Restore the Shore
The Restore the Shore project, led by the Skwxkwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), Squamish River Watershed Society (SRWS) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, is bringing back the health of the estuary in Squamish in the Átl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere region for today’s community and future generations.
Over 3,650-square kilometers of coastal rainforest drain into Skwelwil'em and the Squamish River estuary, which is created by the flow of the Squamish River into Átl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound. The Restore the Shore project will re-naturalize over 144 hectares of this valuable estuarine habitat - equivalent to the size of over 200 soccer fields - for endangered Chinook salmon and the interconnected ecosystems that they support.
It is also an act of reconciliation for the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), the original stewards and knowledge-keepers of this land, and the wildlife that has thrived here in the past.
This project is a strong example on a global level of a project that is protecting biodiversity and a fragile ecosystem that relies on healthy salmon. Sharing our vision of a sustainable Howe Sound, and helping to maintain the Howe Sound Biosphere Region.
History of the Squamish River Estuary
The Squamish Training Berm was built in 1971 and designed to confine the river to the west side of the valley to facilitate port development, including a large coal port in the estuary that never came to be. It cut right through the Squamish Nation’s Skwelwil'em village site and alienated the river from its estuary, thus devastating salmon runs and severely compromising the vital ecological function of the estuary.
The estuary today is only able to support a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of smolting salmonids that rely on it yearly as a safe refuge. Today, those tiny fingerling salmon have little chance of survival as they are forced out directly into the ocean instead of making their way into the nursery-like environment of the estuary.
The berm was also installed without any consideration to rights and title nor engagement or consultation with the Squamish Nation, who have a deep spiritual and cultural connection with the land and salmon-rich waters of Skwelwil'em and the estuary. Today the berm serves as a symbol of the historic and ongoing impact of colonization and this is why its modification is a much overdue and needed step in reconciliation.
To find out more about this project visit Restore the Store.
Importance of this project
Restore the Shore is a federally and regionally significant coastal restoration project that will dramatically improve the survivability of many species that rely on the health of the Squamish River estuary, including at-risk Chinook salmon, endangered Southern Resident orcas and migratory birds to name a few.
We must act now to save this vital ecosystem and right historical wrongs.
What You Can Do to Support
We need to start educating and informing people in our networks, friends and family about the importance of this project and why it cannot wait. Find out more about Restore and Shore and how to get involved by visiting Restore the Shore - get involved.
