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“Formation of the society is a pivotal milestone in the history of the WBM. Over the years, various people have asked us who owns the WBM. Now when we answer ‘the Partnership owns it’, it will be crystal clear to everyone that the Partnership is in fact a legal entity. This evolution is important to our funders becauses it increases our ability to obtain grants for ongoing enhancement of WBM capabilities,” stated Ted van der Gulik.

The ‘Convening for Action’ initiative addresses water sustainability in BC and it engages practitioners whose careers, professions, employment and volunteer roles impact the land. Land and water are inextricably linked and strategies to achieve water sustainability require collaboration and a shared approach among practitioners. “It has been one conversation at a time. It is not ‘talking at’ people. It is about facilitating the conversation. Somebody has to provide an excuse to bring people together. Local government people started talking to each other and sharing,” recalls Kim Stephens.

Tom Field is the first individual to be recognized as a Champion Supporter of the Partnership for Water Sustainability. Within weeks of incorporation, he foresaw the potential and acted promptly. “I have consulted with those of the group who are still actively engaged in environmental engineering in the Lower Mainland and we have unanimously agreed that the newly incorporated Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia is an appropriate recipient of this money. Over the last year we have looked at various causes and destinations to which the money could be directed. We are therefore happy to provide the funds to the Partnership,” wrote Tom Field.

“It is especially fitting that the Land Champion Award go first to Tim Pringle. This sets the bar pretty high for subsequent nominations. Tim leaves with a long legacy,” stated Michael Clague.

While with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ted managed and provided direction to a team of professional Engineers and Agrologists. Team members were specialists in farm structures, waste management, mechanization, environmental management, irrigation and drainage. The team was instrumental in development and delivery of agricultural programs, including: the environmental farm planning program, water supply expansion program and the current Growing Forward program.

During Mike’s time with BC Hydro’s Power Smart, he managed and provided direction to a team of Managers and professional staff engaged in various key marketing functions and, in delivering complex and multi-technology products and services through various programs and initiatives. Mike was an early adopter of the benefits of both energy and water conservation and, the possibilities of “Watergy”.

For 30 years Richard Boase has practiced environmental and urban geoscience. His project work and passion during this time has involved watershed restoration, community and stakeholder engagement, environmental impacts assessment and land use planning. His focus is on environmental impact assessment and watershed restoration.

With a career of over four decades as a professional engineer and Chartered Water & Environmental Manager, Derek Richmond was an early pioneer in urban modelling and planning in the UK and in Canada. He has worked across a broad spectrum of water resource and infrastructure projects, issues and applications, and has applied those skills by working in both the private and public sector.

An engineer-planner, Kim Stephens has more than four decades of experience. This covers the continuum of water resource and infrastructure engineering issues and applications, from master planning and modelling to implementation of capital projects. He specializes in public policy and professional development, and has played a leadership role in a series of initiatives in British Columbia.

A civil and environmental engineer, John Finnie has over 40 years of water, wastewater and solid waste regulatory and utility management experience with the BC Ministry of Environment and the Regional District of Nanaimo. John received the first BCWWA Leadership in Water Sustainability Award for his accomplishments, in particular for his work in championing the Regional District of Nanaimo Drinking Water & Watershed Protection initiative.