CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PERIOD FROM 1997 THRU 2005: “Leaps of faith and calculated risks – during the crucible period from 1997 through 2005, that succinct statement defined the approach and way of thinking that guided and made innovation possible,” stated Kim Stephens, Executive Director, Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story.
The edition published on October 28, 2025 featured the third installment of the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver. Part C covers the period 1997 through 2005. It tells the story of what led up to publication of Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia in 2002, and the impact of what followed in the wake of publication.
Ninety-eight pages long, Part C is a sweeping narrative weaves quotable quote to bring to life an era. It is included as an attachment to of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Leaps of faith and calculated risks – convening for action in Metro Vancouver.
Venturing Into Uncharted Territory with an Ecosystem-Based Approach
“Zooming out to view the past three decades as a whole, the period 1997 through 2005 was the crucible for the golden period that followed from 2006 through 2011. The era is bracketed by the passage of the Fish Protection Act in 1997 and the Green Infrastructure Consultation Workshop held in May 2005. These were literally watershed moments,” wrote Kim Stephens, author of the Green Infrastructure Chronicle and Executive Director with the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
“A large cast of characters was involved. Many were introduced in Parts A and B of this chronicle. We were venturing into uncharted territory, and that meant taking leaps of faith and calculated risks that we were heading in the right direction. We pushed the boundaries of knowledge and experience. We learned together.”
Drainage and fish were front and centre
“Circa 2000, drainage was a galvanizing issue for sustainable development. The Fish Protection Act had changed the game. The cumulative impacts of land use changes on stream health were proven. Implementation of streamside protection regulation was a work-in-progress. The future case study content for Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia was being developed.”
“The Guidebook is the centrepiece of the Part C storyline. A goal in applying science-based understanding was to reconcile competing priorities: develop land; protect fish habitat. Part C is the chronicle of what led up to publication of the Guidebook in 2002, and the impact of what followed in the wake of publication.”
To Learn More:
Waterbucket eNews stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story. To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a PDF copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Leaps of faith and calculated risks – convening for action in Metro Vancouver.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/10/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Leaps-of-Faith-and-Calculated-Risks-Part-C_2025.pdf