Bowker Creek is an urban creek that travels through the University of Victoria campus, Saanich and Victoria before merging with the ocean through Oak Bay. Over time, much of the creek has been hidden underground in a series of storm sewers to accommodate urban development.

In an effort to improve stormwater management, recreational opportunities, water quality and riparian life, the Capital Region District (CRD) along with Oak Bay, Saanich, Victoria and local community groups, developed the Bowker Creek Urban Watershed Renewal Initiative (BCI).

As part of the BCI’s 100-year action plan to restore the Bowker Creek Watershed, a goal was set to daylight as much of the creek as possible. Recent efforts for daylighting have been hindered by the absence of a well-defined, long-term creek layout and insufficient planning processes that capitalize on redevelopment opportunities.

ISL was retained by the BCI to define a route for the daylighting of Bowker Creek that could be used as a tool in future development decisions. Over time, as lands are re-developed and major infrastructure approaches renewal, daylighting factors can be considered in the planning stage.

ISL delivered a thorough daylighting plan, integrating the use of land use planning and infrastructure redevelopment. Municipal members of the BCI, along with community representatives, were involved throughout the planning process, allowing ISL to integrate known future development plans into the daylighting feasibility study. The best long-term route was presented, which considers the incorporation of green corridors such as parks and trails, construction impacts and flood mitigation.