Convening for Action in British Columbia

“Zooming out to view the past three decades as a whole, the period 1997 through 2005 was the crucible for the golden period that followed from 2006 through 2011. The era is bracketed by the passage of the Fish Protection Act in 1997 and the Green Infrastructure Consultation Workshop held in May 2005. These were literally watershed moments. Leaps of faith and calculated risks – that succinct statement defined the approach and way of thinking that guided and made innovation possible,” stated Kim Stephens of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.

“The focus of the Water Sustainability Action Plan is on the framework for building partnerships, and that is the tag-line. The document is a communication tool – that is, it articulates the vision and the desired outcomes for a water-centric approach to development. The water-centric approach recognizes that the greatest impact on water occurs through our individual values, choices and behavior – that is, our land ethic. This approach also enables consideration and application of an ecosystem perspective that links physical, biological and human perspectives,” stated Erik Karlsen.

“British Columbia’s water sustainability journey currently stretches over five decades – from the 1980s through the 2020s – and has five distinct eras. The 1987 drought resulted in an unprecedented test of water supply sources throughout BC to provide for existing populations, raising concerns regarding the consequences of continued growth. A legacy of the 1987 drought were two landmark studies for Metro Vancouver and the Okanagan, respectively. Both were influential in shaping water supply and water conservation planning for decades to come,” stated Ted van der Gulik.

“The National Action Plan provided us with a focus and a raison d’être for influencing water policy in British Columbia. The National Action Plan opened the door for our committee to carve out a leadership role vis-à-vis provincial water stewardship. It was a defining moment. During this foundational era, the committee was a committee of water utility managers – with regional representation from the southern half of the province. Years later, the experience gained would prove essential and invaluable for implementation of the Water Sustainability Action Plan,” stated Kim Stephens.

“When I was on the faculty at the Harvard Business School, I began my research into the concept of a networked approach that is more focused on network-building and trust-based relationships, and less about building an organization to get to your mission impact. People learn from and are inspired by stories. Work is easier, more effective and more fun when people collaborate. 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,” explained Jane Wei-Skillern.

“The Water Conservation Strategy identified 10 strategic directions aimed at minimizing barriers to whole-system actions, and encouraging a broader understanding and adoption of water use efficiency actions. This opened the door to ecosystem-based thinking and the water balance approach. It also connected a myriad of dots in laying out a framework for action. For three years, 1998 through 2001, the WUEC Executive Committee successfully delivered an outreach program that spread the word about the Water Conservation Strategy,” stated Eric Bonham.

“The 2001 provincial election resulted in a change in government, with Gordon Campbell elected as Premier. His grasp of water issues meant that BC’s top decision-maker was a ‘water champion’ whose interests encompassed the vision for the Water Sustainability Action Plan. It was a model for informing provincial policy through shared responsibility. The partnership umbrella provided by the Water Sustainability Action Plan allowed the Province to leverage partnerships to greatly enhance the profile and resulting impact of Living Water Smart, released in June 2008,” stated Lynn Kriwoken.

“Every team member involved is passionate about what she or he does. This is what we hope and believe will inspire our audiences to apply what they absorb from our work. It is best to view what we as important milestones in a journey. We hope to bring others along with us. We believe success will follow because we will have seeded information that allows others to carry on and follow a path that is right for them. Everyone will reach their own conclusions based on what they got out of they learned, and what resonated with them individually,” stated Richard Boase.

“The Water Act had evolved over many years and had limitations. And I really appreciated that government was willing to go out on a limb to replace it. The WSA took the hard edge off the 1909 Water Act while continuing the foundation of priority rights. The WSA respects priority rights BUT there is a provision that if you get into a situation where communities rely on a small amount of water for essential household needs, there is a provision to allow that to happen. That illustrates the flexibility that we did not have under the Water Act,” stated Valerie Cameron.

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.