By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Delta Optimist Equipped with shovels, pots, and a list of native plant species to rescue, Tsawwassen First Nation members, elders, and staff gathered at the Fraser River Tunnel Project site on Deas Island to salvage plants before the land was cleared. The idea came from Amelia Kirby of TFN’s Treaty Rights and Title team, who is also an avid gardener. Kirby raised the idea after learning that several project sites were slated for clearing within Tsawwassen’s traditional territory. These were lands where ancestors once harvested food and medicines, so she proposed finding opportunities to salvage native plants before it was too late. As a result, the group successfully saved several species in collaboration with Evergreen and the Fraser River Tunnel Project. These included…






