The City of Vancouver is working on a plan to help False Creek adapt to future sea level rise and coastal flooding. To help get this important work started, we want to hear from everyone about what makes False Creek special to them. If you are 5yrs to 16 yrs old this outdoor, free activity book is for you! When you complete an activity, please take a photo of your work and email us at sealevelrise@vancouver.ca with your name, age, and postal code. For all those who enter before Nov 16, 2020 you will be entered into a draw for one of three prizes! Check out "documents" on the right hand side of the page to download the activity book today!

Watch our Conversations in Canoes video series that takes a deeper dive into False Creek; exploring the history, ecology, typology, youth perspectives and areas at risk to sea level rise and future flooding through conversations in, you guessed it, a canoe!

Trust us, you will smile as you meet Stephen, Anu and Jade.

Meet Stephen, a commercial diver in False Creek.

Meet Anu, a Marine Biologist and Author of One Earth: People of Color Protecting Our Planet.

Meet Jade, a youth climate activist and Templeton high school student in Vancouver.

Over the summer and fall we will be reaching out to residents, businesses, community organizations, and other neighbourhood stakeholders to increase awareness of sea level rise and coastal flooding risks for False Creek, while working together to identify actions to become more resilient in the face of coming challenges. The feedback we receive on community values and guiding flood management principles for False Creek will be used to help the City develop and evaluate potential flood management strategies for the area.

Reach out to have a conversation with the project team, take the survey, and engage with us here.

Community Conversations
Are you a part of a neighbourhood group or community organization in the False Creek area? Would you be interested in participating in short, on-line conversation about climate change, sea level rise and how it affects you this summer? Let us know and we will set something up.

The feedback we receive will shape flood management design principles for False Creek. These principles will be used to help the City develop and evaluate potential flood management strategies for the area in the future

Request a Community Conversation webinar for your group or community organization by emailing sealevelrise@vancouver.ca. Minimum of five (5) people is required for the one hour webinar.

Have a walk/ride/roll around False Creek: Keep your eyes open for project information signs around False Creek. Watch out for small (and safe) pop-up events on the seawall in False Creek this summer. We’ll let you know when and where on this site when they’re scheduled.

Learn more about Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding. Visit our sea level rise page for more information.

Starting up later in 2021, we will embark on an innovative planning and design challenge. The Sea2City Design Challenge will create a vision to guide urban development and ecological revitalization in False Creek and along the Fraser River Foreshore. The project will engage multidisciplinary teams to work cooperatively with the City of Vancouver and project partners to:

• Increase public awareness of climate change and sea level rise
• Expand the City’s toolbox of coastal flood management approaches
• Develop a conceptual route for flood management systems and structures along False Creek and the Fraser River Foreshore
• Explore approaches to coastal adaptation for sea level rise beyond one metre

Participating teams will be guided by the community values and design principles developed through the Coastal Adaptation Plan project for the Fraser River Foreshore and False Creek. Sea2City will also include additional engagement with residents, business owners, community groups, and xʷməθkʷəyə̓ m (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

A City By The Sea

Vancouver has always been a coastal community defined by its proximity to the ocean and the Fraser River. Thousands of years before European settlement, xʷməθkʷəyə̓ m (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) villages and settlements dotted the shorelines, with trade and travelers using the waterways as highways to travel great distances. Each Nation had, and continues to have, its own relationship to the area, including place names and uses for the lands and resources. Today, our city remains a bustling west coast seaport and Indigenous peoples retain their strong connections to the water. Vancouver’s waterways play a central role in our economy, and they also contribute to health and well-being by connecting us to nature, culture, and places for sports and recreation.

Learn. Prepare. Act.

From past to present to future

Around the west end of Burrard Bridge are the Sen̓áḵw lands. The Sen̓áḵw lands are part of the unceded territory of the Squamish Nation, and were historically home to a seasonal fishing village which became a permanent village in the 19th Century. The original 80-acre reserve included most of Kits Point, including modern-day Vanier Park, Molson Brewery, Seaforth Armory, and condominiums and offices of Creekside Drive. Beginning in the early 20th Century, however, pressures from the City of Vancouver, senior levels of government, and various non-Indigenous public and private interests displaced Squamish residents and dismantled reserve land holdings. In the late 1970s, the Squamish Nation began a decades long court action over rightful ownership of the Kitsilano Reserve lands. In 2001, they were awarded the return of a small, 10.5-acre parcel of land under and surrounding the Burrard Street Bridge. View the Places tab to see a map.

Where is the False Creek floodplain?

False Creek is a bustling, urban, mixed-use waterfront area that is one of Vancouver’s major destinations for residents and visitors alike. Historically one of Vancouver’s major industrial centres, the last few decades have seen False Creek transition into a social and recreational heart of Vancouver, featuring a variety of higher density multi-family residences, commercial areas, and parks that are used by many for recreational and marine activities. Three bridges and two viaducts cross the False Creek area and have been the site of multiple marches and protests.

The False Creek project areas encompasses numerous, diverse neighbourhoods. False Creek North includes portions of Northeast False Creek, Yaletown, and Chinatown. False Creek South passes through Fairview, South East False Creek, Olympic Village, and False Creek Flats along the south shore. False Creek North and South both include sizeable parcels of yet-to-be developed land. Managed by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Granville Island is one of the most flood-vulnerable areas in False Creek.

Planning for sea level rise and Vancouver Plan

Over the next two years the City of Vancouver is working with residents to create a plan for the Vancouver we want and need. The Vancouver Plan will outline a vision for 2050 and a path to get there. The outputs from the Coastal Adaptation Plan – False Creek will be used to shape ideas and big moves that will be created as part of the Vancouver Plan.

Vancouver's Climate Emergency

In January 2019, Vancouver City Council unanimously approved a motion recognizing the climate crisis that the planet faces and acknowledged that the City needs to do more in response to this emergency. As a coastal city, sea level rise and flooding are two of the major climate adaptation challenges Vancouver is facing. A plan to address the Climate Emergency will be presented to Council in November 2020.