DOCUMENTARY PROJECT
SWIMMING FALSE CREEK
NOW IN RESEARCH PHASE
A global model for urban waterfront development, the picturesque waterway known as False Creek in Vancouver, Canada has a dirty little secret. Despite heavy year-round use as an aquatic playground, host to stand-up paddlers, yachts of all sizes, kayakers and dragon boaters, the Creek’s water quality is not safe for swimming. In the dry months of summer, E. coli bacteria levels often run so high the city’s showcase Sunset Beach must be shut down.
Beaches Closed
JULY 2019 – A police tape barrier once again keeps beachgoers from reaching the water. E. coli contamination near the entrance of False Creek exceeded safe levels for swimming. Shortly before the beach closure, Vancouver had missed its stated goal of making False Creek swimmable by 2018.
Where do the contaminants come from? Some contend that boaters, including live-abords moored in the Creek, dump their raw waste overboard, while the boating community points to the city’s building boom and an inadequate sewage treatment system. This documentary by GreatCircle Films will seek to understand why the city’s stated goal of restoring False Creek to a swimmable condition by 2018 was not met and seems to have been abandoned, and what hurdles must be overcome to finally achieve it.
Do you have a stake in the False Creek waterfront or a connection to its past? The producers are seeking contacts and archival records that may aid in our reporting. If you have a perspective on the story of False Creek’s water quality, or if you’re aware of data or documents we should see, we’d like to hear from you. Please contact GreatCircle Films at this address: hello@greatcirclefilms.ca.
