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Convening for Action in British Columbia

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RURAL CONSTITUENCIES WANT A VOICE: “Zoom towns made possible by high-speed internet in rural communities have allowed vast numbers of people to vacate their city condo for a family home in a rural setting,” stated Barry Janyk, Executive Director of the BC Rural Centre


“For the past decade rural communities had been devising clever population attraction strategies and finding occasional success in achieving incremental growth. Coincidental with the expansion of broadband communications, the global COVID pandemic and the predicted demographic upheaval, living in urban areas became less attractive. Many folks who had been considering leaving urban centres quickly did. We characterize the three main groups moving to the really small communities as digital nomads, amenity migrants, and retirees,” stated Barry Janyk.

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DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Trust is the currency of collaboration in the Comox Valley” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in May 2023


“The thing too about the speed of trust in our community is the stewardship sector and its strength. It has always been strong. And that has long been part of the messaging out of the Comox Valley. Trust is so critical in forming relationships with interested parties such as the stewardship sector. After the years of understanding each other’s perspectives, we can have a conversation about solutions. I can ask them questions because they have ears to ground, and they can ask me about and give input to regulatory changes,” stated Nancy Gothhard.

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DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Healthy Waters Program for salmon, whales, and people” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in May 2023


“The new Healthy Waters program will support sampling and analysis for a variety of contaminants of concern at up to 12 flagship BC watersheds. We will engage, share and train Indigenous community members, conservation teams and local authorities, thereby leveraging capacity in support of water quality monitoring and stewardship. The program aims to monitor water quality, effectively documenting water contaminants from the mountains to the sea,” stated Dr. Peter Ross.

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DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Erik Karlsen and the Streamside Protection Regulation” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in May 2023


During the period 1996 through 2001, the BC government tasked Erik Karlsen with the lead role in developing the wording of an Order in Council to enact Section 12 of the Fish Protection Act. It was a unique position, as this legislation was a Ministry of Environment initiative, but led by Erik, who was the Director of Regional Growth Strategies in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Over a period of two years, Erik Karlsen chaired a committee of experts in a process that focused on the science, the policies, the costs, the benefits with a goal of gaining consensus from all sectors.

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ARTICLE: “What would you tell newly elected local government representatives about Sustainable Service Delivery through asset management? – A water sustainability perspective “(Winter 2023 issue of Asset Management BC Newsletter)


“My over-arching message to those elected in October 2022 is succinct: Get the water part right in a changing climate, and you will be amazed how other parts of the community resiliency puzzle then fall into place. A supporting message is this: Our land ethic has consequences for water. This means elected representatives need to understand why development practices disconnect the water balance pathways that power stream-ecology. They also need to understand why a water-first approach to green infrastructure can reconnect the two,” stated Kim Stephens.

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DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Shelly Creek in Parksville is a “living laboratory” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in April 2023


Peter Law has put his time and energy into Shelly Creek, as do many other stream stewards in their watersheds around BC, such that Shelly Creek has become a “living laboratory” for the local Parksville community to enjoy. “Enhanced riparian greenways like Shelly Creek Park allow fish to survive in natural conditions without encroachment issues. That 1990s decision to create an enhanced linear park showed great foresight. The proof of the pudding is that it saved the resident Cutthroat trout population during the heat dome and extreme drought of 2021,” stated Peter Law.

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DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Fifty Years – and miraculously still here: BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in April 2023


Most British Columbians do not know a British Columbia without the ALR. “With only about 5% of BC’s land area capable of agricultural use, 50 years ago it was estimated we were losing 6000 hectares per year to non-farm uses. It was clear that local governments could not withstand development pressures upon this scarce provincial resource, In 1973, the Agricultural Land Reserve not only preserved the land for food production for present and future generations, but it preserved the option to plan our settled communities to be more resilient and sustainable,” stated Joan Sawicki.

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DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Looking at green roofs through a water balance lens” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in April 2023


Given how our climate is changing – with longer, drier summers being BC’s new reality – communities must adapt to a changing seasonal water balance. Harvy Takhar’s connected blue-green roof (BGR) may well prove to be an important piece in a long-term strategy for water balance management. “BGR systems are a novel nature-based solution for climate change adaptation and mitigation that provides multiple benefits to the urban environment,” stated Harvy Takhar. He has re-energized an aspect of green roof research that had lain dormant for two decades.

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DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Local governments invest in youth at Vancouver Island University” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in April 2023


“The story behind the story is about the importance of embedding knowledge of EAP into the youth who are going to be the future of our local governments. The framework that we have set up ensures this will happen. We have a commitment from the Partnership for Water Sustainability to provide oversight and mentoring during a 3-year transition period. And three local governments – Municipality of North Cowichan, City of Nanaimo, and the Regional District of Nanaimo – are committed to providing project work experience for students,” stated Graham Sakaki.

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DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: History and application of a science-based road map for either protecting or restoring stream system integrity” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in March 2023


In the 1990s, Puget Sound research correlated land use changes with impacts on stream system condition. This was the springboard for BC to develop methodologies and metrics for science-based solutions. “It was when I decided to take advantage of a Fellowship Program to do my PhD that I hooked up with Rich Horner. This was at the start of the Puget Sound research project and proved to be good timing. We looked at why salmon stocks were declining in Puget Sound. We established that the loss of riparian and watershed land cover has a real impact before water quality does,” stated Chris May.

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