Convening for Action in British Columbia

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Georgia Basin inter-regional education initiative

    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Seed change through the power of relationships and networks” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in November 2025


    “I dream of a culture change in climate/conservation or the social impact field more broadly so that people, relationships and community come first even before strategy, linear solutions and institutional self-interest. I am always working toward that and seeking partners to do this work. 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. It is about getting the flywheel going,” stated Dr. Jane Wei-Skillern. She is a thought leader in the field of network leadership.

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    PARTNERSHIP FOR WATER SUSTAINABILITY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA DELIVERS RESULTS ACROSS BOUNDARIES: “My focus on building networks by investing in relationships and community is rooted in values that closely align with those of many indigenous communities,” stated Dr. Jane Wei-Skillern, Senior Fellow with the Center for Social Sector Leadership at the University of California Berkeley


    “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.

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    BRITISH COLUMBIA’S WATER SUSTAINABILITY ACT, UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE: “Whenever I hear people say there was not adequate consultation, I have to contradict that because the consultation was incredible. I have not seen anything like it before or since that has even closely matched the WSA consultation,” stated Valerie Cameron, a former Deputy Comptroller of Water Rights and regional water manager


    “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.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: British Columbia’s Water Sustainability Act, unique and innovative” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in November 2025


    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.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Advancing municipal asset management in a changing world – the story is the context” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in November 2025


    “”We are at the point where we need to move past concepts and truly begin addressing the problems. A large part of that involves re-evaluating services and better informing taxpayers on levels of service and costs. And then making tough decisions on how to fund the services that communities deliver. Asset Management concepts have been around long enough for staff and elected officials to have an awareness of the issues. We need to truly begin addressing the struggle to implement. The theme that I am now promoting is this, just tell us your story,” stated Arnold Schwabe.

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    CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “You work with the politics of the day, and you have to be savvy. You must read your politicians. What are their pressures? Try to make what you need to do fit their pressures,” advises Carrie Baron, former Drainage Manager with the City of Surrey


    “Work with the system to move good ideas forward,” stated Carrie Baron. The third installment of the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver covers the period 1997 through 2005. In the 2000s, leaders ventured into uncharted territory. Great changes took place. These were possible because individuals took personal risks to innovate. This sweeping narrative weaves quotable quote to tell the story of what led up to publication of BC’s Stormwater Planning Guidebook in 2002, and the impact of what followed in the wake of publication.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Leaps of faith and calculated risks – convening for action in Metro Vancouver” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in October 2025


    “Transformation is often fraught with danger for both the change agents themselves and their organizations. It is like dancing with a tiger – with the outcome frequently uncertain. How does one dance with the tiger? You do it carefully, skillfully, courageously, in tune to the same music, advancing step by natural step,” wrote Brian Nattrass and Mary Altomare, authors of Dancing with the Tiger. Their analogy provides relevant context for the third installment of the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver. This covers the period 1997 through 2005.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: The Silent Death of Agriculture in Metro Vancouver – When Farmland Protection Isn’t Enough” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in October 2025


    “The Agricultural Land Inventory for me was a chance to translate reality into data, to make a permanent record bearing witness to these changes and providing the facts for informed decision-making. I am so proud of Christina Gemino’s work in turning that data into a message and call for action,” stated Kevin Eastwood. What is neat about the story of Christina Gemino and her body of research is how she infuses her passion to paint a picture of land use within the Agricultural Land Reserve. Through her analysis, she shines a light on what is going on within the ALR that is not right.

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    WHEN FARMLAND PROTECTION IS NOT ENOUGH: “So here we are, losing farmland every year to industrial, non-farm use. Food security is at risk. How do we get the fruit of the Agricultural Land Reserve? That is what we have to protect,” stated Christina Gemino, graduate of the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University


    Christina Gemino titled her master’s thesis The Silent Death of Agriculture in Metro Vancouver. “The non-sanctioned expansion of industrial use on agricultural land was a factor that drove my research. It can forever change the agricultural land base. There was a 121% increase in ALR parcels with industrial use from 2016 through 2022. It should be ZERO percent. You can build warehouses and industrial stuff pretty well anywhere you have a piece of property. You cannot build a farm by bringing in soil. We have to find other places for this other stuff,” stated Christina Gemino.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: River Magic, tales from a life on 1000 rivers” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in September 2025


    “I was inspired to write the book because a couple of years back I was looking at a lot of old photos. And I could not help but feel how fortunate I have been to have seen so much of the world through the lens of rivers. The book takes the reader on a multi-decade global adventure. And it chronicles a lot of the real-life encounters I have had on rivers around the world,” stated Mark Angelo. As an avid kayaker, canoeist and rafter, Mark Angelo has traveled on close to a thousand rivers spanning well over one-hundred countries; perhaps more than any other individual.

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