Justin Smith: 07-16-2025

I can add “water testing assistant” to my resume.

I was to meet my colleague Henry Challen at the Seabus terminal by 7:00 am. I was late, and Henry was waiting. I scrambled from my skytrain and boarded the boat. Turns out, Henry was still waiting for me by the Skytrain, and I had left him behind. 

North Vancouver Quay

After my administrative error, we met up at the North Vancouver Quay. Henry was equipped — a cooler full of ice packs and test tubes, an instruction manual, and a stylish Fraser Riverkeeper shirt (for sale soon). 

Henry prepping for a morning of sampling at North Vancouver Quay

After sanitizing our hands, I followed him onto a wooden platform. While I struggled to get my balance, Henry had already submerged his arm and was collecting our first sample. A few minutes later, we found ourselves scaling down loose rocks to collect another. 

Henry taking water samples

While taking notes and pictures, I was struck by the importance of this work. It is one thing for a harbour to be visually stunning; it is another for it to be safe for communities to enjoy. The work that Henry and others do is crucial to informing our communities, and moving us towards more preserving and protecting our shared water.