ANNOUNCEMENT FOR SEMINAR #2 IN THE 2008 COMOX VALLEY LEARNING LUNCH SERIES IN COURTENAY: “We are encouraging local governments to think about policies and practices that contribute to ‘A Positive Settlement Strategy for Vancouver Island’,” stated John Finnie, Chair of CAVI-Leadership in Water Sustainability (October 2008)
Note to Reader:
On October 24th 2008, the City of Courtenay will host the second event in the Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series. The focus of Seminar #2 will be on the extensive and very specific tools available under the Local Government Act to achieve Design with Nature outcomes. The seminar theme is that is all about establishing expectations and then delivering.
The series is organized under the umbrella of CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, and is part of the implementation program for Beyond the Guidebook: The New Business As Usual.
The meet-and-greet for each Learning Lunch Seminar starts at 10:30am. Each event concludes at 3:00pm. To download the program overview, click here.
Taking actions on the ground that add up to “A Positive Settlement Strategy for Vancouver Island”
“We have structured Seminar #2 in two parts to facilitate the sharing of lessons learned among participants. Before lunch we will focus on establishing expectations in order to influence the greening of the built environment; after lunch the theme will be delivering on expectations,” reports Kevin Lagan, Director of Operational Services for the City of Courtenay.
According to Kevin Lagan, “Establishing expectations essentially means drawing a picture of what we want. Delivering on expectations means this is how we can and will get there.”
Establishing Expectations: City of Nanaimo Case Study
“The team of Dean Mousseau and Gary Noble from the City of Nanaimo will tell the story of the Inland Kenworth industrial development to illustrate what can be accomplished when a municipality challenges a development proponent to be innovative,” elaborates Derek Richmond, Manager of Engineering Services. “Their story is titled Where Designing with Nature meets Green Value.”
“Highlighting this case study is part of building the bridge from Seminar #1. A further discussion of the Stormwater Guidebook will set the stage for the Inland Kenworth story,” adds Derek Richmond. “Dean and Gary will describe the ‘design with nature’ outcome that resulted when the City said to the Inland Kenworth developer and his design team: we would like you to do business differently.”
To Learn More:
To read previous WaterBucket.ca articles on the Inland Kenworth project, click on Nanaimo Inland Kenworth dealer wins green acclaim for innovation in site development and Inland Kenworth industrial site in the CIty of Nanaimo establishes ‘design with nature’ precedent.
Delivering on Expectations: Legal and Policy Strategies
“After lunch, Susan Rutherford will employ a question-and-format to illustrate opportunities and scales for law and policy to affect change,” continues Derek Richmond.
“A lawyer with the West Coast Environmental Law Foundation, Susan is the author of the Green Infrastructure Guide, published in 2007. By drawing on the case study successes in the Guide, Susan will set the stage for a town hall sharing segment.”
“Susan’s segment is titled Effective RAINwater/Stormwater Management & Green Infrastructure to Achieve Watershed Health,” concludes Derek Richmond. “This title links back to the Commentary prepared by the Green Infrastructure Partnership that is one of the seminar resources. By introducing ‘watershed health’, this begins to set the stage for what we want people to think about in preparing for Seminar #3 on November 21.”
To Learn More:
For a preview of the types of information that Susan will cover in her segment, click on this link to How to use the 2007 Green Infrastructure Guide as a planning resource and/or tool.
Town Hall Forum: Actions on the Ground Add Up
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Lessons learned from the Green Infrastructure Leadership Forum, held in December 2007, have provided the inspiration for incorporating the town hall segment,” explains Kim Stephens, seminar team leader and Program Coordinator for the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia. “Our vision is to create a spirit of camaraderie so that participants will be fired up when they leave the seminar. To achieve that outcome, we will prompt seminar participants to talk about what they have done or what they want to do. This sharing will from directly from the discussion of available legal and policy tools.”
“Glen Brown of the Ministry of Community Development will have a raconteur role in the town hall segment,” continues Kim Stephens. “Rather than make a ‘talking head’ presentation, we have asked Glen to spontaneously weave the Province’s perspective and case study anecdotes into the discussion. His key message will be that grant programs are designed to achieve the green infrastructure vision: create liveable communities and protect stream health.”
“The town hall segment is an opportunity for participants to bring their own examples of hands-on, grass roots experiences to the table,” concludes Derek Richmond. “By bringing issues as well as their successes, failures, and wants, Susan Rutherford and Glen Brown can help frame the scenarios for further open discussion.”
Creating Our Future: A Positive Settlement Strategy for Vancouver Island
“The underlying theme of the Learning Lunch Seminar Series is that we can create our future. The CAVI Leadership Team believes that actions on the ground can add up to A Positive Settlement Strategy for Vancouver Island,” concludes John Finnie, CAVI Chair. “We are encouraging local governments to think about policies and practices that demonstrate how to accommodate settlement while at the same time building in green value – such that benefits exceed liabilities, and the outcome of each policy or practice contributes to A Positive Settlement Strategy.”
To Learn More:
Download a copy of A Positive Settlement Strategy for Vancouver Island, a report on the 2007 Green Infrastructure Leadership Forum held in Nanaimo.
About the Learning Lunch Series
The City of Courtenay is the host municipality for the second series of pilot Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminars. The series promotes a consistent provincial approach to rainwater management and green infrastructure, comprises three events, and is being held during the period September through November 2008. The first series was hosted by the Cowichan Valley Regional District, and was held in June/July 2008.
Beyond the Guidebook
The Learning Lunch Seminar Series is part of the implementation program for Beyond the Guidebook: The New Business As Usual. This provincial initiative builds on the foundation provided by Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia, published in 2002, and incorporates lessons learned over the past six years in moving from planning to action.
Beyond the Guidebook advances a performance target methodology for correlating green infrastructure effectiveness in protecting stream health. To support Beyond the Guidebook, the Province has funded integration of the Water Balance Model with a hydrologic engine known as QUALHYMO. The web-based Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO is unique, bridges engineering and planning, links the site to the stream and watershed, and enables local governments to establish watershed targets.
To Learn More:
For complete information on the Cowichan Valley Series, download Summary document consolidates web stories describing the content of each seminar.