Convening for Action in British Columbia

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Eric Bonham

    CONVENING FOR ACTION ON VANCOUVER ISLAND: “We have it in our hands to create our future, because what we do on the ground sets the pattern of development for generations,” stated Eric Bonham in his keynote address at the CAVI launch event in 2006


    “Change in standard practices does not happen overnight. It takes time. Therefore, it is important to manage expectations when embarking on this journey towards water sustainability. Getting there is Mission Possible and is a top-down and bottom-up strategy. First comes the vision. Then community involvement. Support from municipal decision makers follows next. Finally, communities must apply ‘Design with Nature’ as a consistent future approach to development. Everyone needs to agree on expectations and how all the players will work together,” stated Eric Bonham.

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    A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PARTNERSHIP FOR WATER SUSTAINABILITY: “British Columbia’s response to the National Action Plan to Encourage Municipal Water Use Efficiency defined our water sustainability journey during the 5-year period from 1992 through 1997,” states Kim Stephens


    “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.

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    A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PARTNERSHIP FOR WATER SUSTAINABILITY: “A precedent-setting Partnership Agreement defined the period from 1997 through 2002. The agreement set the stage for collaborative leadership in the 2000s,” states Eric Bonham, architect and driving force behind the agreement


    “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.

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    A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PARTNERSHIP FOR WATER SUSTAINABILITY: “A strength of The Partnership is being able to cross boundaries with comfort and draw players together for the benefit of the whole,” states Richard Boase, career environmental champion in local government


    “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.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Our land ethic has consequences for water” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in October 2023


    “With climate change, we must have all hands on deck. Engaging citizen lake stewards throughout the province would extend the ability of government, as we face climate change. It is a growing agency, with huge potential, of embracing provincial direction with engagement of its citizens. There is magic when government actually engages community and community members share a passion for protecting and enhancing aquatic habitat. I speak from my experience in government when I was manager of the Urban Salmon Habitat Program in the 1990s,” stated Eric Bonham.

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    OUR LAND ETHIC HAS CONSEQUENCES FOR WATER: “Our relationship with water has to change,” stated Dr. Shannon Waters, Medical Health Officer for the Cowichan region, at the 2023 Annual Conference of the BC Lake Stewardship Society


    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.

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    ACHIEVING WATER BALANCE: “Creating Our Future in British Columbia / Applying What You Have Learned to the Highlands Case Study” – overview of afternoon program for “Water OUT = Water IN” workshop that launched the Convening for Action in British Columbia initiative (April 2005)


    “Our original concept was to create a hypothetical case study for the purposes of the Breakout Session. Then we realized that a real-life example would be more beneficial because it would considerably help participants to wrap their minds around the issues and potential solutions. The information could be exactly the same, but there is something visual about talking about a real community. Timing is everything, and the Highlands Case Study came to our attention at the right moment. As it turned out, the scale of the Highlands Case Study provided a perfect fit with the backgrounds of our audience,” stated Wenda Mason.

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    ACHIEVING WATER BALANCE: “The District of Highlands is at a critical stage in its development and must clearly identify its future plan regarding density limits and land use planning goals,” stated Eric Bonham, Chair of the Highlands Stewardship Foundation, when he delivered a context presentation for a breakout session at the “Water OUT = Water IN” workshop that launched the Convening for Action in British Columbia initiative (April 2005)


    “The District of Highlands, located on the edge of the Western Communities in the Capital Regional District (CRD), is subject to continuing development pressures northward from Langford. However, the community has its own vision, united as it is by landscape – rocky uplands and dense coastal forests. This shared terrain has shaped a building and road pattern with a small ‘footprint” on the land, along with a unique rural lifestyle. These values are clearly identified in the Official Community Plan,” explained Eric Bonham.

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    IN MEMORIAM: “Erik Karlsen was a ‘change agent’ in every sense of the word, made his mark on so many fronts, and was respected throughout,” stated Eric Bonham, a former colleague in the BC provincial government, when he reflected on the influence and impact of Erik Karlsen in bringing people with different perspectives together to find common ground


    “Erik Karlsen reflected the very best qualities of a dedicated civil servant, committed to outcomes that served the common interests of the province, building partnerships that resulted in creative yet practical policies, and endlessly thinking ‘outside the box’ that oftentimes made his colleagues’ heads spin! Erik built many connections throughout his extraordinary career that included contacts within the three levels of government, the academic sector and community stewardship groups. His broad range of interests allowed him to move comfortably from one discipline to another,” stated Eric Bonham.

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    BOWKER CREEK FORUM: Organized under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan, and hosted by the Capital Regional District, the Bowker Creek Forum was a celebration of the Bowker Creek Blueprint, a provincially significant 100-year Action Plan for urban watershed restoration (February 2010)


    “So, why did we choose Bowker Creek, one might ask? The watershed is completely built out, and the creek channel is enclosed in pipes for two-thirds of its length. We thought of it as a learning opportunity. If we can do it in Bowker, we can do it in any creek in the region. There had been a lot of work done by the community to raise awareness. The biggest factor in the decision, however, was the very, very strong contingent in the community that wanted to get a better functioning creek back in their community,” stated Jody Watson.

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