Convening for Action in British Columbia

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BC Water Sustainability Action Plan

    ROUNDHOUSE RADIO: “The past year ranks with 2003 as a defining ‘teachable year’ for a paradigm-shift” (interview in January 2016)


    “For British Columbians, 2015 was the year of the great drought, dwindling snow packs, melting glaciers, beleaguered salmon runs and a costly forest fire season, followed by windstorms and heavy rains. I asked Kim Stephens what would be his prescription for a city like Vancouver where the land use is relatively diverse; and where there is not a lot of agricultural land inside the city. Yet users are very demanding on the system, and there are individuals who perhaps do not act as a community at times. So, I asked Kim what should we do,” stated Kirk Lapointe.

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    VANCOUVER PROVINCE: “Warming climate spells future climate trouble” (video interview posted in December 2015)


    “This past summer, local government water managers throughout Southwest BC were telling me that watershed conditions were so dry that there was simply no inflow to water storage reservoirs as the drought progressed. There were a lot of worried folks by late July when there was no end in sight to the drought and it appeared that we were about to experience an unprecedented 6-month period with almost no rain. There is no Plan B once the reservoirs are empty. Communities in southwest British Columbia dodged a bullet in 2015. The clock is ticking,” stated Kim Stephens.

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    VANCOUVER PROVINCE: “Brace for Another Drought Crisis” (interview published in December 2015)


    “Despite the current deluge of rain and snow, Vancouverites could well be facing another drought crisis this summer. Kim Stephens said that Metro Vancouver’s two ‘comparatively small’ reservoirs were designed for repeated rainfalls and heavy snow in the mountains. Those conditions are not expected to apply over the next nine months and the population has grown to about 2.5 million people. People in general have not appreciated how vulnerable we’ve always been, added Stephens. They’re beginning to see how essential it is,” he said,” wrote Kent Spencer.

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    THE GLOBE AND MAIL: “Vancouver ramps up severe weather preparations following Alberta floods” (interview published in September 2013)


    Major floods in Alberta and in the Toronto region in June and July of 2013 focused attention on the benefits of green infrastructure. “Our climate is changing and 2013 is a teachable year; this creates a window of opportunity for local government action,” stated Kim Stephens in the interview. “We have the tools. We have the science-based understanding. We know what works and we know how to implement a design with nature approach. Install green infrastructure that restores the Water Balance. If we focus our efforts on that outcome, we can make it happen.”

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    THE GLOBE AND MAIL: “Forests not just for tree huggers in Vancouver” (interview published in August 2012)


    “Urban trees have popular appeal and are also highly regulated. Most cities have bylaws that protect mature trees from being cut down and dictate how many trees must accompany new development. There is also increasing research and awareness around the role trees play in urban ecosystems and infrastructure. For the past decade, Kim Stephens has been talking to municipal staff and politicians in B.C. about ‘green infrastructure’ – using trees and landscaping to help absorb rainwater, restore streams and make neighbourhoods more attractive,” wrote Wendy Stueck.

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    VANCOUVER SUN: “Sustaining the Flow of Water Ethics” (interview published in the Media Planet supplement in March 2012)


    “British Columbia is ahead of the fold when it comes to water conservation efforts, but the changing ethics of water sustainability suggest a new approach across industry and society as a whole is needed. The Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia help to drive the conversation on sustainable water use by major industry. Kim Stephens, the Partnership’s executive director, points out that for major industry, decisions are often driven by the economics of the situation. He definitely agrees BC is progressive when it comes to water sustainability but point out there’s more work to be done,” stated Andrew Searle.

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    ANNUAL THEMES IN AN UNFOLDING STORYLINE POINT THE WAY FORWARD: “With the Ambassadors Program as the centrepiece, the Partnership embarked on a multi-year transition strategy in 2023. Our vision is intergenerational,” stated Kim Stephens, Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia


    “The Partnership has its roots in government and public service but is not government. The Partnership was conceived as a solution to loss of continuity in government and preserves institutional memory. This allows us to shed light on WHAT, WHY and HOW questions about water-centric policies and their implementation history. But there is much more to the Partnership story. We adapt and we evolve while staying true to the universal principles that underpin the Partnership mission. And our Ambassadors Program is the hope of the Partnership’s future,” stated Kim Stephens.

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    2025 MID-YEAR REPORT: Who will lead the Partnership after the Year 2028


    “Succession within the Partnership organizational entity depends upon an intergenerational commitment. Growing and sustaining the network through time is very much about finding those to whom we can pass the baton, now and in the future. The Ambassadors Program recognizes individuals who bring special value to the Partnership. And this program is the foundation for sustaining the network. Because the Ambassadors are the bridges across boundaries, the spotlight must be on the network of organizations and individuals rather than the Partnership entity,” stated Derek Richmond, Ambassadors Program Chair.

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    2023 ANNUAL REPORT: What the Partnership and associated network will look like after the Year 2025


    Growing a network breaks all the rules of conventional thinking. It is the antithesis of building an organization that has staff. Instead, the network aligns individuals and organizations to deliver results across organizational boundaries. “This organization, this network, has always been about bringing together likeminded people. The Partnership is seen as a resource that is stable, that is there, and that people can draw upon. And we have always been nimble and opportunistic. And I think that has to be a part of whatever this is going forward… continuing to be NIMBLE AND OPPORTUNISTIC,” stated Ray Fung, a Partnership founder.

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    2022 ANNUAL REPORT: A 3-Year Transition Strategy for Ensuring Continuity of the Partnership Network


    “Growing and sustaining the network is very much about finding those to whom we can pass the baton. Who among the next generation will step forward, accept the baton, and provide the type of leadership that would ensure continuity of the network? At the end of the day, however, ensuring continuity of the network is really about how organizations continue within the network. But a challenge facing many organizations is the loss of is the loss of oral history and long-term understanding. This reality is uppermost in our minds as we proceed with Year One of a 3-year strategy,” stated Ted van der Gulik, Partnership President.

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