Convening for Action in British Columbia

Recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on the intricate links between nature, technology and society, Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon challenged delegates to consider how they, and the organizations they work for, may better adapt and prosper in a world of ever-greater complexity and rapid change.

“The lecture was an opportunity to provide students with a window into the local goverment setting; and elaborate on what it takes to build consensus and create lasting change on the ground. I wanted to impart is what it takes to get buy-in from local government and the community for an outcome-oriented vision,” stated Kim Stephens.

“One reaches a point in one’s career and one’s life when talk is not enough… it is the action, the outcome (that is important). Convening for action is our branding. Convening for action as a provincial initiative has evolved over the last five years. We started in the South Okanagan. By 2006, we were ready to go a bigger scale. We said let’s take on a whole region. That became Convening for Action on Vancouver Island. We applied the lessons that we learned in the South Okanagan. We asked the question: what do we want this place to look like in 50 years?”, stated Kim Stephens.

Bringing passion and energy to everything he does, the ability of Kim Stephens to build relationships and partnerships with broad water stakeholders has resulted in a positive change to how practitioners understand the relationship between land-use and the true value of water. He specializes in public policy and integration of perspectives as they relate to urban watershed planning and application of decision support systems, and has had a leadership role in a series of Provincial initiatives in British Columbia related to water sustainability, rainwater management, green infrastructure, and smart development.

“The WAM Discussion Paper appears to miss the opportunity for an integrated watershed management approach, rather focusing on water management and allocation. CAVI’s experience suggests that the integration of land use and water management at the regional or local level is germane to successfully reforming the Water Act,’ wrote John Finnie.

“Since streams and rivers run across jurisdictional boundaries, effective stewardship requires a common set of management principles, regardless of the land jurisdiction or ownership. Development and resource use must consciously consider the effects on stream health and make sure the long-term and life-cycle costs of land use decisions avoid unforeseen future ecological and economic costs,” stated Barry Penner.

Two years in the making, the Integrated Plan establishes the framework for moving beyond regulatory compliance to transitioning Metro Vancouver to an approach that achieves the Sustainable Region Vision. “Think about it – the Reference Panel has influenced the waste committee, the finance committee and the way we make decisions overall. It is great,” reflected West Vancouver Mayor Pam Goldsmith-Jones. “The community benefits when there is collaboration and a true partnership between local government staff and community members in a working group.”

Metro Vancouver is faced with a $1.4 billion financing decision on HOW to proceed with replacement of the existing Lions Gate and Iona Island treatment plants that serve the North Shore and Vancouver sewerage sreas, respectively. Complete Lions Gate by 2020 and Iona Island as soon as is reasonably possible after that. “This approach gives Metro Vancouver the flexibility to go faster, but does not strap us in if the senior governments do not come to the table with financial support. In the absence of a financial guarantee, this approach puts the ball in our court with respect to timing,” stated Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore.

The Lions Gate and Iona Island treatment plants have each been in service for approximately 50 years. Both have exceeded their useful lives. Both are high risk facilities with attendant environmental and legal risks for Metro Vancouver. “The overall impact of constructing both treatment plants by 2020 is comparatively small. The incremental difference in the annual financing cost of one versus two plants is not that much. The biggest hit is the first one,” stated Mayor Malcolm Brodie of Richmond.

“BC Hydro Power Smart recognizes the need for collaboration among organizations and individuals within the province,” emphasized Jeff Chiu, Manager, Community Network of Power Smart Specialists, in his remarks to the group. “As such, we have coordinated efforts with the Climate Action Secretariat’s office to build this provincial community network that can and will support regional based activities.”