The Ground Beneath Our Feet: Wrapping Up Another Successful Year of Soil Contamination Research
October 31, 2025
By Martyna Tomczynski, Healing City Soils Program Manager
This year marked another successful chapter in the Healing City Soils: The Ground Beneath Our Feet student-led soil contamination research project. With the support of the PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ Foundation, Dr. Matt Dodd at Royal Roads University (RRU) and environmental toxicologist Dr. Danielle Stevenson, the Compost Education Centre has been working with BSc in Environmental Science students at RRU over the last four years to better understand the legacy of heavy metal contamination from the industrial history at SṈIDȻEȽ (Tod Inlet, Gowlland Tod Park).
SṈIDȻEȽ (meaning “Place of the Blue Grouse” in SENĆOŦEN) was the first village site of the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples (Elliott, 1990; Gray, 2020). The land and waters that supported a diverse ecosystem of cultural resources was eventually impacted by the effects of European settlement and colonization that altered the soil, sediment, and water health thereafter. The Douglas treaties enabled the acquisition and sale of the land to the Butchart family in 1903, who established the Vancouver Portland Cement Company that quarried limestone for cement production at SṈIDȻEȽ until 1921 (Gray, 2020). The full scope of environmental effects from the historical cement works is still unknown, though various organizations have been leading initiatives to restore the health of the land and waters. At present, the site is enjoyed by the public as a provincial park for hiking, boating, and other recreation, and continues to be a significant area for cultural harvesting and spiritual purposes for the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.
Over the past eight months, our team of four undergraduate students have been investigating the soil health at SṈIDȻEȽ. They conducted two days of soil sampling, collecting 140 samples for analysis using X-Ray Fluorescence to determine the spatial variability of heavy metal contamination. The GPS coordinates of each sampling location were used to create a map as a visual aid for contamination patterns. The outcomes of this research project will help to support the PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ Foundation in their efforts to heal the land at SṈIDȻEȽ by identifying priority areas for targeted restoration activities.
Additionally, the student team analyzed heavy metals in Western Canada Goldenrod (Solidago lepida) plants that were grown and harvested from the site for a phytoremediation pilot experiment in 2024. This pilot research aims to understand the suitability of various plant species for soil remediation, and the beneficial effects of compost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as enhancements for improved metal uptake by plants.
As the year comes to a close, we’re excited to reflect on what the project team has accomplished and look ahead to the next steps. With each year, this project continues to grow—deepening our understanding of soil contamination and strengthening the connections between research, education, and community impact.
References
Elliott, D. (1990). Saltwater People. Edited by J. Poth. School District 62, Saanich, B.C. https://wsanec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/saltwater-people-1983-delliot-sr-compressed.pdf
Gray, D.R. (2020). Deep and Sheltered Waters: The History of Tod Inlet. Royal BC Museum. Victoria, B.C.