In a small but symbolic gesture, principal Shelley Hardcastle and vice-principal Mary Kaercher released 100 coho salmon fry into Reay Creek on Wednesday afternoon (June 9) on behalf of students at Deep Cove Elementary School.
The release happened after students had discussed the bleach spill last week that killed several hundred fish.
The bleach had entered the creek through a stormwater drain via a perimeter drain. Ian Bruce, executive director for Peninsula Streams Society, has called for a speedy and thorough investigation of the events leading to the spill.
The Peninsula News Review has reached out to Environment and Climate Change Canada for comment but has yet to receive a reply.
RELATED: Several hundred fish dead in Sidney’s Reay Creek after suspected bleach leak
Reay Creek is a popular spot for local schools to release salmon fry under a long-running program that sees local elementary students learn about salmon in their classrooms, tracking their development from the egg to the fry phase.
The area has also seen significant investments in recent years to improve its infrastructure and its ecology. Both Sidney and North Saanich are currently working on projects to further improve the area.
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