DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: A watershed moment for reconciliation in Cowichan region” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in May 2025
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway (REPRODUCED BELOW) Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story.
The edition published on May 27, 2025 is the second in a 2-part series about the Cowichan Climate Gathering held in December 2024. The two provide an over-arching picture of what convening for action looks like in the Cowichan. The story behind the story is structured as three topics. First, Keith Lawrence introduces the network of networks context. Cindy Lise then reflects on the process for moving towards a common vision and explains why the artist’s storyboard is a foundation piece for build to Climate Gathering 2.0 in 2025.
A watershed moment for reconciliation in Cowichan region
Tackling the climate resiliency issue is a journey. It takes time. There is no quick fix. Concerns about extreme floods and droughts in the Cowichan region, for example, first surfaced in the 1990s. Three decades later, those concerns are still top of mind and are driving an outcome-oriented process.
Build something from nothing
“So you bring together a team of partners to try and figure out a way forward. Then something else whaps you on the side of the head. And you, as a collective, must figure out how to address that too. That is my experience because I get to live in a number of different worlds,” says Cindy Lise.
“But you do not have a preconceived history or notion of what it is you are going to do…because it is hitting you in a way you have never experienced before. The only way that you are going to solve a complex challenge is if you have trust in others and a willingness to try something new.”
The process is the journey
“It is really about a journey,” states Keith Lawrence, co-lead for the event. “It was the process of meeting on a weekly basis and connecting with each member of the team and with panel presenters. That was the relationship building.”
“On the day of, it was just the hope that everyone there had a rich experience. For me, the rich experience was building that deep connection with the planning team. That is why the journey is so important. The endpoint is more of a byproduct for me. What does it mean for where we go from here?”
To Learn More:
Waterbucket eNews stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story. To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a PDF copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: A watershed moment for reconciliation in Cowichan region.
