Convening for Action in British Columbia

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: In 2023, history repeated itself in the Kelowna region” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in September 2023


    “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.

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    LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLICY IMPACTS RIPPLE THROUGH TIME: “The growing cost of neglect, combined with the urgency of the flood liability issue in particular, is the driver for linking municipal infrastructure asset management and stream health as cause-and-effect,” wrote Kim Stephens, Partnership for Water Sustainability, in an essay written for new politicians after the 2022 local government elections in British Columbia


    “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.

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    ARTICLE: “What would you tell newly elected local government representatives about Sustainable Service Delivery through asset management? – A water sustainability perspective “(Winter 2023 issue of Asset Management BC Newsletter)


    “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.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Watershed Moments Team Award honours legacy of Rob Lawrance (1964-2022)” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in February 2023


    Rob Lawrance grew up in the Cowichan Valley where he began his stewardship journey. In his time with the City of Nanaimo, he grew the responsibilities of Environmental Planner to include community collaboration. He played a key role in almost every major waterway stewardship initiative in Nanaimo and connected community stewardship passion with municipal capacity. In 2021, Rob retired from the City and moved to Blaine, Washington. Tragically, he passed away in May 2022 while participating in the cyclocross leg of the Bellingham Ski to Sea relay race.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Adapting to floods and droughts in the Cowichan region” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in January 2023


    “Early in my career, working with agencies across Western Canada gave me an appreciation for the urgent need for collaboration between organizations. When I joined CVRD in mid-2013, I had a strong sense that this would be a place where I could work in a more collaborative setting.. There was a willingness to foster a collaborative framework between partnering organizations so that together we can respond to climate threats to our water resources. As local government, one of the roles that we can play is to support that stewardship culture,” stated Keith Lawrence.

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    STORIES OF INTER-REGIONAL COLLABORATION: “Drinking Water & Watershed Protection in the Cowichan Valley Regional District / Adapt to a Changing Climate” — 1st in the series of stories behind the stories released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in January 2023


    “In the Cowichan Valley we have a dominance of electoral areas with proudly distinct communities, capable and engaged municipal partners, and a leadership that is characterized by true independence and internal reliance. This has resulted in a rich tapestry of watershed planning across our region.  There is no one model. Rather, we have a range of applications that are sensitive to the environment in which it was formulated and to the core drivers and champions that brought it forward. We truly have a rich basis in which to begin the process of stepping back, learning and reflecting on our next steps,” stated Kate Miller.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: A Pathway to Water Reconciliation and Resilience at the Local Scale” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in January 2023


    “When I think about the experience in the Cowichan, in many ways the region is still in the theoretical stage in terms of weaving Indigenous knowledge and Western science,” stated Brian Carruthers. “We created the framework for that to happen, but I cannot say that it truly has happened. The foundation for interweaving in the Cowichan region is really with the Cowichan Tribes. Everything the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) has done has been shoulder to shoulder with them. The framework is in place and the Drinking Water and Watershed Protection service exists. However, a reality is that things do take time.”

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart: A local government’s infrastructure level-of-service policies ripple through time” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in January 2023


    “It is at the local creekshed scale where human actions on the land matter. Council and board decisions can ripple through time to make a difference, over time, to restore the water balance as land redevelops. But elected representatives must first grasp this core concept: land use activities short-circuit natural water balance pathways and thus impact on levels of service for drainage. Learn about, and learn from, communities that are striving to ‘get it right’ through design with nature servicing practices. They are beacons of hope and inspiration,” stated Kim Stephens.

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    YEAR IN REVIEW (2022): “To develop effective and affordable solutions for resilient community design, build on the knowledge and experience of those who went before us. Be inspired by oral history,” stated Kim Stephens, Executive Director, Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC


    “As each new generation inherits the world, vital knowledge is forgotten. Generational amnesia has profound effects on the way that we see the world. The challenge is to overcome generational amnesia so that communities learn from past experience, apply this knowledge, and achieve better policy and financial outcomes. Understand the context. Stay in touch with the past,” stated Kim Stephens. “The end of the calendar year is a time for reflection. People learn from stories. For this reason, our editorial emphasis is on sharing the ‘stories behind the stories’ of those who lead by example.”

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Effective and affordable solutions for resilient community design” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in November 2022


    Operationally, the Partnership functions as the hub for a network. This reflects its genesis, first as a technical committee and then as a roundtable, before incorporating as a non-profit legal entity in 2010. “The network emerges around a common goal, rather than a particular program or organizational model. The community mobilizes the resources from throughout the network. Once a network is up and running and proves itself to be effective, it becomes the primary vehicle for change, rather than the individual organizations themselves,” stated Dr. Jane Wei-Skillern.

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