Conference Theme: Embracing Change for Sustainability
Embracing Change for Sustainability
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. At the 2011 FCM Sustainable Communities Conference hosted by the City of Victoria, eight innovators across Canada, shared their breakthrough examples of municipal sustainability in a range of sectors. The format for the sharing session was a roundtable setting. A short presentation led into small group discussions. The conference themes was Embracing Change for Sustainability; and the session was titled ‘STEAL THIS IDEA!‘
“Three half-hour segments gave participants the chance to check out their favourite ideas and get the scoop on how to bring them back to their own communities,” explains Azzah Jeena, the person responsible for organizing the session. “This session was held for the first time during the 2010 conference and it was very popular with delegates.”
“There was a great deal of excitement and energy in the room and it seemed that delegates were very engaged during the various roundtable discussions. The on-the-spot evaluation in the session room indicated a high level of satisfaction with the content and format of the session.”
The session introduced delegates to the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.
A Perspective on Communities in Transition
The session was moderated by Emanuel Machado. He is Manager of Sustainability Services and Special Projects with the District of Sechelt, BC. Previously, he was with the City of Dawson Creek.
“Water in BC is under-valued, under-priced and over-used. The Water Bucket website is having a tremendous impact in helping communities in BC address that challenge by providing awareness, tools and resources that build capacity,” he stated.
“Local governments are transitioning from simply pumping and treating water to managing earth’s most precious resource. An example of that transition can be seen in Dawson Creek (in Northeast British Columbia), a city at the forefront of the pressure being felt by communities across Canada due to climate change impacts and increased residential and industrial demands on aging water systems. The December 2006 workshop that introduced the City to BC’s Water Sustainability Action Plan was a catalyst for that change.”
