2014 Managing Water Workshop: “It is no accident that we gather around water coolers and watering holes,” says Angus McAllister, pollster and researcher – KEYNOTE SPEAKER

May 6, 2016 - Posted in 2014 Managing Water Now, Partnership for Water Sustainability Annual Workshop Series, Uncategorised

Moving Towards Settlement, Economy and Ecology in Balance

Co-hosted by the Partnership for Water Sustainability and the Irrigation Industry Association, “Convening for Action on Vancouver Island: How Managing Water Now…..Will Shape the Future” is an opportunity to share and learn about VI2065: The Vision for Vancouver Island in 50 Years.

The workshop will be held in Victoria on December 9, 2014. For cost and registration information, click on REGISTER NOW.

A Thought-Provoking Approach

“We are excited to announce that Angus McAllister, President of McAllister Opinion Research, is part of our workshop presentation team. Angus has gained international recognition for his innovation in transforming the way that policy ideas are communicated,” states Ted van der Gulik, Partnership President, and formerly the Senior Engineer in the BC Ministry of Agriculture.

“Water is a form maker. It defines communities. Also, the consequences of our water-centric decisions ripple through time. Recognizing these factors, our workshop is designed to spark a conversation and ultimately inform a shared vision for Vancouver Island. The workshop will demonstrate tools that can help communities achieve a vision forsettlement, economy and ecology in balance.”

“The workshop day is structured as four modules. Angus McAllister will tag-team with CAVI’s Eric Bonham in Module A to engage the audience in an interactive town-hall segment. Through their use of thought-provoking questions, in tandem with online tools that instantaneously display participant feedback, we anticipate that Angus and Eric will inspire the audience to embrace a call to action.”

A Shared Future Starts with Water

“I am passionate about water. I am passionate about Vancouver Island. Those are the reasons why I accepted Ted’s invitation without hesitation,” continues Angus McAllister. “Through my polling research, I have learned that people are hardwired to water, at both the functional and emotional levels.”

“It is no accident that we like to gather around water coolers and watering holes. Water brings people together. It is a natural starting point for any conversation about common interests, and by extension, our shared future.”

“At the workshop on December 9^th, I will use two online tools – SayZu and StoryMaps – to engage the audience in sharing their favourite water moments. Stories unite us. Water does it. The StoryMaps platform helps people visualize the landscape,” Angus McAllister foreshadows.

“Water security will be the governing factor when envisioning a sustainable future on Vancouver Island,” notes Eric Bonham. “Vancouver Island 2065, an initiative partnering business and water resource specialists with the academic sector, in collaboration with local government and communities, will identify the challenges associated with long term water security and its implications for settlement, economy and ecology, and as a result, initiate action that progressively guides us towards a sustainable future.”