Rollout of ‘Beyond the Guidebook 2010’ will commence at UBCM Annual Convention on September 27
Forging Gold Medal Standards
Released in June, the formal rollout of Beyond the Guidebook 2010 will commence at the annual convention of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities on September 27th as part of a half-day session titled Sustainability Planning & Practices. Organized by the Ministry of Environment, the session will also feature the Water Act Modernization Process and the Provincial Drought Response Plan.
Implementing a New Culture in BC
“Beyond the Guidebook 2010 is the story of what has been accomplished on the ground since 2004, through partnerships and collaboration, under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia,” reports Kim Stephens, Program Coordinator for the Action Plan.
“Beyond the Guidebook 2010 is about implementing a new culture for urban watershed protection and restoration. It speaks to the convention theme, Forging Gold Medal Standards, because 2010 is a year that will not soon be forgotten in British Columbia. This is the perfect time to capitalize on forward momentum in our communities.”
“At UBCM, Glen Brown and Raymond Fung will provide the provincial and local government perspectives, respectively, when they elaborate on the ‘design with nature’ provincial policy framework that enables local governments to build and rebuild communities in balance with ecology.”
“British Columbia is at a tipping point. Implementation of a new culture for urban watershed protection and restoration is within our grasp,” concludes Kim Stephens.
To Learn More About UBCM Convention:
To view and/or download a copy of the convention brochure, click on Forging Gold Medal Standards will be the theme when BC’s local governments gather in Whistler in September
With local governments increasingly adopting integrated sustainability planning approaches, there is a greater need to develop and strengthen collaborative partnerships amongst all orders of government in environmental management.
To read the complete story, click on Climate Change Adaptation: UBCM study session on sustainability planning and practice has water-centric emphasis
To Learn More About Beyond the Guidebook 2010:
Beyond the Guidebook 2010 tells the stories of how a ‘regional team approach’ is being implemented in the Okanagan, on Vancouver Island, and in Metro Vancouver. These stories demonstrate that the practitioner culture is changing as an outcome of collaboration, partnerships and alignment.
To download a copy, click on Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia
Water Sustainability Action Plan
“Released in 2004, the Wate Sustainability Action Plan is the local government implementation interface for two over-arching provincial initiatives: Living Water Smart, BC’s Water Plan, and the Green Communities Initiative. The program goals for these intiatives constitute a ‘call to action’ on the part of local governments,” states Glen Brown, Executive Director with the Ministry of Community & Rural Development.
“A decade ago, we made a conscious decision to follow an educational rather than prescriptive path in BC. We realized that changing the way we develop land depends on establishing higher expectations and challenging practitioners to embrace shared responsibility.”
“Beyond the Guidebook 2010 is the ‘telling of the stories’ of how local governments have responded to the challenge; and how a water-centric approach to green infrastructure and community development is taking root in BC.
The New Business As Usual
“We branded this as The New Business As Usual. We knew it would take time to change the culture. We now have the tools and the case study experience to ‘design with nature’,” continues Raymond Fung, Chair of the Green Infrastructure Partnership. He is Director of Engineering & Transportation with the District of West Vancouver.
“The Water Sustainability Action Plan has evolved into a comprehensive program for convening for action in British Columbia. When we gather, it is for a purpose. There must be an action item or an outcome. Our aim is to move from talk to action by developing tools, building capacity, and providing training.”
“Beyond the Guidebook 2010 provides local governments with ‘how to’ guidance for developing outcome-oriented urban watershed plans.”
Posted September 2010