xʷəyeyət (Iona Island) - Regenerative Infrastructure

Located on xʷəyeyət (Iona Island) in Richmond, BC, Canada, the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (IIWWTP) occupies a complex site of intersecting human and ecological systems. Situated directly across from xʷməθkʷəy̓əm/Musqueam, in the Fraser River Estuary, and in the middle of Iona Beach Regional Park, the existing treatment facility is one of the last plants on North America’s west coast with only primary level wastewater treatment.

The IIWWTP Projects will upgrade the existing plant to tertiary-level treatment with a complementary range of ecological restoration projects. Space2place led the park design, developing a compelling vision to restore ecological processes of north Sturgeon Bank and protect the diversity of ecosystems on Iona Island. Achieving these complex goals involves many of the most pressing contemporary challenges facing our discipline including climate change adaptation, engaging with diverse stakeholders, coordinating a large multidisciplinary team, and working within sensitive ecosystems and multiple jurisdictions.

Initiated in 2018, the project adopted an Integrated Design Process (IDP), bringing together multi-disciplinary expertise including engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, ecology, and archaeology. Space2place played a crucial role in the design of the Iona wastewater treatment plant and park. Working closely with Metro Vancouver staff and the design team through the IDP, ecological and cultural considerations were integrated from the earliest stages of this significant infrastructure project. The participation of space2place in the project resulted in the protection of sensitive ecologies and restoring natural systems that had been interrupted by anthropomorphic interventions to the island over the last 100 years. These considerations were not contemplated as part of the original project brief.

Defining issues for this project are ecological restoration and climate adaptation. Existing infrastructure in the Fraser Estuary has disrupted natural estuary processes, directly impacting juvenile salmon and other aquatic species. This project will reconnect the river and sea by reopening the causeway, creating off-channel habitat, and restoring intertidal wetlands. These efforts will help out-migrating juvenile salmon access critical rearing habitat. Regenerating and expanding the freshwater wetland complex and restoring uplands areas will enhance native and novel habitats and benefit numerous aquatic and terrestrial species, including the many birds that use Iona Island as a stopover on the pacific flyway. Climate change also poses a significant threat to this region, with projections estimating 1.0 metre of sea level rise by 2100. To address this pressing ecological threat and increase Iona Island’s resilience, this project will restore the foreshore and implement ecosystem-based flood protections strategies.

Shared public recreation spaces. Credit: space2place

The IIWWTP Projects also presents a significant opportunity to advance reconciliation in British Columbia by developing meaningful partnerships with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm/Musqueam and other Indigenous groups. xʷməθkʷəy̓əm/Musqueam representatives are actively involved in the project, sharing priorities and interests through ongoing workshops. Priorities include restoring ecosystems to support traditional harvesting, facilitating xʷməθkʷəy̓əm/Musqueam access for traditional resource use, encouraging cultural practices and knowledge transfer, recognition through signage and naming, and implementing long-term strategies to sustain the interests and well-being of future generations.

The IIWWTP Projects are a unique opportunity to implement a transformative model that integrates urban infrastructure with ecological restoration, climate change adaptation, and Indigenous reconciliation and will undoubtedly create a significant and ongoing legacy for the region.

Iona Island, Richmond BC. Credit: space2place

This article is shared with permission from space2place and Jeff Cutler.