Jim Dumont and Dr. Charles Rowney are the Engineering Applications Authority and Scientific Authority, respectively. The are responsible for constant improving the Water Balance Model to meet the needs of local government.
“We are in for the long haul. Watersheds are fundamental to our settlements. By working to balance watershed health with settlement prosperity, communities can sustain their well-being. We are helping to support communities to understand this equation and move to implementation,” stated Tim Pringle.
“We are building on the ‘collaborative model’ to implement Living Water Smart and Green Communities. We are doing this by delivering the Water Sustainability Action Plan through partnerships. Over the past decade, we have built a ‘partnership architecture’ that solidifies commitment to achieving practical outcomes under the umbrella of the Action Plan. It is the breadth of these partnerships that enables the Partnership for Water Sustainability to fulfil its integrating role and connect dots to links humans, watershed, landscape and buildings,” concludes Kim Stephens.
Through collaboration, the four Comox Valley local governments are striving for a coordinated approach to watershed-based rainwater management in the Comox Valley and across boundaries. There is region-wide commitment to develop Watershed Blueprints. Kevin Lagan’s leadership helped make this possible. Kevin played an important role in building credibility in the local government setting for the CAVI, Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, initiative. This credibility was a critical consideration in the decision to incorporate the Partnership as a not-for-profit society in November 2010. The City of Courtenay is a charter member.
“The Regional Board is committed to achieving the vision that we share for watershed sustainability in our region. We also appreciate the leadership shown by Kate Miller in guiding the CVRD to the destination. Kate truly is a champion. She is demonstrating how benefits are flowing to this region because we collaborate with other regions,” stated Mayor Rob Hutchins, Chair of the Regional Board.
“We at the District like to think that, not only do we comply with provincial legislation, in fact usually we precede and quite often we lead provincial legislation – for example, as we did in the 1990s when we enacted our Environmental Protection Plan,” stated Councillor Alan Nixon.
“The Surrey Sustainability Charter is about making the right choices and doing the right things. The Charter provides a comprehensive lens through which we will view all future initiatives, programs and plans. It provides us with a framework to best develop and manage Surrey’s human and physical resources to create a strong, sustainable city,” states Mayor Dianne Watts.
“Since 2002, Metro Vancouver has formally put the concept of sustainability at the centre of its operating and planning philosophy, and has committed itself to be a leader. The Integrated Plan for managing rainwater as a resource now provides the means to translate the Sustainability Framework into tangible actions on the ground,” notes Chair Greg Moore.
“Local governments will benefit from the information sharing between four Vancouver Island regional districts, learn from the experiences of the other regional districts, and be able to participate in workshops delivered locally and elsewhere on Vancouver Island,” stated Glenn Harris.
“Through the Urban Containment Boundary, we have avoided urban sprawl and we are doing our best to do what is right; and that is why the RDN Board is both supporting and partnering with CAVI. As a Board, we believe it is our job to protect the quality of life values that attract people to Vancouver Island,” stated Joe Stanhope, Chair.
