SUMMARY REPORT ON 2008 COMOX VALLEY LEARNING LUNCH SEMINAR SERIES: “Create liveable communities AND protect stream health is the vision. To make it happen, a premise underpinning the series is that consistency in understanding of approaches and desired outcomes is best achieved by taking a professional development program into the places where local government practitioners work,” stated Kim Stephens, Water Sustainability Action Plan
Vancouver Island Pilot Program
Precedent-setting in its scope and approach to building local government capacity, the Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series is designed to help local governments determine how they will achieve this over-arching goal statement in Living Water Smart, BC’s Water Plan:
- By 2012, all land and water managers will know what makes a stream healthy, and therefore be able to help land and water users factor in new approaches to securing stream health and the full range of stream benefits (page 43, Living Water Smart)
Organized under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for Britsh Columbia, the series is adding depth to Living Water Smart. The 2008 provincial pilot was implemented through CAVI…which is the acronym for Convening for Action on Vancouver Island.
2008 Comox Valley Seminar Series
Hosted by the City of Courtenay, the Comox Valley series comprised a set of three sessions held during the September through November 2008 period. The three seminars were designed to provide an inter-departmental and inter-municipal learning opportunity for collaborative exploration.
The series was conducted as a cumulative process, from philosophy to tools, in order to advance a regional team approach to rainwater management and green infrastructure. Each session started at 11:00am and ended at 3:00pm.
Regional Team Approach
“This provincial initiative builds on the foundation provided by Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia, published in 2002, and incorporates lessons learned over the past six years,” stated Kim Stephens, Program Coordinator for the Water Sustainability Action Plan.
“The Guidebook set in motion a chain of outcomes that has resulted in British Columbia being recognized internationally as a leader in implementing a natural systems approach to rainwater management in the urban environment. After six years, however, one of the lessons learned is the need for a program that will ensure province-wide consistency in understanding of approaches and desired outcomes. Hence, a premise underpinning the Learning Lunch Seminar Series is that this consistency is best achieved by taking a continuing education program into the places where local government practitioners work.”
To Learn More:
Download a copy of the Summary Report on 2008 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series. This document consolidates under one cover a selection of seven definitive stories describing the key learning outcomes for each seminar.
Create Liveable Communities; Protect Stream Health
The Learning Lunch Seminar Series is part of the implementation program for Beyond the Guidebook: The New Business As Usual. The program promotes a consistent provincial approach to rainwater management and green infrastructure. The desired outcome is that local government and private sector practitioners will make green choices that create liveable communities and protect stream health. 