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Pete Steblin

    22 – LESSONS FROM THE PAST INFORM THE FUTURE IN METRO VANCOUVER: How do we accommodate more people, ensure livable communities, protect stream health?


    “Every generation is handed a world that has been shaped by their predecessors – and then seemingly forgets that fact. This blind spot is the reason why a baseline creeps imperceptibly over generations. We transform the world, but we don’t remember it. We adjust our baseline to the new level, and we don’t recall what was there. At the end you want to sustain miserable leftovers,” stated Daniel Pauly.

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    CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “We need to think of local government as being more like a Mars Rover with wheels that can move in different directions,” stated Pete Steblin, former City Manager in the Metro Vancouver region (3rd installment in a preview series)


    “It is important for each generation to learn to look back to see ahead so that they can turn rather than reinvent the wheel. At the same time, I think the Mars Rover is an appropriate analogy to describe how things work in local government. If it flips over, and we are not there to right size it…well, all is lost. Wheels are good to go in one direction. You need a steering wheel. But you need something different to change direction. Direction is going to be changed as you move forward. You have to at least recognize that reality so that you can adapt to it,” stated Pete Steblin.

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    REFLECTIONS ON CREATING A CULTURE OF APPRECIATION IN THE CITY OF COQUITLAM: “Balance. Alignment. Appreciation. Three words that capture so much. They are foundation pieces for creating a culture of collaboration which is a steppingstone to a culture of appreciation,” stated Pete Steblin, former City Engineer and City Manager


    “Good decision-making comes down to a good process. But it also relies on wisdom in terms of balanced advice. The essence of my guiding philosophy as a City Manager is distilled into the three Ts which are trust, time and think. Staff gives good advice and Council makes the decisions,” stated Pete Steblin. “When there is a significant level of trust in technical recommendations, Councils rarely override them. Staff explains recommendations. The Council makes the decisions. Trust is fragile and can easily be broken. When trust is lost, decades of good work can be lost.”

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