Leading Change in British Columbia: Kim Stephens informed City Council about the historical and provincial significance of events hosted by the City of Surrey under umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan (April 2013)
Note to Reader:
In April 2013, the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC recognized the City as a Champion Supporter. This designation recognizes government and non-government organizations that are playing a leadership role in the ‘Convening for Action in British Columbia’ initiative.
Presentation of the “letter of recognition” to Surrey City Council by Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director, provided the opportunity to reflect on the historical and provincial significance of successive transformational events hosted by the City over the past decade.
City of Surrey is a Champion Supporter of the Partnership for Water Sustainability
“The Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC is pleased to recognize the City of Surrey as a Champion Supporter,” stated Kim Stephens when he presented Mayor Dianne Watts and Council with a framed letter of recognition.
“The City is a founding partner and champion supporter of the Water Balance Model initiative. Also, the City’s Paul Ham served as Chair of the Green Infrastructure Partnership initiative from 2004 until his retirement in 2008.”
“We value our relationship with the City and greatly appreciate that you have hosted regional forums and/or local government training sessions in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011.”
“Surrey is leading by example and Surrey experience is currently informing the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative. Collaboration will help everyone go farther, more efficiently and effectively, to achieve watershed health objectives in the Metro Vancouver region and on Vancouver Island,” concluded Kim Stephens.
Getting Green Infrastructure “Built Right”: City of Surrey has Moved Beyond Pilot Projects to a Broader Watersheds Objectives Approach
“The City of Surrey’s long-term commitment is helping the Partnership advance the vision for achieving watershed sustainability through implementation of green infrastructure policies and practices,” stated Kim Stephens.
To Learn More:
Download Rainwater Management in a Watershed Sustainability Context: The City of Surrey is a leader by example, a PDF copy of the PowerPoint presentation by Kim Stephens.
Provincially Significant Events Hosted by the City
After presenting the “Champion Supporter” letter of recognition, Kim Stephens took City Council on a trip down memory lane and informed Councillors about the significance of these events:
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May 2005: Green Infrastructure Consultation Workshop
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June 2006: Celebrating Green Infrastructure Innovation Pilot Series
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November 2007: Beyond the Guidebook Seminar
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March 2009: Metro Vancouver Water Balance Model Forum
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November 2011: Pilot Course on the “ISMP Course Correction”
“Surrey case studies are foundation pieces for evolution of provincial approaches and tools. Surrey experience is currently informing the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative. Collaboration will help everyone go farther, more efficiently and effectively, to restore and protect watershed health,” concludes Kim Stephens.
Moving Beyond Pilot Projects
A decade and a half of experience has enabled the City of Surrey to move beyond pilot projects to a broader watersheds objectives approach to implementing green infrastructure and capturing rain where it falls, to protect stream health.
“As we move forward, the new Drainage By-Law endorsed by Council in 2008 is the tool that will enable the City to establish watershed-specific targets for rainwater runoff volume and rate reduction at the development site scale. Now we can determine what makes sense, meets multiple objectives, and results in net environmental benefits at a watershed scale,” stated the City’s Remi Dubé in March 2009.
To Learn More:
To read the complete story posted on the Convening for Action community-of-interest, click on Getting Green Infrastructure “Built Right”: City of Surrey has Moved Beyond Pilot Projects to a Broader Watersheds Objectives Approach.
The story comprises a set of set vignettes that provide context for the evolution of the City’s outcome-oriented approach to watershed-based planning. Quotable quotes and links to online resouces are brought forward from stories posted previously on the waterbucket.ca website. Those vignettes set the scene for an introduction to the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative.
