Archive:

2011

GUIDANCE DOCUMENT: Integrated Rainwater Management Planning: Summary Report for ISMP Course Correction Series (February 2011)


The report provides a consolidated reference source to guide those about to embark upon an ISMP process. It is a compendium: front-end plus all five documents in the ‘ISMP Course Correction Series’. “The genesis for ISMPs was a desire to integrate the community, engineering, planning and environmental perspectives. The implicit goal was to build and/or rebuild communities in balance with ecology. Local governments knew they had to do business differently to protect or restore watershed health,” states Robert Hicks.

Read Article

Moving Toward a Water Balance Way-of-Thinking and Acting in British Columbia: Evolution and Governance of BCWWA Water Sustainability Committee


“Founded as the Water Conservation Committee in 1992, the Committee re-branded itself as the Water Sustainability Committee (WSC) in 2002 as part of a restructuring and renewal process,” stated Mike Tanner. “The WSC has handed the baton to the Partnership for Water Sustainability, a legal entity. The Partnership is building on the foundation that is provided by the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.”

Read Article

Leading Change in Canada: Federation of Canadian Municipalities Showcases BC’s Water Sustainability Action Plan


Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. At the recent 2011 Sustainable Communities Conference, organized by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), innovators from across Canada shared their breakthrough examples of municipal sustainability in an interactive session titled Steal This Idea! “The session introduced delegates to the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia,” stated Emanuel Machado, session moderator. He credits a workshop in December 2006 as a defining moment in facilitating a paradigm-shift in Dawson Creek because “it was a catalyst and source of inspiration for changing the way water is viewed and used in the City of Dawson Creek.”

Read Article

Leading in tough times—How can science help keep Salish Sea protection and recovery a priority during challenging economic times?


In the Plenary, a panel of local officials from Canada and the United States will discuss the role of local governments in protecting and restoring the Salish Sea ecosystem. “In West Vancouver our citizens, particularly through the Shoreline Preservation Society and West Van Streamkeepers, have been the critical link between science and local government action, in the protection of our creeks, intertidal zone and coastal waters,” stated Mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones.

Read Article

Convening for Action in the Thompson Rivers Region


“We wished to replicate our ‘convening for action’ approach on Vancouver Island in another region of the province. We decided that the southern interior would be a good choice. BC Hydro Power Smart provided financial support and hosted an exploratory session in Kamloops. ” explains Tim Pringle.

Read Article