Fletchers Creek SNAP in Action
We’re celebrating five years of the Fletchers Creek Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan (SNAP). The Action Plan is a collective, forward-looking vision for the neighbourhood developed in consultation with the community and project partners.
The Action Plan’s five themes are reflective of community interests and target action in all corners of the neighbourhood.
Let’s take a closer look at a project we’re proud of, which targets our third theme– Strong Schools.
![Accumulated water puddling on a field.](https://files.cvc.ca/cvc/uploads/2024/08/Picture2-1-1024x1024.jpg)
Glendale Public School Rain Garden
Through the Students for Stormwater project, our education team has engaged approximately 220 students and their teachers to design, build and maintain 10 school rain gardens, with another on the way this fall.
The Glendale rain garden, located in the Fletchers Creek SNAP neighbourhood, stands out as one of the most remarkable school-based rain gardens because it’s one of the largest in Canada. It can filter up to 600,000 litres of stormwater annually, that’s nearly two and a half Olympic-sized swimming pools!
What is a Rain Garden?
A rain garden is a landscaped feature that replaces an area of lawn to collect rain and melted snow, called stormwater that runs off grass, rooves and driveways. This shallow depression has loose, deep soil that absorbs and naturally filters stormwater runoff.
Benefits of Rain Gardens
![Two people posing with newly planted trees in a garden.](https://files.cvc.ca/cvc/uploads/2024/08/Picture3-1-1024x1024.jpg)
Rain gardens have many benefits. They provide habitat for birds, butterflies and beneficial insects while enhancing the beauty of your home and neighbourhood.
Rain gardens prevent water from flowing onto sidewalks and roads, stopping pollutants from entering our storm drains and eventually into our rivers and lakes. This makes them a fantastic alternative to grass or pavement. Rain gardens can help fix soggy yard issues. Did you know a rain garden can soak up about 30 per cent more water than a patch of lawn?
Because of our changing climate, rainfall and storm events are becoming more extreme and frequent. This leads to an increased risk of flooding. Rain gardens can help reduce the impacts of flooding in schoolyards and on your property. With all the rain we have seen this summer, now is a great time to discover the benefits of rain gardens.
Celebrate with SNAP!
Join us on Saturday, September 12 for a tour of the Glendale rain garden. We’ll work together to maintain and care for the garden.
Learn About Rain-ready Landscapes
Celebrate five years of Fletchers Creek SNAP by creating a rain garden in your yard.
Here are three steps to help you get started.
- Learn more about rain gardens by reading this factsheet.
- Check out TRCA’s Complete Guide to Building a Rain Garden.
- Use our resources like the Native Plants for Rain-ready Landscapes plant list to discover more resilient plants that thrive in rain gardens and soakaways. Find local native plants for your property using our native plant nursery guide.
By Shahrzad Gharabaghi, Coordinator, Sustainable Neighbourhood