of the creek to its pre-development state.
The resulting project recently earned an Envision Platinum
award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI),
recognizing innovative achievements in sustainability and
resilience. BCIT partnered with Luuceo Consulting Inc. to
guide the project through ISI’s rigorous Envision verification
process, which evaluates sustainability across five categories:
Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural
World and Climate and Resilience. The Guichon Creek
Restoration Project ultimately proved exemplary—a true
multi-benefit project delivering many substantive outcomes.
WATER C AN ADA • NOV EMBER/ DECEMBER 2025
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