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British Columbia’s Green Infrastructure Partnership (2003-2010) – oral history allows communities to look back to see ahead

HISTORY OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “The Partnership for Water Sustainability is the keeper of the GIP legacy,” stated Paul Ham, a Past-Chair of the Green Infrastructure Partnership


During the period 2003 through 2010, the Green Infrastructure Partnership played a prominent role in leading change and assisting with implementation of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia, primarily in the Metro Vancouver region. “I see my years of chairing the GIP as helping to get the ball rolling and ideas disseminated, on green infrastructure, all of which has subsequently been taken up by others to a much greater degree of implementation and success. Our efforts a decade ago moved the state of-the-art of green infrastructure to a more mainstream level,” said Paul Ham.

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HISTORY OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “When we formed the GIP in 2003, green infrastructure was an emerging concept. The paradigm-shift that then occurred during Paul Ham’s watch far exceeds our original expectation that the partnership would be a catalyst for change,” stated Chuck Gale, Founding Chair (2003-2004), Green Infrastructure Partnership


A confluence of events and circumstances brought a mix of key players together in 2003. It was a teachable year because of the impact of drought, forest fires and floods on public consciousness. Chuck Gale as chair brought instant credibility to the GIP. When he retired from local government, Chuck Gale recruited Paul Ham, General Manager of Engineering with the City of Surrey, to succeed him. Paul further elevated the GIP profile because Surrey was seen to be at the forefront of green infrastructure innovation.

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FLASHBACK TO 2006 / MAYORS & CHAIRS FOCUS GROUP FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE: “Viewed through the lens of what needs to be done to build a vision and create a legacy, both the findings and key messages from the 2006 interviews are standing the test of time,” stated Kim Stephens, author and Executive Director, Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia (September 2022)


“At the turn of the 21st century, British Columbia was in the midst of a development boom. This followed the ‘lost decade’ of the 1980s when economic activity in the province virtually ground to a halt. Population growth and climate change were issues in the 2005 local government elections. Afterwards, the Partnership interviewed an inter-regional group representing the Okanagan, Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Everyone had thought about how to achieve environmental, economic and social objectives through a community’s infrastructure choices,” stated Kim Stephens.

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FLASHBACK TO 2009: “A provincial policy framework is now in place that enables municipalities to ‘do business differently’ in order to design their communities to live in harmony with water,” stated the Ministry of Environment’s Lynn Kriwoken at a forum co-organized by the BC Green Infrastructure Partnership


“A key message in Living Water Smart is that green development makes sense. New thinking about development leads to new benefits. These include more green spaces, more water and fish in the streams, improved community vitality, reduced demand for water, and reduced expenditure on infrastructure. By living water smart, communities will be more prepared for climate change and their quality of life will be enhanced,” stated Lynn Kriwoken. Her description reflected the theme, “Living Water Smart & Making Green Choices”, for the 2009 forum held in Surrey for Metro Vancouver municipalities.

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BC’S GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIP: “You can trust these people. Their only goal is to turn you on to the practical reality that designing with nature – particularly water – is underway, is working, and holds out hope for communities and cities to function better,” stated (former) West Vancouver Mayor Pam Goldsmith-Jones when she facilitated a presentation to elected representatives on the Metro Vancouver Sustainable Region Initiative Task Force (October 2006)


“I was asked by members of the Green Infrastructure Partnership to help them support local leaders throughout BC, so that we – the politicians – can champion the idea that designing with nature, particularly with regard to how water flows, has everything to do with achieving a built environment that is truly sustainable. As the leaders appointed to design the Sustainable Region Initiative, we view you as critical partners in affecting positive change with regard to infrastructure design in the region,” stated Mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones.

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FLASHBACK TO 2006: “At the end of the day, we literally tore up our work plan. It was clear that practitioners did not need another guidance document that would go on a shelf. Rather, they needed to network and learn from each other,” stated Ray Fung, Chair, when the Green Infrastructure Partnership released a report on conversations with a mayors and chairs focus group (September 2006)


“As we went around the table, the stories came out as to what Metro Vancouver municipalities were doing. A common refrain was: ‘We didn’t know you were doing that!’ The energy in the room just kept building and building. As a result, our outreach emphasis shifted from ‘informing and educating’ to ‘showcasing and sharing’. We witnessed the motivational power of celebrating successes. We also recognized the need to get the story out about the leadership being shown by local government,” stated Ray Fung.

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CREATE GREENER COMMUNITIES, PREPARE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: 2007 Vancouver Island Green Infrastructure Leadership Forum set the stage for “Living Water Smart, BC’s Water Plan”, and was the genesis for capacity-building programs that have rippled through time in changing the way local governments view creeksheds


“Look back to look forward. What have we learned? How do we pass that understanding (of what we have learned over the past 10 years) onto successive generations of land use, infrastructure and asset management professionals who do their work in the local government setting? How can we help them make informed choices that benefit from past experience? These are just some of the questions that guide the work of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia,” stated Kim Stephens. In 2010, the responsibilities of BC’s Green Infrastructure Partnership were rolled into the Partnership for Water Sustainability.

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FLASHBACK TO 2007: Seminar on how to implement ‘green solutions’ that actually protect stream health – “Beyond the Guidebook Initiative” formally launched by the British Columbia Green Infrastructure Partnership at event held in Vancouver; attracted an audience from regions across the province


“The Stormwater Guidebook set in motion a chain of outcomes that has resulted in BC being recognized internationally as a leader in implementing a natural systems approach to rainwater management in the urban environment,” stated Minister of Environment Barry Penner in 2007. “The Convening for Action initiative creates an opportunity to move beyond rainwater management to embrace all components of the water cycle through integrated water management.”

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FLASHBACK TO 2007: What is “Green Infrastructure”? Looking back to understand the origin, meaning and use of the term in British Columbia


In 2007, the first Beyond the Guidebook guidance document provided a clear distinction between natural and engineered green infrastructure. “Two complementary strategies can ‘green’ a community and its infrastructure: first, preserving as much as possible of the natural green infrastructure; and secondly, promoting designs that soften the footprint of development,” wrote Susan Rutherford. “Green infrastructure design is engineering design that takes a ‘design with nature’ approach, to both mitigate the potential impacts of existing and future development and growth and to provide valuable services.”

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Celebrating Green Infastructure in the Metro Vancouver Region: In 2005, the Green Infrastructure Partnership convened a Consultation Workshop that resulted in the “Showcasing Innovation Series”


“The 2006 Showcasing Innovation Series was a provincial pilot. When we talked to practitioners in local government, it doesn’t matter what the region, the message was the same…they tell us that they are too busy to communicate with their colleagues in neighbouring municipalities. Yet the irony is that there is much to learn by sharing information with each other. At the end of the day, it seems that it takes a third party to bring people together,” stated Paul Ham.

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