Convening for Action in British Columbia

Dr. Shannon Waters spoke of the need for a more holistic relationship with water, through the integration of indigenous knowledge and western science. To relate to water as “kin” rather than a “commodity” for “Water is Life”, (Hulit un tst tu’ qa’). This pragmatic endeavour aligns different perspectives, age groups and disciplines to, with common purpose, address the reality of climate change, ensuring the implementation of practical solutions from the local to the global, based upon knowledge, wisdom, respect, responsibility, and relationships.

“A lot of things that took place in the 2000s are the building blocks which people have forgotten. As Darrell Mussatto, former mayor of the City of North Vancouver, points out in his story behind the story, the loss of understanding in the Metro Vancouver region is real. In the 2000s, politicians and staff were aligned. This fueled political commitment to take action to achieve a shared vision. To find a path forward in these challenging times, you have to understand your oral history and frame it accordingly! Where we have landed on is risk management,” stated Kim Stephens.

“There has been a recent loss of long-term knowledge and experience because people who were providing regional leadership, and trying hard to make a difference, have retired from public office. The loss of understanding is real,” stated Darrell Mussatto. He served on North Vancouver City Council for 25 years, including 13 years as mayor. His time in office coincides with the timeline for the early adopter and leading by example phases of the Metro Vancouver region’s green infrastructure journey. He views the journey through both the local and regional lenses.

“It never hurts to be able to organize. There is no doubt that a military background, especially for anyone who has served as an officer, will provide a strong organizational capacity. Thinking back, I have no doubt that contributed significantly to my ability to do that sort of integrative science. One of the greatest benefits I got from my naval service was being able to own up to mistakes when I made them and to admit that in front of people and work towards resolving those errors. Later at UBC, I found that this is actually very much in keeping with a scientific perspective,” stated Dr. Dave Preikshot.

“Why did BC local governments not follow through and learn from the example of the three states along the west coast? In BC, in parallel with the US states we did continue to research the problems and to identify practical improvements to our practice of rainwater management. For many practitioners it is far easier to simply add ground infiltration measures to existing drainage practices. The stream has not been included in any meaningful manner and the impacts have not been quantified, nor have the effects of any mitigation works,” stated Jim Dumont.

Michael Blackstock believes that a message of hope is paramount in these times of droughts, forest fires and floods. “Rather than looking through a cumulative effects lens, I also see the concept of ‘cumulative healing’ landing as a way to give back to water and land. Rather than wondering how much more can we take or impact land before we need to stop, instead we should ask how much longer should we let the water and land heal, before we ask for more,” states Michael Blackstock.

“Mother Nature has an amazing sense of timing. On the 20th anniversary of the evacuation of 27,000 people from Kelowna due to forest fires, history repeated itself in August in the Kelowna region, in particular West Kelowna. We have had two decades to prepare for the obvious and the inevitable. 2003 was the first of a series of teachable years, with the full onslaught of a changing climate hitting hard as of 2015. Climate change is accelerating. There is no time to re-invent the wheel, fiddle, or go down cul-de-sacs. Understand how the past informs the future and build on that experience,” stated Kim Stephens.

“My over-arching message to those elected in October 2022 is succinct: Get the water part right in a changing climate, and you will be amazed how other parts of the community resiliency puzzle then fall into place. A supporting message is this: Our land ethic has consequences for water. This means elected representatives need to understand why development practices disconnect the water balance pathways that power stream-ecology. They also need to understand why a water-first approach to green infrastructure can reconnect the two,” stated Kim Stephens.

“The story behind the story is about the importance of embedding knowledge of EAP into the youth who are going to be the future of our local governments. The framework that we have set up ensures this will happen. Vancouver Island University, as a smaller university, is very focused on applied research and community engagement. This is a good fit for the EAP mission. There are lots of partnerships that exist for selfish reasons. But the EAP Partnership is selfless, and from all angles. It is a leap of faith for member local governments. Commitment to passing the baton is unwavering,” stated Graham Sakaki.

“Our discussions lead to an expanded common vocabulary. Sustainable Service Delivery, Eco-Assets and Eco-Asset Management, the Ecological Accounting Process, Municipal Natural Asset Inventory, Riparian Deficit, and watershed stewardship are some of the words in our new common tongue. The rabid environmentalist, the cold-hearted accountant and the aloof engineer could come together and focus on a common goal – Water Balance. At a very key level, it is about our relationship with water and with each other. We design and build our communities based on our relationship to water,” stated Paul Chapman.