Tag:

Metro Vancouver Liquid Waste Management Plan

    DOWNLOADS FOR THE FALL 2024 SEASON OF THE LIVING WATER SMART SERIES: “Storytelling is among the oldest forms of communication,” stated Professor Rives Collins, author of ‘The Power of Story: Teaching Through Storytelling’


    We share our world view through our stories and storytelling This is how we pass on our oral history. Storytelling is the way we share intergenerational knowledge, experience and wisdom. “Storytelling is the commonality of all human beings, in all places, in all times,” stated Professor Rives Collins, Northwestern University, author of “The Power of Story: Teaching Through Storytelling”.

    Read Article

    CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “Local governments need a real number based on financial value if they want to get natural assets into their management plans on a regular basis. EAP gives them that,” stated Tim Pringle, Chair of the Ecological Accounting Process (EAP)


    “The question we asked was, how do you find that number? Well, we can treat a stream as a land use because we have the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation and we have BC Assessment for land values. The rest of it is the methodology that does the right calculation. Local governments have a spatial way of looking at land use. EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, is a spatial view because the methodology is keyed to parcels which is as spatial as you can get. EAP allows local governments to explore the financial impact of land development choices,” stated Tim Pringle.

    Read Article

    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Election day flooding spurs re-set and course correction” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in November 2024


    “With an update underway in early 2023, Metro Vancouver staff reached out to me for historical perspective on the ‘streams and trees’ component of the region’s Liquid Waste Management Plan. Because I had been the chair of the advisory panel for the region’s second LWMP in 2010, this evolved into a knowledge-sharing process. What did you learn along the way, they would ask, and where did that lead each time. Because of their questions, what started out as a chronology of events grew into something much bigger in scope. The Chronicle is a tome,” stated Kim Stephens.

    Read Article

    CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “When we showed the picture of the Riparian Forest Integrity versus Total Impervious Area relationship to the Metro Vancouver Board, they agreed that things had to change. Things will get worse if we do not change our ways,” stated Robert Hicks, career engineer-planner in local government


    “The federal and provincial representatives advocated for a new business as usual regarding downstream flooding of agricultural lands and fish habitat preservation. The priorities were hydrology and riparian forest canopy which is why we involved Rich Horner of the University of Washington in our watershed assessment and classification work in the late 1990. The research team tested a system using 19 streams that were representative of physiography and land development patterns in the region. In 1999, the majority of streams were in the FAIR and POOR categories,” stated Robert Hicks.

    Read Article

    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Land planning perspective for liability reduction along streams” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in November 2024


    “The starting point for EAP is Natural Asset Management. It lets local governments know the financial value of their streams as a Natural Commons Asset. EAP is a spatial view because the methodology is keyed to parcels which is as spatial as you can get. The EAP process allows local governments to transcend the numbers and explore the financial impact of land development choices. And it is also about solutions. Planners have a spatial way of looking at land use. So, I imagine that they would like to have a means of understanding a stream from a spatial point of view,” stated Tim Pringle.

    Read Article

    CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “A Helijet flight to Victoria is the story behind the story of how BC’s Growth Strategies Act came to be. Municipal Affairs Minister Darlene Marzari sat next to me in the only vacant seat. She said, Ken, we have to talk,” stated Ken Cameron, co-architect of Metro Vancouver’s Livable Region Strategic Plan in the 1990s (4th installment in a preview series)


    “Darlene Marzari said I have a staff and you have a board. We have to find a way of working around that. So, I met with her on a Saturday morning and made a presentation about the draft Livable Region Strategic Plan to an audience of one. No advisors. At the end of the presentation, she said “I want to do that. I want to make that possible”. The provincial government was beginning to talk about growth strategies It was fortunate that Metro Vancouver had a plan that was ready to go just at the time Darlene Marzari was inventing the mandate for it,” stated Ken Cameron.

    Read Article

    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Understand why the Livable Region Strategic Plan matters” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in October 2024


    “In 1990, the Metro Vancouver region initiated a growth strategy embodying many Smart Growth principles. The Plan had four pillars: a Green Zone, complete communities, a compact region, and increased transportation choice. A year ago, a group of us met with regional planning staff to pass on our knowledge and experience. Our message was, use the strengths of the unique regional planning system you have. We did this in the interest of providing current staff with some personal background on the Livable Region Strategic Plan,” stated Ken Cameron.

    Read Article

    CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “Money is limited, the time politicians can spend on any one issue is short, and choices need to be made. So, whoever makes a compelling case in the moment for their issue…well all of sudden the priorities of a local government are different,” stated Pete Steblin, former City Manager in the Metro Vancouver region (3rd installment in a preview series)


    “At local government conferences these days, you hear the term CAO roadkill a lot. Chief administrative officer positions are tenuous. Look around the Metro Vancouver region. More than half are different than just 18 months ago. Is it any wonder that a prevalent attitude among senior local government staff is, do not stick your head out of the foxhole? When there is a significant level of trust in technical recommendations, Councils rarely override them. Trust is fragile and can easily be broken. When trust is lost, decades of good work can be lost,” stated Pete Steblin.

    Read Article

    CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “When there is trust and respect between politicians and staff, good outcomes for the community are more likely to result,” stated Darrell Mussatto, former mayor North Vancouver City (2nd installment in a preview series)


    “My goal when I was elected mayor in 2005 was all about climate change. After the first month, I organized a meeting with the top 40 staff to share my vision. Part way through my presentation, some staff put their hands up and said…Darrell, we are there with you, we are there. When staff do not feel intimidated, they can be bolder. When elected leaders have a trust-based relationship with their senior staff, and everyone works together to make the community a better place, that is when you really get things moving in the right direction,” stated Darrell Mussatto.

    Read Article

    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Money is limited, attention spans are short, and choices must be made” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in October 2024


    “Over my career, I have worked in four cities, and observed many cities across the country. This experience provides me with context. At the end of the day, good decision-making comes down to a good process. But it also relies on wisdom in terms of balanced advice. When there is a significant level of trust in technical recommendations, Councils rarely override them. Staff explains recommendations. The Council makes the decisions. Trust is fragile and can easily be broken. When trust is lost, decades of good work can be lost,” stated Pete Steblin.

    Read Article