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“In the three decades since the creation of the Livable Region Strategic Plan, the focus and content of regional planning have evolved in response to change. This is a beneficial process that has brought new ideas and new participants. It has strengthened the impact and permanence of the regional planning process. Five principles have been key to this success, but they too can be expected to evolve over time. To be done well, development decisions have to reflect infrastructure planning, neighbourhood and community participation and support,” stated Ken Cameron.

The 2026 Ambassadors of the Partnership Forum was an inter-regional gathering, with representation from five regions in southern British Columbia. “It brought together alumni and current local government staff. From our discussions at the Forum and the written responses we received for the questionnaire survey, it is evident that there continues to be a desire for in-depth peer collaboration and mentorship. Round table discussions clearly demonstrated a desire for collaboration in finding solutions to today’s challenges. You could feel the energy in the room,” stated Rémi Dubé.

“The Partnership for Water Sustainability is hosting a forum in January 2026 that will provide a safe space for current frontline staff to tap into insights from alumni who are retired from leadership positions. The forum theme is that we can support each other to make everyone’s work easier by creating a knowledge network. It matters how we share information to ensure concepts are conveyed to, and understood by, the people who need to know. Solutions to the issues of our time lie in WHAT stories we tell and HOW we tell those stories,” stated Remi Dube.

“The vision of green infrastructure in Metro Vancouver is a beautiful one. With this nature-based approach to managing rainwater fully realized, the region is bejewelled with the greens and blues of lush tree canopies and thriving wetlands. The roofs of city buildings flourish with flowering plants and trees, forming a vast rain-capture network. Gaps between vision and reality are, of course, standard in politics. What makes this one frustrating to water-sustainability experts is how close to success the green infrastructure push came before it got derailed,” stated Pamela Swanigan.

“I dream of a culture change in climate/conservation or the social impact field more broadly so that people, relationships and community come first even before strategy, linear solutions and institutional self-interest. I am always working toward that and seeking partners to do this work. The big idea is to try and seed a culture change and shift in climate-conservation work to one that really values the power of relationships and networks. It is about getting the flywheel going,” stated Dr. Jane Wei-Skillern. She is a thought leader in the field of network leadership.

A decade in the making, the Water Sustainability Act is an a transformational piece of legislation but its full potential is yet to be realized. In their shared story behind the story, Valerie Cameron and Mike Wei reveal what makes the WSA special. They were in the room during drafting of the legislation. They lived and breathed it. “The Water Act lasted over 100 years, and certain provisions were never tried because there were other pressure relief valves. The WSA is still a relatively young statute. People will realize there are tools that can be used,” stated Mike Wei.

“”We are at the point where we need to move past concepts and truly begin addressing the problems. A large part of that involves re-evaluating services and better informing taxpayers on levels of service and costs. And then making tough decisions on how to fund the services that communities deliver. Asset Management concepts have been around long enough for staff and elected officials to have an awareness of the issues. We need to truly begin addressing the struggle to implement. The theme that I am now promoting is this, just tell us your story,” stated Arnold Schwabe.

“Transformation is often fraught with danger for both the change agents themselves and their organizations. It is like dancing with a tiger – with the outcome frequently uncertain. How does one dance with the tiger? You do it carefully, skillfully, courageously, in tune to the same music, advancing step by natural step,” wrote Brian Nattrass and Mary Altomare, authors of Dancing with the Tiger. Their analogy provides relevant context for the third installment of the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver. This covers the period 1997 through 2005.

“In 2018, I happened to read a report which quoted a paper by Younes Alila. So I started reading more of his work. This is significant, I thought, because lives have been lost and billions of dollars in infrastructure damage has happened. And nobody seems to care. Here we have a UBC professor of hydrology who has completely changed how forest hydrology is looked at now. And he has determined that we have been using the wrong methods to determine the prescription outcomes from forest harvesting practices. Yet we are still continuing to do the same thing,” stated Mike Morris.

“In the BC Interior and the Okanagan, most are passionate about water, its science, limitations, and challenges. Okanagan Lake is key to our survival. Kelowna’s Water Security Plan came out of a need to recognize that water quality, not just quantity, is critical to our path forward. It took a long time to get there. But we got it across the finish line. We are known for our drinking water, wastewater and stormwater practices. But our outcomes must also consider natural asset management, environmental flows, and source water protection,” stated Rod MacLean.