Tillicum Green Infrastructure Project

Tillicum Green Infrastructure and Climate Resiliency Project

Green infrastructure such as trees, rain gardens and natural areas, offer many benefits (or ecosystem services), that help us to be resilient to extreme heat and weather events, including heat domes, wildfires, major storms and extreme rainfall or atmospheric rivers. The benefits include shade, stormwater management, air purification, carbon sequestration, water quality and more.

The Tillicum Green Infrastructure Project is a partnership between the District of Saanich and the Greater Victoria School District, including the SD61 Indigenous Education Department and Elders Advisory Council, that showcases implementing a nature-based, climate-resilience project on lands around and including Tillicum Elementary School. The project includes the integration of multiple rain gardens and extensive tree and vegetation planting as part of road safety and active transportation upgrades in the Tillicum Community.  The additions will deliver safer and more comfortable crosswalks, sidewalks and active transportation connections, improved rainfall management, reduced urban heat impacts and strengthened climate resilience.

Watch a short video summarizing the project

Project Goals

The project supported multiple goals and targets within the Saanich Climate Plan, Official Community Plan, Active Transportation Plan, Urban Forest Strategy, and Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, including:

  • Expand the urban forest and increase urban forest canopy cover.
  • Increase native and site adaptive planting and connection of natural areas.
  • Reduce impervious areas.
  • Support the implementation of Indigenous knowledge of natural systems and sustainable practices.
  • Capture and treat stormwater run-off from hardscape.
  • Increase ecosystems services and support climate adaptation.
  • Incorporate metrics to measure & evaluate project outcomes.

Project Design

The Project included work at the following locations:

The residential roads of Albina Street, Maddock Avenue and Orillia Street around Tillicum Elementary School.

Tillicum Elementary School, in partnership with the Greater Victoria School District.

  • The landscape design for the school site was developed in partnership with School District staff, including the Facilities Department, the Indigenous Education Department, staff at Tillicum Elementary School, and the Elder’s Advisory Council.
  • Indigenous led in-classroom learning about native planting and climate change was undertaken throughout 2025 and is ongoing with the new outdoor classroom.
  • Click here for a PDF of the School landscape design.

Funding

This project was generously supported by a $396,865 grant from the Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Adaptation (DRR-CA) funding stream of the Provincial Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF). This is administered by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM).