Urban Sites
Commercial, industrial and residential sites, even those not immediately adjacent to streams, rivers or coastal waters, have long-term cumulative impacts on fish and other aquatic and terrestrial species. Contaminants, for example, can affect groundwater and are transported through storm drains into rivers and marine waters. Stormwater – including runoff from impervious surfaces – is the largest non-point source of pollution in urban areas! By adopting Salmon-Safe standards, landowners and property managers help protect salmon habitat and water quality by:
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Capturing and infiltrating stormwater on site
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Maintaining a buffer of trees and vegetation along stream banks
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Restore streams and watercourses where previous development has diverted or buried them
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Increasing the use of permeable surfaces to reduce runoff from impervious surfaces
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Using integrated pest management techniques to control weeds and pests
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Reducing water use through more efficient irrigation and drought-resistant landscaping
Certified Urban Sites
TELUS Living Sechelt
TELUS Living Sechelt
TELUS Living Sechelt at 5528 Inlet Avenue, Sechelt, BC (shíshálh territory), will be a six-storey mixed-use building designed for commercial and residential rental purposes.
The development will offer 59 new rental units arranged around an internal courtyard to promote community interaction, enhance natural light exposure and enable cross-ventilation in 80% of the units as a cooling feature. Sechelt is a coastal community located along the Strait of Georgia, an essential marine ecosystem that supports over 3,000 species, including salmon.
Key stormwater management efforts at TELUS Living Sechelt include:
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Flow detention tank to capture excess runoff and gradually release water to reduce flood risk and downstream impacts
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Sediment sumps and oil interceptors to filter stormwater before it enters detention tanks
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Planted areas on the ground and rooftops to support natural filtration and absorption
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Silva cells on the boulevard to capture and filter stormwater and gradually release it before reaching the storm sewer
The landscape design incorporates the use of native plants and natural features, such as boulders and logs, to restore ecological function and to reduce water demand. The lighting strategy intentionally focuses on down-lighting to minimize the impacts on natural bird migration patterns and reduce urban light pollution.
TELUS Living Nanaimo
TELUS Living Nanaimo
TELUS Living Nanaimo is located at 235 Wallace Street, Nanaimo, BC (Snuneymuxw and Cowichan Tribes territory). This residential development consists of two buildings, standing six storeys tall and offering 195 residential units. The site is adjacent to the Millstone Watershed, which is known to support Coho and Chum salmon populations.
The design will restore ecological functionality to the site and reduce water demand by:
● Replacing trees at a 9:1 ratio
● Planting native and adapted trees, shrubs and ground cover plants
● Utilizing a high-efficiency irrigation system
For stormwater management, the site design includes two cell-type, EcoBloc stormwater detention tanks totaling 57,000 liters of storage capacity, intended to attenuate flows from five- year events. Prior to entering the detention tanks, all captured stormwater will be routed through sediment sumps, and stormwater runoff from parking areas will be routed through oil interceptors.
The design also includes vegetated areas at grade and over the parking garage, and permeable paving at the central courtyard, circulation pathways and patio. These areas together will catch, filter and slow the release of stormwater before it reaches the storm sewer and, ultimately, discharges to the ocean.
TELUS Ocean
TELUS Ocean
TELUS Ocean is located at 767 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (Esquimalt and Songhees territory). This commercial property is currently under construction and will be a 10-storey office building with retail space on the ground floor. The site is connected to the Victoria watershed, which is linked to rivers supporting Coho salmon.
The design includes rainwater harvesting from all roofs and terraces, which will provide enough water for all on-site irrigation and significantly decrease the total volume of stormwater runoff. Rainwater will be directed to a 70-cubic metre storage cistern in the parkade. TELUS has gone above and beyond local requirements for catch basins by directing drain outlets and as much surface runoff as possible into tree soil cells and landscaped areas at grade.
The landscape plan includes non-invasive and adapted trees, shrubs and ground cover plant species that will improve on-site ecological function. The local watershed has been taken into consideration, with the goal of strengthening the urban habitat corridor for birds through tree canopies. The rooftop landscapes will feature a high level of plant diversity, offering food, forage and refuge opportunities for birds and insects. The project introduced a number of bird-safe design strategies to reduce the risk of migratory bird strikes.
The TELUS Ocean development will also incorporate climate-resilient features including:
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Increased soil depth to improve tree health
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Increased street tree plantings to reduce the urban heat island effect
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Increased stormwater capacity and runoff controls to accommodate more intense storm events and withstand periods of drought
For more information on the project, please visit www.telusocean.com.
