TIER ONE CHAMPION FOR AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: The Ministry of Agriculture’s Ted van der Gulik initiated and led the inter-governmental Water Balance Model Partnership because the water balance consequences of urbanization in the uplands are felt in the agricultural lowlands!
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.
Ted van der Gulik, Ministry of Agriculture
“As long as I have known Ted van der Gulik, and that goes back to 1988, he has consistently translated vision into action,” wrote Kim Stephens, author of the Green Infrastructure Chronicle and Executive Director with the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
“So, it is not surprising that in his career he has been honoured with two Premier’s Awards of Excellence; and is one of only 22 individuals tapped for membership in the British Columbia Public Service Hall of Excellence.”
“That bold way of thinking and doing is the context for Ted’s actions in bringing together an inter-governmental partnership in July 2002 to operationalize the Water Balance Methodology via an online tool.”
“Ted van der Gulik has often been asked why the Ministry of Agriculture chaired the inter-governmental Water Balance Model Partnership. He would always reply by stating…because the water balance consequences of urbanization in the uplands are felt in the agricultural lowlands!”
Provincial champion for the Water Balance Model
“In parallel with my work at UniverCity in the early 2000s, I led development of both the Stormwater Planning Guidebook and the first version of the Water Balance Model. We needed the tool to evaluate the potential effectiveness of nature-based solutions for rainwater capture. Ted van der Gulik was on the steering committees for both.”
“The evaluation tool was a massive Excel spreadsheet. Because we could promptly generate answers to what if questions, however, it was powerful in opening minds as to what could be. Ted had an epiphany and said we must transform this tool so that it is seamless and can be easily used by others for scenario comparisons. The rest is history.”
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.
