səlilwətaɬ has recently released another water quality report for səlilwət (Burrard Inlet), entitled Contaminant Heat Maps. These heat maps display water quality data to identify contaminant hotspots and to show the degree and extent of contamination compared to the xaɬəmət ct tə səlilwət / Water Quality Objectives for səlilwət (Burrard Inlet).
Several of the contaminants featured in the heat maps have been authorized by the Province of B.C. for release in wastewater discharges via provincial authorizations under the Environmental Management Act. In many cases, there have been recorded exceedances of these contaminants at industrial sites located around səlilwət. Many contaminants can also be found in combined sewer overflows managed by Metro Vancouver or municipalities, and/or in stormwater runoff from urban and/or industrial sites around səlilwət. You can see many of the entry points of pollution into səlilwət on our interactive impacts map, and learn about polluted stormwater impacts in this interactive story map.
səlilwətaɬ are the People of the Inlet. Tsleil-Waututh territory is centred on səlilwət (Burrard Inlet). The rich waters, lands and resources of the territory supported many thousands of səlilwətaɬ ancestors. The cumulative effects of colonial development, including contamination, infringe on səlilwətaɬ rights, title, and ability to use our lands, waters and resources. Contamination of səlilwət has a major impact on səlilwətaɬ Aboriginal rights and interests and ways of life by reducing or eliminating opportunities to fish, harvest shellfish and practice culture. The Contaminant Heat Maps provide further evidence of ongoing colonial impacts on the ability of səlilwətaɬ to harvest seafood, which is essential to our way of life.
To help restore the health of səlilwət, we recommend that actions be taken immediately to remediate the impacts of legacy contamination and to reduce the ongoing entry of contaminants into səlilwət. səlilwətaɬ’s Treaty, Lands and Resources Department is working on an update to the Burrard Inlet Action Plan, which will articulate updated priority actions, including those related to our goal of restoring healthy waters, specifically making water clean and safe for food, social, ceremonial and recreational activities. The Burrard Inlet Action Plan also calls for actions to restore the health of səlilwət.
While there is still much more work to do, the return of sɬewət̕ (herring) to səlilwət and the recent regularity of q̓əlɬaləməcən (orca) sightings demonstrate that our work is having a positive impact.
