contact us

Use the form on the right to contact us.

You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.

7th and St. george
Vancouver BC
Canada

6047280606

The St. George Rainway is a community led initiative aiming to recreate the historic creek that used to flow along the path of St George Street in Vancouver. The Rainway will bring the neighbourhood together, celebrate the rain, a demonstrate an ecologically-diverse way of managing rainwater in the city. The Rainway concept has now been incorporated into the official community plan for the Mt. Pleasant neighbourhood.

Events + Milestones

2020

City of Vancouver commits to starting the St George Rainway!

The City of Vancouver has committed to funding the first step of the Rainway! We are currently in phase 1 of a 5-phase process towards realizing the vision of the St George Rainway. For more information about the new process click here.

2019

City approval of “Rain City Strategy”

City council approves “Rain City Strategy” and “Integrated Blue Green Systems” plan! Presentation to council about the two initiatives here.

2016

BC Society of Landscape Architects Annual Conference - April 1 & 2

This year's BCSLA conference -- "Shifting Currents: Rethinking our Relationships with Water" -- explored the theme of water from many different perspectives. We were thrilled to be invited to present on the St George Rainway Project, and to lead a walking tour of St George Street. 

 

 

Stakeholders in the City of Vancouver's Integrated Rainwater Management Plan

We're excited to be stakeholders in the development of the City of Vancouver's new Integrated Rainwater Management Plan. The Plan is expected to go to Council this spring. Stay tuned!

2015

Celebrate Mount Pleasant Day & "Women and Water" Walk (100-in-1-day) - Saturday June 6

We had a booth at Celebrate Mount Pleasant Day, at Mount Pleasant Elementary school, Saturday June 6 from 11am to 3pm, and led a walk along St George street, tracing the path of the future (hopefully!) rainway (te Statlew) - an event that was part of Vancouver's 100-in-1-day celebrations.

Rainway stewards, L to R: Amy Kiara Ruth, Rita Wong, Max Adrien (and Shahira Sakiyama doing face painting far left!)

Rainway stewards, L to R: Amy Kiara Ruth, Rita Wong, Max Adrien (and Shahira Sakiyama doing face painting far left!)

Promo blurb:

We will meet at the corner of 13th Avenue and St. George St where there is a Storytellers' Bench marking the headwaters of the rainway. Following the path of former St George Creek, we will share stories of what the stream mean to us, and how respect for water is integral to the ongoing process of reconciliation that our society needs to undertake. See www.rainway.ca for more about the Rainway.

Walkers include: Greta Borick-Cunningham, Sarah Primeau, Amy Kiara Ruth, Shahira Sakiyama, Lacey Williams, Rita Wong. All genders, ages, and cultures are welcome to join us. We will have blue fabric, and encourage you to help us re-create a living, human stream, as we walk and talk.

Greta Borick Cunningham is a keen naturalist who lives on St. George Street, is part of the Rainway group and also is the Chair of the False Creek Watershed Society. She is currently working as the Executive Director at the Alouette River Management Society in Maple Ridge

Sarah Primeau is a landscape architect and ecologist who lives and works in the neighbourhood, and who is passionate about using rainwater to help bring life to cities.

Amy Kiara Ruth is a kinesiologist and somatic movement educator who is a friend and guardian of the Rainway.

Shahira Sakiyama lives by the rainway and is a Creek Steward for the St. George Rainway Project group. She loves to create and support events for water with kids and, ideally, music, food, and fun!

Lacey Williams is an urban planner and artist currently living and working out of Vancouver, BC.

Rita Wong is a writer, educator and water lover who lives along the Rainway and works to reconnect this city's neighbourhoods and citizens with the streams beneath their feet.

rainwayprocession.jpg

2014

Main Street BIA's AutumnShift Festival

St George Rainway booth at AutumnShift 2014

St George Rainway booth at AutumnShift 2014


2013

Mural repainting took place on May 31, 2013

Creek Forum

On November 5th, 2013, The Vancouver Society of Storytelling (VSOS) and The Creek Stewards from Mount Pleasant Elementary School led a day of activities on St George Street, from Kingsway to 13th Avenue, in the headwaters of the te Statlew - the little creek now known as the St. George Rainway. The event reflected and celebrated over a year of work that the students undertook to meet their community enhancement goals, understanding that Green Infrastructure builds social cohesion and is a long-term antidote to isolation.

 

creek forum.jpg

We asked ourselves the question: what role do we as citizens and taxpayers play in influencing the development of the place we call home? The activities were designed to inform and inspire engagement with place-making. Since the car-dealership on the corner is redeveloping, it is urgent and imperative that all community stakeholders engage with telling the story of what the headwaters of te Statlew could be. We are grateful that Destination Auto is open to a community design process and conversation about integrated public space. Together, we can weave our narratives together in a good way.


Adoption into Mount Pleasant Community Plan!

On October 23, 2013 the City of Vancouver council adopted the Mount Pleasant Community Plan Implementation Plan, which includes the St George Rainway as a part of the Public Realm Plan

Clip from the Mt Pleasant Community Plan Implementation Plan, Chapter 4. Public Realm Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


2012

Storyteller's Bench Building

Together with the Vancouver Society of Storytelling, we built a cob bench to mark the headwaters of te Statlew. Watch the video below for background on its design.


St George Street Mural: Community Design Workshop & Painting














2011

Parade and Community Design Workshop:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope to see you at:

Celebrating St. George Creek, June 4, 2011
Sat., June 4, 2011
Mount Pleasant Elementary, 2300 Guelph St. (8th Ave)

11 am: Parade

Join the Carnival Band and storyteller Naomi Steinberg in a parade tracing the historical creek beneath St. George Street. Water themed costumes are encouraged. Meet in the field of St. George St. and 7th Ave. We’ll end the parade with lunch at Mount Pleasant Elementary.

1 pm – 3 pm: Community Design Workshop

Join Julien Thomas (community member, facilitator), Branca Verde (City of Vancouver – Community Planning), and more local citizens to share ideas for how to green and blue our neighbourhood (Mount Pleasant Elementary lunchroom).

All are welcome to these free events. Please forward this to folks who might be interested.
For more info, please email Rita, rwong@ecuad.ca


Vancouver Stories 125 video

As part of the City’s 125 celebrations, the Vancouver Park Board selected a team of digital media artists to work within the Vancouver community to capture the oral histories, stories and memories of local residents. The St George Creek / Rainway group produced the following video for the series (more here).


St George Creek Brochure:

Click here to view the 2011 St George Creek brochure


2010

St George Creek Street Party: