2009 Penticton Forum: Flagship event showcased partnerships, collaboration, innovation and integration
Smart Planning & Living Water Smart in British Columbia
The Summer 2009 issue of Watermark Magazine, published by the British Columbia Water & Waste Association, includes an article about the Penticton Forum. Held in conjunction with the Annual BCWWA Conference, the Forum showcased three regions where communities are ‘convening for action’ and embracing a ‘regional team approach’ to make a difference.
The Penticton Forum also showcased web-based provincial tools that have been developed to help communities achieve water sustainability through truly green development.
The Challenge: “What Will You Do Differently After Today?”
“We showcased how partnerships, collaboration, innovation and integration are helping local governments in three regions make the best choices for living water smart,” stated Kim Stephens. He was the Forum moderator; and is the Program Coordinator for the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.
“We challenged participants to apply what they learned at the Penticton Forum; and to make ‘green choices’ that will ripple through time, and will be cumulative in creating liveable communities, reducing wasteful water use, and protecting stream health. Viewed in this context, the success of the Penticton Forum will ultimately be measured by what was set in motion at the Forum.
Reflecting on the Day
The Penticton Forum attracted close to 80 participants from communities around the province, including a contingent of Okanagan elected representatives.
“Thank you ‘it was an EXCELLENT day!’ an extremely effective and efficient way to communicate,” stated Councillor Maria Besso of the District of Coldstream. “I appreciated the great thought provoking presentations… This forum was very timely and the information and contacts made on this one day may ultimately have a significant influence on my ability to lead from a position of knowledge. I will try to embody the clear messages of the day, and further add this quote from JFK: Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
To Learn More:
To download a copy of the Watermark article, please click on this link to The 2009 Penticton Forum: Showcasing partnerships, collaboration, innovation and integration.
The story of the Forum is told in a series of six stories published weekly on the Water Bucket website. These describe the elements of the Forum program, and are consolidated in a stand-alone document titled Convening for Action and Making Green Choices in British Columbia: The Story of the 2009 Pentiction Forum. These stories progressively connected the dots to foreshadow what participants could expect at the Penticton.
