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“Goodbye Vancouver, hello San Diego. A major climate-change study predicts temperatures in Metro Vancouver will exceed those of present-day Southern California in the coming decades. Frost and ice will become virtually a thing of the past and farm crops will flourish virtually year-round in the Fraser Valley. That’s the good news. On the down side, the region can expect: worsening smog; increased forest fires and water shortages; summer droughts followed by severe fall rain events; and an influx of invasive species threatening forests and agriculture,” wrote Larry Pynn.

“You and your co-authors are well-known in your fields and your message is topical. It is an easy decision for the Vancouver Sun to publish your op-ed about Blue Ecology. And we will increase the word count,” stated Harvey Enchin in an exchange of emails with Kim Stephens. “You connect water, First Nations, climate change and reconciliation in a thought-provoking way. Atmospheric rivers is something new. So, I suggest you mention that the Pineapple Express is an example of an atmospheric river; without a concrete example I didn’t think readers will get this.”

“The Agriculture Water Forum has started a dialogue about the uncertainty of where agriculture will obtain water at a reasonable cost in the future, an important step if the amount of irrigated land needs to be expanded as a result of climate change. Agriculture’s ability to access to water is essential to ensuring the long term food security of this region.The forum was a high energy event and a great opportunity for sharing and learning. The surge in registrations in the final days clearly indicated a high level of interest in the forum themes,” summarized Theresa Duynstee.

“The Rainwater Rewards incentive program is designed to help property owners make a more sustainable choice when considering new construction or improvements to their property. Whether it’s a ribbon driveway in place of traditional repaving, a rain garden rather than a landscaping berm, or a cistern instead of a potable water irrigation system – a property owner can achieve the desired improvement with added benefits, including knowing that they have contributed to the greater good. The City can pass benefits back in the form of financial incentives,” stated Adam Steele.

“No longer is asset management only about hard engineered assets – watermains, sewers, roads. Already facing a $200 billion challenge for renewal of hard infrastructure, the BC Framework provides a financial driver for local governments to integrate watershed systems thinking and climate adaptation into asset management. This powerful provincial tool is an element of Living Water Smart and links local government services, infrastructure that supports service delivery, and watershed health,” stated Kim Stephens.

“After looking over the program topics for the annual APEGBC conference, we invited Kim Stephens to write an article for Innovation magazine that would help spread word about his presentation on creating a sustainable watersheds legacy through Asset Management, as well as provide a sneak peek for conference attendees.The article complements Kim’s presentation at the conference, provides greater depth about aspects of the subject, and serves as a sort of proceedings article for the conference presentation,” stated Monique Kieran, managing editor.

“The focus of our September-October 2016 issue is infrastructure financing. This is why featured an article by Kim Stephens of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia. He connects the dots between streams systems and asset management. He writes about a Watershed Moment in the evolution of Rainwater Management! Let’s establish a system that will lead to self-sustaining, community-driven success and give Canadians a chance to decide what constitutes the best value for their tax dollars,” stated Katherine Balpataky, Water Canada editor.

“Cathedral thinking aptly describes the philosophy that guides the work of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC. We inform, educate, train and mentor with a view to the long-term and creating a lasting legacy. We can learn from our ancestors. The grand creations of antiquity were not designed with a quarterly report or 4-year election term in mind. The builders of great cathedrals in medieval times thought in terms of multiple generations carrying out their work, to complete a dream that would not be realised until long after the originator’s death,” stated Kim Stephens.

“The article published in Watermark magazine is about the ‘Feast AND Famine’ workshop. Held in Richmond, and co-hosted by the Partnership for Water Sustainability and the Irrigation Industry Association, the 3rd in our year-end series showcased solutions and tools to address risk and build resiliency. A decade earlier, the 2003 ‘teachable year’ had set in motion water sustainability processes in BC, guided by a vision to develop solutions and tools that would help communities manage risk and build resiliency in response to a changing climate,” stated Mike Tanner.

Written by veteran reporter Kent Spencer, the article speculated as to whether there is a connection between “the blob” – a warm ocean area roughly the size of the continental United States – and the changing climate in BC. “It was a pretty unusual event which no one predicted. In the future, we can expect more. The study found that temperatures had never been as high. When there is persistent warming over a few decades there will be more extreme events. British Columbia is right on the frontline,” stated Hillary Scannell.