TIER ONE CHAMPION FOR AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: In 1988, the inaugural Real Estate Foundation Board of Governors appointed Tim Pringle as their first Executive Director, a position he held for 20 years. In 1991, the Governors adopted his recommendation to adopt a philosophy that “use and conservation of land are equal values”
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.
Tim Pringle, Real Estate Foundation of BC
“The Real Estate Foundation (REF) is a creation of the Province under the Real Estate Services Act. The source of its grant funding is interest earned on real estate deposits at the time of property purchases. Creation of the REF established a North American precedent,” wrote Kim Stephens, author of the Green Infrastructure Chronicle and Executive Director with the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
“In 1988, the inaugural REF Board of Governors appointed Tim Pringle as their first Executive Director, a position he held until 2008. Tim coined the phrase use and conservation are equal values.”
Use and Conservation of Land are Equal Values
“So, how did I get on this path? It was 1990 when I pondered the language in the Real Estate Services Act and reflected on what it did and did not say. The Act stated very narrowly that the REFBC would support non-profit endeavours related to land use and real estate,” recalls Tim Pringle.
“The Act defined land as ground and whatever improvements are on the ground. This led me to ask: why are we not talking about the land and whatever natural assets are on the land? In 1991, the Governors adopted my recommendation to adopt a philosophy that “use and conservation of land are equal values”.
“That was a transformational moment. Adoption provided me with the mandate and authority to leverage REF grant funding to effect positive land use change. That is the context for REF leadership as a co-funder of the Headwaters Project in East Clayton.”
“Turf issues seemed insurmountable. And there was fear and doubt. The REF granted multi-year monies for those expenditures that other agencies lacked the mandate to cover. Our ability to be flexible allowed Erik Karlsen, Patrick Condon and the Headwaters advisory committee to get on with the job of planning for a sustainable community.”
Convening for action in British Columbia
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.
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