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“I am pleased with the continuing success of the partnership in providing program delivery for the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia,” stated Barry Penner. “This initiative is all about sharing information and promoting water stewardship at the community level. I value the important role this partnership is playing in promoting water awareness and supporting communities to integrate water management practices with local land use planning and development programs.”

“The Partnership will continue to evolve and deliver program elements developed under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia,” stated Tim Pringle. “The Partnership vision is that water sustainability will be achieved through implementation of green infrastructure policies and practices. How communities in BC get there relies on a change in mind-set. The Partnership mission is to facilitate that change.”

We all learn from stories and the most compelling ones are based on the experiences of those who are leading in their communities. “We have seven basin-scale ‘water region’ areas for planning and communication purposes,” reports Julie Pisani (Regional District of Nanaimo). “Our goal was to produce a publication that profiled the health of key streams in each water region and connected residents with the waterways in their neighbourhood. The State of our Streams publications we produced were modelled on the template used by the City of Courtenay, map-based and easy to read.”

Delta has supported the work of the Partnership since 2002. Delta’s long-term commitment is helping the Partnership advance the vision for achieving watershed sustainability through implementation of green infrastructure policies and practices. “It is evident that there are many champions in local government; and it is important that we recognize and celebrate what they are doing. This is all part of creating our future. And when we ask ‘what will this community look like in 50 years’, we can point to the green infrastructure examples and then we will know what it will look like in 50 years,” stated Mayor Lois Jackson.

“The core strength of the Partnership for Water Sustainability, as the name suggests, has been the development of creative partnerships throughout BC and beyond that has included local and provincial government, the academic sector as well as the business sector, seeking through collaboration, common ground on water sustainability goals and practices,” states Eric Bonham. “The Partnership has implemented a twin-strategy that enhances long term water sustainability goals realized through the implementation of practical tools that have been effectively demonstrated in communities throughout BC.”

“The Water Sustainability Action Plan has allowed the Province to leverage partnerships to greatly enhance the profile and resulting impact of Living Water Smart. The Partnership for Water Sustainability is playing a key delivery role in several theme areas, in particular developing tools for local government and providing training to support an environmentally adaptive approach to community design,” stated Lynn Kriwoken. “I believe that the key to the success of the Ministry’s relationship with the Partnership and its evolution over the years has been our shared vision for water stewardship.”

Launched by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC in 2012, the IREI supports implementation of integrated and watershed-based community planning processes on the east coast of Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland regions of British Columbia. “In Year 3, the program is built around an Inter-Regional Collaboration Workshop Series. The spotlight is on the Watershed Health issue and how to move forward with implementation and integration, really. This sharing and learning process aligns with each region’s priorities and individual work plans. The deliverable is ‘Beyond the Guidebook 2015,” reports Peter Law.

“Wetlands are the kidneys of the earth. The workshop targeted key agencies involved in wetland conservation. Our mission is to challenge local government by posing this question: Is your municipality doing enough to prevent downstream impacts from rainwater runoff while maintaining healthy aquatic habitat. The Partnership circulated an e-blast to its local government audience and there was an immediate response in terms of registrations. In a matter of a few days the workshop was fully subscribed,” stated Christine Cooper.

“The Partnership appreciates that APEGBC took the initiative and reached out to us. Partnering with APEGBC will help us fulfill our mission in delivering the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia, We look forward to informing and educating APEGBC members about provincial policies and initiatives, local government innovation and precedents, and new web-based decision tools so that those who are municipal practitioners will be better equipped to implement rainwater management practices that mimic the Water Balance,” states Tim Pringle.

“The IIABC is collaborating to build a foundation for future change in order to help us align our industry education and certification offerings that include efficient irrigation systems. This will assist us in supporting our membership with sustainable irrigation practices. We all need to be accountable for our water resource. With shared tools and programs; we can collaborate to make a difference. With shared tools and programs; we can collaborate to make a difference,” states Keesha Rosario.