In our debut episode, anchor Matt Brown is joined by Dr. Melissa Lem and Fin Donnelly to discuss why access to clean “blue spaces” is vital for our health, communities, and climate future, and why community advocacy is essential to delivering it. Connecting with nature, including water bodies such as False Creek, fosters a virtuous cycle of stewardship and well-being: we protect what we love, and what we love protects us.

As we envision a False Creek that is safely swimmable, we consider the goal of it becoming Canada’s first National Urban Marine Park — a living lab blending Indigenous knowledge, Western science, community stewardship, and innovative design to make our city healthier and more resilient.

Dr. Melissa Lem is a family physician, President of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and Director of PaRx: Canada’s national nature prescription program powered by the BC Parks Foundation. She is recognized internationally as a leader at the intersection of natural spaces and human well-being.

Fin Donnelly is a dedicated advocate for waterways: as a former MLA, Member of Parliament & Coquitlam City Councillor; as an athlete: having twice swum the entire 1400 kilometre length of the Fraser River; as a founder of the Rivershed Society of BC; and now as the Fraser Riverkeeper for Swim Drink Fish Canada.

Learn more about the False Creek Friends Society and get involved at https://www.falsecreekfriends.org

Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know about news, events, petitions, volunteer opportunities, and other ways to support False Creek’s future → https://www.falsecreekfriends.org/newsletter

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Produced and recorded by Mendel Skulski

Theme Music by Jonathan Kawchuk, mix by Paul Evans

Editing by Greg Sures, Riley Byrne, and Mendel Skulski

Cover Artwork by Aline Monjardim

Wordmark by Madison Reid

Additional Cinematography by Mary Paquet, Fernando Lessa, and Johannes Fast

Welcome to Waterbodies — a podcast from the Friends of False Creek.

On this podcast (recorded on-location in False Creek), we're platforming expert conversations to foster a deeper, mutual relationship between people and urban waterways, and amplify local voices shaping public policy.

We're calling for False Creek to be included in Canada’s 30 by 30 conservation goals through designation as a National Urban Marine Park with Indigenous co-governance. Nestled next to our city’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, and crossed by nearly a quarter of a million commuters every day, False Creek is Vancouver’s most significant interface with the Pacific Ocean. It is beloved by residents and tourists alike, but has been recognized as needing significant rehabilitation for over a century. Responsible and visionary stewardship of these waters will have innumerable co-benefits:

For Public Health

Access to vibrant natural spaces, both blue and green, has been repeatedly shown to significantly improve human mental and physical well-being, and support a virtuous cycle of care for our environment.

For Indigenous Reconciliation

Reconciliation is more than a slogan where False Creek is concerned. Courts have found that the 1913 eviction of Squamish People from their village, Sen̓áḵw, was outright fraud. There is important and ennobling work still to be done - especially following the concept of “Conservation Through Reconciliation” where everyone benefits, including the vast array of marine life that someday will thrive again.

For More-than-Human Beings

We now know that this living body of water is a natural entity with potential legal rights. False Creek nurtures a vast range of lifeforms that have the right to thrive, to be left alone. False Creek Friends is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development goals that proclaim the Rights of Nature.

For Climate Resilience

Sea level rise and climate-related storm surges pose significant risks to Vancouver's coastal areas, including parts of downtown, the False Creek Flats and along the Fraser River. Softening the shoreline must be an integral part of Vancouver's flood management.

For Sport and Leisure

Currently False Creek waters are classified by government as only safe for “secondary contact” - meaning you should not get wet. And yet thousands of recreational paddlers do get splashed, and some get sick. The uncertainty needs to be eliminated so everyone can jump in without fear.

For Environmental & Social Justice

Human access to the marine area of False Creek largely benefits a privileged class that can afford to be on the water. And yet, in 2023, the government of Canada passed a law that everyone has a right to a healthy environment. A...