WHEN WE ARE PART OF A NETWORK, EVERYONE GOES FURTHER: “Today’s frontline staff are finding it more difficult to share their knowledge and vision, perhaps due to a political climate that is less receptive to data-based solutions,” stated Rémi Dubé, former senior manager in local government
Note to Reader:
Construction Business is a trade magazine which serves British Columbia and Alberta. Beginning in 2006 with a feature story on the rollout of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia, every two or three years editor Cheryl Mah invites the Partnership for Water Sustainability to contribute a topical article that is relevant to her Construction Business readership. In May 2026, Construction Business published an article co-authored by the Partnership duo of Kim Stephens and Rémi Dubé. Twenty years and counting!
Regional Livability: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration
When you think of the issues we face today…weather extremes, drying rivers, degraded streams, frequent wildfires, population growth, housing affordability…they are no different than they were in the 1990s and the 2000s. They are just more complex and more urgent.
With hindsight and perspective, 1994 represents a watershed moment in the history of the Lower Mainland and east coast of Vancouver Island. The bioregion was at a crossroads and faced Critical Choices: “Will it be development that controls us or development that sustains us?”
Convening for action in the Metro Vancouver region
The Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver is a sweeping narrative of an exciting period in local government “convening for action” history. The Chronicle is about elected leaders and a host of others who rose to the moment and championed the “mission possible” goal… settlement, economy, and ecology in balance!
The Chronicle started out as a chronology of “convening for action” events. And then it grew into something bigger in scope. It serves as a legacy resource for the past three decades.
Through a conversational interview process, the stories behind the story came into focus. Themes emerged. Four distinct eras define the past three decades of experience in the Metro Vancouver region, with the period of time for each varying between six and nine years.
With a network, everyone goes further
Frontline staff in local government need safe spaces where they can…one, tap into insights from alumni who are retired from leadership positions…and two, share experiences with their peers as a way to turn problems into solutions. This is exactly what the Partnership did this past January. We hosted a “safe space forum” for conversations between past, current and future leaders.
In planning the forum, our goal was to foster strong connections among the attendees. We did not want this gathering to be like many professional gatherings where interactions are polite, efficient, but surface level. We deliberately planned exercises that focused on listening, learning, and reflection.
To Learn More:
To read the complete article, download a copy of Green Infrastructure: Past and Future.
