Restoring Camosun Bog - AM

Restoring and Cherishing Camosun Bog

Camosun Bog is an integral piece in the tradition and history of the Musqueam First Nations. The very origin of the Musqueam name came from Camosun Bog. It is said that a double-headed serpent lived in the bog, and one day it slithered away until it reached the river, leaving a trail behind which became a creek. As the serpent traveled, it left droppings which grew into a new plant, the məθkʷəy̓. The Musqueam name means place o

f the məθkʷəy̓.

Elder Larry Grant is a member of the Musqueam Nation. He is half chinese, half Musqueam. Both of Elder Grant’s parents were the same age, born in 1906. His father traveled from china in the 1920s, when he was a teenager. His father worked on a farm, and noticed his mother walking past each day, so his father went to his mother’s house to ask about her. His father found out that his mother did not have a husband or a boyfriend, so he asked if he could fill that role. The law stated that indeginous and non-indigenous people could not be together on the reserve, and yet Elder Grant’s parents still were married and had four children. Elder Grant was the second son, so he learned he would inherit any of the family’s wealth. For this reason, Elder Grant knew he had only himself to rely on, so he gained a sense of independence. Elder Grant and his brother were boarded out to another Chinese family as children, and under the law, they were recognised a Chinese and not Musqueam. In these two ways, Elder Grant learned what it felt like to not belong. Elder Grant’s grandfather was a logging contractor, a very lucrative job at the time, so he earned a lot of money. However, to Elder Grant’s grandfather, money and the western idea of being well-off held no value. Because of this, he gave most of his money and belongings away, and only kept what he needed. Elder Grant is upset that Camosun Bog is shrinking, because it is a part of Musqueam history, and without it the Musqueam would lose their story and the traces they have there. Elder Grant would like to see the bog grow again, so that people can learn from it as his people did.

In 1929, new drainage pipes were installed around Camosun Bog, to fit the needs of the growing city. This drainage system dried out the bog, and invasive species like Hemlock trees began to grow and spread. In 1991, an effort began to restore the bog to its former state. The Hemlock trees were removed, the bog dug out and lowered, and more Sphagnum Moss was planted. To this day, the effort to restore and preserve the bog continues. Soil is removed to make room for new peat, and boardwalks and signage have been installed, so that people can enjoy the bog without damaging it.