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“The Lifetime Members category recognizes the contributions of key individuals who have played a pivotal role in the genesis and/or evolution of the Partnership. The Directors created the Lifetime Membership category to achieve two outcomes. First, we believe this is a material way to recognize the valued contributions of those who have been involved in developing and/or delivering program elements. Secondly, this provides those key individuals with formal standing in their retirement so that they can continue to identify with the Partnership,” stated Tim Pringle.

“I had a real incentive to come to the Cowichan Valley Regional District in 2014 because water was the primary focus. The region was in the midst of a watershed governance study. It was looking at how the CVRD could take a more active role in watershed governance. The Board Chair and I did tours of First Nations communities and met with their chiefs and councils around the intent of this initiative and what would their interest be. We realized that this was bigger than we could take on at that time. Instead, we turned our attention to the Drinking Water & Watershed Protection (DWWP) model for a regional service,” stated Brian Carruthers.

“When any project is seen as ‘The City’, residents are quick to criticize or complain, elected officials are quick to pass these complaints to staff and staff are quick to ‘backpedal’ — especially if a project is a departure from past practice. No surprise, then, that many municipal officials and staff across all jurisdictions are subject to fear of public embarrassment in relation to rain gardens. By contrast, when rain garden projects are seen as ‘volunteer streamkeepers and school kids’, residents are more willing to cut us some slack if there are issues at the outset,” stated Deborah Jones.

Kim Hyatt made significant contributions to DFO in significant and lasting ways, including his work on the Wild Salmon Policy, advice relating to salmon restoration and recovery under the Columbia River Treaty and climate change impacts to salmon populations. His passion for discovery and excitement for innovation resulted in a number of long-standing relationships with First Nations and external organizations—relationships that Kim built on trust, commitment, and honest communication.

Lynn Kriwoken played an instrumental role in the creation and launching of the Water Sustainability Action Plan. A true visionary, Lynn saw how the Water Sustainability Action Plan would provide an umbrella for on-the-ground initiatives that would inform provincial policy through the shared responsibility model. There was a natural fit. Her advocacy within government was essential to securing a flow of provincial funding that got the ball rolling and resulted in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Without Lynn Kriwoken, there would not have been an Action Plan. It really is that simple.

Shared responsibility is a foundation piece for Delta’s rain garden program. “Everyone in the process, students, designers, managers and constructors, must understand and care about the big-picture goal. This requires an ongoing educational process that instills an ethic. This is a team effort. Nothing would have happened without all working together and continuing to work together. Creating a watershed health legacy will ultimately depend on how well we are able to achieve rain water management improvements on both public and private sides of a watershed,” stated Hugh Fraser.

“It really is important for all us to be focused on the future. The Drinking Water & Watershed Protection program has mapped out the next 10 years with Action Plan 2.0, but our vision really needs to remain focused on a much longer time horizon. 10 years is not enough. 100 years is what we need to be looking at. Program success depends on our ability to leverage our resources with those of others to achieve common goals, and to understand what those common goals are,” stated Randy Alexander.

“Each ISMP, or Integrated Stormwater Management Plan, area is unique and must be approached from the perspective of what is required in that watershed. So the key message is that there is no one way for ISMP/watershed approaches; rather, it is a matter of looking at what is needed in each watershed and community, and then basing the approach on those needs. If an ISMP is balanced and holistic, it is a potentially powerful tool because it does enable a local government to address HOW to achieve a watershed vision,” stated Carrie Baron.

“Look for synergies between programs, systems, policies, disciplines and management objectives. Account for uncertainty through acknowledging what we don’t know, and variability in what we do know. Develop effective partnerships that get the vision right and produce sound strategies. he issues around effective water management, and certainly as it pertains watershed planning and restoration efforts, aligns well with fisheries conservation and management considerations. It is not just about the fish,” emphasized Nick Leone, “it is about us and our ability to adapt to change and resiliency,” stated Nick Leone.

The story of how David Mackenzie became involved in the Vancouver Island Symposia Series on Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate shows what is possible for a concerned citizen who wishes to make a difference. In 2018, he went to the first symposium looking for leadership. He found it. He was energized by the experience. Afterwards, he volunteered to provide videography oversight for subsequent symposia. Beginning with his video work for Parksville 2019, he became a valued member of the team.