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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER – PART D: “We could only do what we did in Metro Vancouver in the 2000s because political will and support cascaded from Province to region to local,” stated Kim Stephens of the Partnership for Water Sustainability

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 (REPRODUCED BELOW), 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 narrative weaves quotable quote 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.

 

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER

“In the 2000s, the Province and the Real Estate Foundation of BC jointly funded my role as program coordinator for the Water Sustainability Action Plan for BC. My responsibility was to bring together individuals and organizations in the Lower Mainland, on Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan to form partnerships, collaborate and convene for action. It was a bold undertaking,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.

“The vision for a regional team approach to implementing the New Business As Usual inspired audiences. Momentum kept building. So much so, that we framed what we were doing as MISSION POSSIBLE. By 2010, we had good reason to celebrate the moment. BC was clearly at a tipping point.”

Settlement, Economy and Ecology in Balance is Mission Possible

 

“The regional team approach delivered results across boundaries in Southwest BC. Political will and collaboration powered mission possible in the 2000s.”

 

Political will and support cascaded from Province to region to local

Convening for action in Metro Vancouver as the Green Infrastructure Partnership 

In the Metro Vancouver, we convened as the Green Infrastructure Partnership. On Vancouver Island, we convened as CAVI-Leadership in Water Sustainability. A critical success factor was the cross-pollination between the two initiatives. We built on what we learned through the Convening for Action in the South Okanagan pilot. The building blocks process was inter-regional in scope.

 

BEYOND THE GUIDEBOOK 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia

Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for BC ushered in the view of rainwater runoff as a resource to be respected. By 2010, we believed that BC was at a tipping point. Implementation of a new culture for urban watershed protection and restoration seemed within our grasp. By explaining how we had arrived at this tipping point, Beyond the Guidebook 2010 added depth to the Guidebook.

 

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.

 

DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/01/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Kim-Stephens-on-Learning-by-Doing-Part-D_2025.pdf