Posted on July 20, 2026
By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Another shoreline restoration project led by the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) is in the books, and it’s already showing signs of success.
The Nation just wrapped up work on roughly 500 metres of shoreline from the western boundary of their reserve land near Dollarton Highway up to the west bank of George Creek.
The project was planned with nature-based solutions such as sand and gravel beach nourishment, rock walls below the shoreline and salt marsh plantings to help mitigate wave action and protect the shoreline against coastal erosion and flooding.
Project lead Sarah Dal Santo said the hard work is paying off, with seaweed now establishing on rock headlands and otters, heron and deer returning.
“There have been some very exciting early signs of success,” Santo said. “These are early signs that the habitat enhancement and restoration work as part of the project is doing well, and that important existing food sources in Burrard Inlet have been protected.”
Canada geese, however, aren’t so welcomed, Santo said, adding that they had to install brushwood fencing to keep them from eating on the new salt marsh plants.
Last year, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation received over $7.5 million in federal funding to help bring the project into fruition. The nation also contributed $2.5 million with support from the province, bringing it to a joint investment of $10.1 million.
The nation’s climate action and energy management team alongside other departments had been working on the project since 2021, examining the shoreline and consulting with experts including external biologists, civil engineering specialists and climate advocacy organizations on how to help preserve their shores.
For a long time, Tsleil-Waututh Nation members have seen their shoreline actively erode – up to 13 metres of it being lost in some places. Elected councillor Nicholas Kofi has been a witness to it since he was a kid playing along the water’s edge. The future is looking brighter.
“My mom, our uncles and aunties used to go down to the shoreline and have oyster bakes, and it wasn’t always possible because of safety reasons and the erosion and pollution,” he said. “Hopefully down the line, the next generation can harvest oysters or crabs.”
Restoring what has been lost is something they have long desired, he added.
“As stewards of the land, we’ve always looked for ways to protect our homes, our natural habitat,” he said. “It’s always been on the minds of our community.”
The work also gives the Tsleil-Waututh community easier access to the shoreline and bring back traditional practices.
“It’s just the beginning, but there’s going to be more time for us to have community events where we can have our traditional medicine or traditional teachings. Teaching moments that we can go down there and share as a community and learn more,” Kofi said.
According to a report from the University of Waterloo, shorelines across Canada face a growing risk from climate change, flooding, sea level rise, erosion and development.
Santo said the recent project should address those vulnerabilities. The design has been tested through various mock climate change scenarios and storm events. It can also be adapted over time as needed to climate change conditions, she said.
Now, the next step is to monitor the shoreline and complete ongoing maintenance when needed. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation is creating a community group to help support that work.
“The waters, the trees, everything is important to us,” Kofi said. “That is our duty to protect our waters as best as we can, and to use the tools of modern times to do so.”
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
