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“We get to make our own choices. We get to make our own future. We just have to have the vision to imagine, and the tenacity to pursue it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it,” stated Premier Gordon Campbell. “A future with a great environment that’s clean and healthy. A future with communities that are strong and resilient in the face of change. Those dreams can be realized by working together.”

“From all corners of Vancouver Island and in all sectors, leaders are wanting opportunities to collaborate, communicate and share best practices, resources and information. The general consensus is that there is unnecessary comnpetition and that everyone on the Island would benefit from more collaboration and sharing on all levels. Now is not the time to be only concerned with issues within our defined community boundaries and subregions” stated Eric Bonham.

“The phrase water for life and livelihoods conveys the fundamental principles of sustainability of natural systems in their own right and in relation to the health and wellbeing of people who benefit from the use of water for basic life needs and economic activity,” stated John Finnie, CAVI Chair. “Water sustainability can and will be achieved through implementation of green infrastructure policies and practices. Getting there requires a change in mind-set.”

The objective of the session led by Iain Cuthbert on the Business of Sustainability was to facilitate dialogue on opportunities related to the business of sustainability such as: the environmental industry and sustainable development practices, Green Buildings, and the many opportunities for sustainable, renewable energy on Vancouver Island. “Sustainability ranks high on the legislative agendas of most governments, media coverage of the topic is widespread and sustainability issues are on the tops of minds of many Vancouver Islanders,” states Iain Cuthbert. “What is less known are the business implications and opportunities related to sustainability on Vancouver Island. What are businesses doing now to capitalize on sustainability driven agendas and to participate in the ‘Green Economy’?”

Bruce Sampson spent much of his early career in the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance in Victoria. The latter part of his career was spent at BC Hydro where he had several positions, including Vice President of Strategic Planning and finally Vice President of Sustainability. Bruce was BC Hydro’s representative on the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and he and his team played a significant role in leading BC Hydro’s sustainable development strategy.

“It was serendipity that brought together the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) and members of the ‘CAVI-Leadership in Fresh Water Sustainability’ leadership team at the Dialogue in Nanaimo. The success of this event set the stage for CAVI participation in the State of the Island Summit in October, organized by VIEA. An outcome of the Summit is that VIEA has made collaboration with CAVI a priority in its Strategic Plan. Another outcome is that VIEA is now represented on the CAVI Leadership Team,” stated Kim Stephens.

“It is amazing when one thinks about the subjects that come up in the CAVI initiative, with common themes and common issues. Today, I see local government being at a major crossroads. After 43 years, I wish I had longer to go in local government, but I don’t. There is a whole list of things that we have heard today which I think will inspire us to move forward; to think about we are doing individually and collectively; and to try to get together to produce a better Canada,” stated Kevin Lagan.

The desired outcome for the workshop was that participating practitioners would connect the dots between three initiatives (Water Pricing Primer, RDN Action for Water, and Beyond the Guidebook 2010). “Money, it should be about how to get the most value out of every dollar spent. Too often, thinking stops after the capital investment is made. Yet everyone needs to be thinking in terms of life-cycle costs, including future recapitalization of the investment,” stated Wally Wells.

“From all corners of Vancouver Island and in all sectors, leaders are wanting opportunities to collaborate, communicate and share best practices, resources and information. The general consensus is that there is unnecessary competition and that everyone on the Island would benefit from more collaboration and sharing on all levels. We must look outside our boundaries and work with our neighbouring communities for the betterment of all,” stated Eric Bonham.

Part of the rollout to stimulate a national dialogue on sustainable water management, the Nanaimo Water Pricing Workshop is described as the first of its kind in Canada. The workshop program is a unique blend of research and practice. “Sustainable service delivery is an emerging issue in BC. Changing and/or additional demands mean the local government workload is expanding. Local governments are being challenged to maintain and/or replace existing infrastructure over time, and to ‘do more with less’,” states Kim Stephens.