The Greater Victoria School District, in partnership with the District of Saanich, is celebrating the start of the planting and implementation phase for green infrastructure improvements at Tillicum Elementary School, situated on the land of the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations.
"The Tillicum Green Infrastructure Project aims to mitigate growing climate change impacts while integrating Indigenous knowledge of natural systems, Indigenous plant species, and sustainable practices," says Rebecca Newlove, Manager of Sustainability, District of Saanich.
The landscape design for the school site incorporated feedback gathered during a public engagement session held on March 11, 2025, as well as from Tillicum Elementary staff, School District staff including the Facilities Department and the Indigenous Education Department, as well as from the Elder's Advisory Council.
The planting phase was preceded by a blessing of the land held on September 29, 2025, and led by Elder Maryanne Thomas of the Esquimalt Nation, who opened the ceremony with "Today we are going to be marking the ground and asking our ancestors if we can borrow the land for the plants to have a bed to grow in."
"Our school community has been learning about native planting and climate change through in-classroom activities," says Aaron Parker, Principal of Tillicum Elementary School. "It has been such a heartwarming experience to see all of our students helping to plant hundreds of plants on the school site within new natural areas, as part of a rain garden, and around a new outdoor classroom."
The Greater Victoria School District and District of Saanich extend their gratitude to the project's working group including the school's administration, the school district's Indigenous Education Department and Facilities Department, the Sustainability, Engineering and Parks teams at the District of Saanich, and MDI Landscape Architects.
For more information
556 Boleskine Road
Victoria British Columbia
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www.sd61.bc.ca
