CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PERIOD FROM 2006 THRU 2011: “We were delivering multiple major events each year. That took commitment, hard work, and a whole lot of team building to bring multiple local governments together for a shared purpose. That is a key message,” stated Richard Boase, Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Partnership for the Water Balance Model program
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 February 24, 2026 featured the fourth installment of the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver. Part D covers the period 2006 through 2011. This sweeping 116-page narrative weaves quotable quotes to provide the reader with a sense of the level of activity and how this activity generated green infrastructure momentum in the Metro Vancouver region.
How would the Metro Vancouver region absorb another one million people and remain livable? That was the defining question in the 2000s. The Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation brings to life an exciting period in local government “convening for action” history. There was critical mass to implement changes in development practices.
The following extract is from Section 1 of Part D and is the 2nd in a set of 4 extracts. Section 1 is titled Learn by Doing, Adapt to Create Livable Communities.
1. LEARN BY DOING, ADAPT TO CREATE LIVABLE COMMUNITIES: Commitment to Collaboration
“Viewed through the green infrastructure lens, one word characterizes the 5-year period from 2006 through 2011. That word is transformational. Almost overnight, the term “green infrastructure” went from novel idea to mainstream concept in the Metro Vancouver region. There was energy. There was a willingness to learn by doing,” wrote Kim Stephens, author of the Green Infrastructure Chronicle and Executive Director with the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
Coming together for a shared purpose
“Looking at the length of the list of milestones and reflecting on the array of initiatives, it is amazing how much we were able to pack into such a short period of time,” states the District of North Vancouver’s Richard Boase. He was a principal player for event delivery.
“A phrase that best describes this era is commitment to collaboration. Senior government, regional government, municipalities. We were all in the room learning together, working together, sharing. It truly was a team approach. We were outcome-oriented. Our mantra was create livable communities and protect stream health.”
Two unifying threads weave through the theme areas
“The provincial government provided green infrastructure leadership during this period, with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs mantra being: Today’s expectations are tomorrow’s standards,” adds Kim Stephens.
“The other thread was the regulatory requirement that Metro Vancouver municipalities develop integrated plans pursuant to the rainwater (i.e. streams and trees) component of the region’s LWMP, or Liquid Waste Management Plan. This provided a reason for convening for action!”
Timeline and Milestones
The TIMELINE presented in Part D of the Chronicle identifies 18 milestones in the building blocks process for inter-regional collaboration within the Georgia Basin during the years 2006 through 2011. The milestones provide structure for Part D. They are organized into theme areas.
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: Learn by doing, and adapt to create livable communities – convening for action in Metro Vancouver.
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