Convening for Action in British Columbia

“Climate change significantly raises the risk of rain-generated floods and infrastructure failure. To maintain current levels of service, drainage infrastructure will need to be modified and upgraded,” stated Chris Jensen. “The research will help determine whether LID offers a viable solution for adapting to climate change, both within the unique case study area and potentially, in similar rainfall-dominated, urbanized watersheds.”

“Beyond the Guidebook 2010 would not have been possible without the contributions of the many champions in local government who have provided the leadership that has resulted in the many precedents that are described herein,” stated Kim Stephens. “Beyond the Guidebook 2010 is also their story.”

“A decade ago, British Columbia made a conscious decision to follow an educational rather than prescriptive path to change the way that land is developed and water is used. The Province has provided a ‘design with nature’ policy framework that enables local governments to build and/or rebuild communities in balance with ecology,” stated Ted van der Gulik.

“When we gather, it is for a purpose. There must be an action item or an outcome. Our aim is to move from talk to action by developing tools, providing training, and building capacity,” stated Kim Stephens. “Beyond the Guidebook 2010. This is the telling of the stories of how change is being implemented on the ground by local governments and community partners.”

“The report by the Environmental Law Clinic documents how 'green' rainwater management has now been adopted by engineers, developers, planners and governments across North America,” reports Calvin Sandborn.

‘Urban watershed’ refers to drainage tributary areas within which zoning and land use are under the jurisdiction of a local government.

“Under the Built Environment theme, the panel recommended that Metro Vancouver municipalities re-focus Integrated RAINwater/Stormwater Management Plans (ISMPs) on watershed targets and outcomes. This recommendation flowed from concerns of municipalities over the ‘unintended consequences’ resulting from ISMPs completed to date in the region,” states Kim Stephens. “The elephant in the room is the unfunded liabilities from doing plans where people are not thinking about what the outcome is…”

“Whistler, BC. is a place that is synonymous with high-level achievement. Now is the time to apply the momentum of these gold medal achievements to local governments success. The spirit of collaboration and newfound bonds that we have fostered in 2010 are undeniably valuable. Without action, we cannot move our communities forward. This year’s Convention will offer an opportunity to take our goals, and forge them into tangible outcomes and continue to build gold medal standard communities,” stated Harry Nyce.

“The evolution of the capabilities of the web-based Water Balance Model has arisen in response to the need to embrace adaptive management in the creation of watershed objectives and to quickly test alternative green infrastructure techniques prior to implementation,” stated Jim Dumont.

“A policy and legal tool called the 'Shared Responsibility Matrix' identifies the actors along with the various instruments that govern their actions. This provides the frame of reference for the Topsoil Primer Set,” explained Deborah Carlson. ‘Focusing on a single type of project—in this case, ‘topsoil requirements’ – can make it easier to map out the actors involved and the various decisions, actions and regulatory tools required and available to make the project a reality.”