Hue by Marcon
Hue
Hue is a new residential development by Marcon, located at 2025 Saint Johns Street, Port Moody, British Columbia. It will be a two-building, six-story condo complex with 222 residences. Marcon achieved Salmon-Safe certification for Hue in 2023, and the development aims to be completed in the fall of 2025.
The forested area immediately adjacent to the development is part of a Riparian Protection and Enhancement Area (RPEA). This includes a segment of South Schoolhouse Creek, where numerous species of salmon and trout have been documented.
Hue are protecting their local watershed through a range of salmon and environmentally friendly features:
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Retaining and infiltrating rainwater
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Using adapted and pollinator-friendly plant species in landscaping
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Preserving and expanding native vegetation in the RPEA
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Following a water conservation strategy
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Applying good erosion and sediment control (ESC) practices during construction
For more information on the development, please visit marcon.ca/en/projects/hue.
1077 Great Northern Way
1077 Great Northern Way
LowTide Properties achieved Salmon-Safe recertification for 1077 Great Northern Way (GNW) in 2022, demonstrating the ongoing commitment to salmon and watershed health.
Sitting on a former industrial site in False Creek Flats, 1077 GNW is Vancouver’s first modern large-scale mass timber office building and has earned LEED Platinum certification as well as a number of architectural and green design excellence awards. In addition to being highly energy efficient, several innovative features reduce the amount of potable water needed and provide on-site treatment of stormwater.
The building features:
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A green roof that captures rainwater in a 7,700-gallon underground cistern, which is then used for flushing toilets and irrigating the rooftop garden
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Stormwater generated from the parking lot behind the building is captured and treated within a bio-filtration rain garden
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Rain garden features and bioswale enhancements
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The landscaping includes extensive use of drought-tolerant native plants
For more information on this building, please visit www.lowtideproperties.com/property/1077-great-northern-way.
The Hive
The Hive
The Hive, located at 2150 Keith Drive, was certified in 2022. This new office building is located in the southeast corner of the False Creek Flats neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia. It will be North America’s tallest mass timber brace frame structure (10 storeys, 160,000 square feet).
The Hive will feature an innovative cellular exoskeleton, giving the building a striking honeycomb appearance while also supporting effective stormwater management. The building is designed to achieve LEED gold certification (core and shell).
Highlights include:
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Bioretention cells to manage and treat stormwater runoff from the honeycomb structure and balconies
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Rooftop and balcony planters
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At-grade landscaping covering approximately 50% of the site to absorb and treat rainwater
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Use of native and adapted plant species to reduce water demand and support local ecology
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Plant selections focused on pollinators and bird- and bee-friendly species
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Installation of low-flow and low-flush plumbing fixtures, achieving 30% water savings
For more information on this building, please visit dialogdesign.ca/projects/2150-keith-drive.
BC Transit handyDART
BC Transit handyDART
In September 2022 Salmon-Safe BC announced its first certified site on Vancouver Island — BC Transit’s new HandyDART site in View Royal. With a salmon-bearing stream running along the perimeter of the site, BC Transit’s project team took important measures to preserve and restore the health of the wild salmon habitat and the Craigflower Creek watershed overall.
Highlights include:
• 8000 native plants and trees planted on the site
• Nine rain gardens onsite that cover approximately 1/3 of an acre
• Ongoing invasive species removal and riparian zone maintenance
• Water quality monitoring during construction and site operation
• Reduced water usage through water re-use and low flow features
The handyDART Centre has already seen positive environmental results. In February 2025, 74 coho salmon and cutthroat trout were counted in the restored creek, a tributary of the salmon-bearing Craigflower Creek. This number was nearly three times higher than what was recorded in the first and second years!
For more information on this site, please visit www.bctransit.com.
YVR Airport
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) first earned Salmon-Safe certification through the Fraser Basin Council’s Salmon-Safe BC program in 2016, becoming the first airport in North America to achieve this distinction. YVR continued its commitment to protecting Pacific salmon habitat and water quality by earning recertification in 2022.
YVR is continuing to advance its Salmon-Safe commitments by:
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Using innovative green infrastructure, like bioswales, to naturally filter stormwater runoff.
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Actively monitoring and working to improve water quality for salmon and other aquatic life.
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Reducing reliance on harmful pesticides.
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Restoring and enhancing salmon habitat on Sea Island.
YVR is located on Sea Island, within the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam First Nation and the Fraser River estuary – one of the world's most important salmon rivers. This unique setting highlights the significance of YVR's dedication to environmental best practices. Additionally, the participation of a Musqueam Indigenous Knowledge Holder as a key member of the evaluation team provided invaluable perspective and traditional ecological knowledge, strengthening our shared goals of stewardship and reconciliation.
Our Certified Partners
