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“We anticipated that the workshop program would be good. In fact, it exceeded expectations. One technical area in which the BC team had an impact was the way in which they drew audience attention to the fundamental importance of soil-water interaction; and how an understanding of this relationship holds the key to implementing water balance solutions,” stated Glenn MacMillan.

“This single day workshop gave us the chance to listen and discover practices from BC in regards to watershed-based approach to rainwater management. The audience had not only the opportunity to learn about best-practices but also to discover tools that can be customized to the local context. We are grateful that the group stopped in Montreal to share this priceless information,” said Frédéric Moreau.

“The workshop was very enlightening – BC’s issues are very different in many ways from ours but the insight provided by the speakers on moving change forward was invaluable. The workshop was a great blend of the technical combined with the compelling back story of how and why BC and local municipalities are addressing their many stormwater management challenges,” stated Darlene Conway.

“The workshop was the ideal stepping stone to advance our collective thinking on rainwater management and climate change adaptation in the Atlantic region. It provided the theory and delivered an overview of user-friendly tools to help practitioners implement rainwater management techniques to meet watershed health goals and adapt to a changing climate,” stated Jocelyne Rankin.

“When our long term collaborator at the District of North Vancouver, Richard Boase, informed us of some of the new tools available to support rainwater management and planning in the District, I immediately knew I wanted to incorporate them into an assignment for the Urban Watershed Management course,” states Julie Wilson. “The students appreciated the power and utility of these kinds of tools to engage with the public on issues of development and rainwater management.”

The Stormwater Pioneers program showcases innovation and a true dedication by property owners and others to decrease pollution. “We’re hoping to keep trash, debris and other pollution out of the water supply so that everyone can enjoy a clean Schuylkill River. If we can play a small part in making the environment better for the next generation, that’s a major plus for us,” stated Joe Jaconski.

“The big takeaway for me is confirmation that in Calgary we are actually on the right track; and it fits with a number of items that I heard. There is a lot of discussion pertaining to degraded areas, wetlands and streams. People say ‘well, it is degraded and so it has no value’. In contrast to that mind-set, the notion of the Shifting Baseline continuum tells us that we can go back to a higher state,” stated Bert van Duin.

“Understanding the context is key to interpreting results. An increasing building footprint is short-circuiting the Water Balance, and this has consequences for local governments – both in terms of financial liability and fisheries sustainability. The District of North Vancouver is leveraging technology to help us make better decisions and provide better service,” states Richard Boase.

“Soil depth is a primary water management tool for use by local government to adapt to a changing climate. A well-designed landscape with healthy topsoil helps communities through both wet and dry times. Soil is a sponge. It holds and slowly releases rainwater. This can limit runoff during rainy weather; and reduce irrigation water need during dry weather. In the City of Surrey, we specify a minimum soil depth of 300 mm,” states David Hislop.

“In the morning sessions, it was essentially a case of ‘presenting at’ our audiences. Each time, we needed to bring a mixed audience up to a common level of understanding of basic concepts. The process was intense. Our audiences had to absorb a large body of knowledge in a very period of time. And they did. As a result, the afternoon sessions were highly interactive and highly effective,” reports Kim Stephens.