GETTING AHEAD OF THE WAVE: 2009 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series—selection of YouTube video clips capture the flavour of the day for Seminar #3 on “Commit to the Regional Team Approach”
Seminar #3 Overview
Seminar #3 was structured in two parts: the segment in the morning established expectations (i.e. “we can create our future!”); and the afternoon segment dealt with delivering on expectations (i.e. “this is how we can/will get there!”).
In the morning, the focus was on the Comox Valley Regional Water Strategy. This set the stage for the afternoon when the emphasis was on ‘shared responsibility’ as the way to achieve tangible outcomes on-the-ground.
Throughout the day, the spotlight was on the emerging vision for CV-OPS, the acronym for a Comox Valley Inter-Governmental Engineering/Operations Liaison Group, and the role that CV-OPS is expected to play in achieving two Living Water Smart commitments that frame the learning outcomes for the 2008 and 2009 Learning Lunch Series.
To Learn More:
For information about the program design, click on CAVI releases program details for Seminar #3 in Comox Valley Learning Lunch Series.
Connect to the Landscape
Tim Pringle, Director of Special Programs for the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia, set the tone for the seminar with his keynote presentation that addressed 
this question: What is our land ethic, and how can we view the context differently?
He revisited the research on ‘what drives settlement’ on Vancouver Island; elaborated on what communities are up against; and explained why ‘connect to the landscape’ is a unifying mantra for the regional team approach.
Mike Zbarsky, Engineering Analyst with the Comox Valley Regional District, built on the ‘connect with the landscape’ theme when he introduced the myriad of issues that must be addressed by the Regional Water Strategy. He also showed a video that primed the audience for Susan Rutherford and her presentation in the afternoon on law and policy tools that enable ‘shared responsibility’.
Susan Rutherford is Staff Counsel with West Coast Environmental Law, and has represented the Green Infrastructure Partnership at all three Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series.
Video – Comox Valley Water Resources
According to Mike Zbarsky, the video was developed for the Comox Valley Regional District to open a dialogue regarding water efficiency, challenges faced by the local water supply and to encourage the viewer to attend an open house held in June 2009.
“The goal of the video was to present facts from a variety of sources and to appeal to the viewer to become involved in shaping solutions. This video was designed to accurately examine issues and positively motivate change through optimism.”
Link to CVRD video posted on YouTube:
Click on “People say why don’t do THEY do this or why don’t THEY do that……WE are the THEY”
Links to PowerPoint Presentations
- Kim Stephens: Establishing & Delivering on Expectations
- Tim Pringle: Connect to the Landscape: What is our land ethic, and how can we view the context differently?
- Mike Zbarsky: Comox Valley Regional Water Strategy: How it will connect to the landscape
- Susan Rutherford: Shared Responsibility: Application of Bill 27 to Achieve Water OUT = Water IN
Links to YouTube Videos
The first set of seven video clips captures key moments from the part of the seminar program that preceded and set the stage for the Town Hall Sharing Session.
- Kim Stephens: Living Water Smart commitments frame learning outcomes(1:50)
- Kim Stephens: Education and Participation ultimately lead to Action and Implementation(1:21)
- Tim Pringle: Balance Settlement Change with Ecology for two reasons(0:39)
- Tim Pringle: Water OUT = Water IN: Everyone understands what an equation means(1:27)
- Tim Pringle: Explains the approach to researching large-scale real estate development in the mid-Island region (2:02)
- Susan Rutherford: Performing Topsoil: Why the Green Infrastructure Partnership developed policy and technical primers(2:25)
- Susan Rutherford: Performing Topsoil: Content for the policy and technical primers (2:20)
Town Hall Sharing Session
The following set of thirteen video clips captures key moments when key messages crystallized during the Town Hall Sharing Session:
Rob Buchan (City of Campbell River): What it takes to work together effectively (3:37)
Glenn Westendorp & Kevin Lorette: Understanding the function of CV-OPS in implementing the regional plans(1:04)
Glen Brown & Kevin Lagan: Shared responsibility means ensuring common sense at the front-end of the decision process(1:43)
Mike Zbarsky: Watershed protection is an example of how collaboration could result in a different outcome(1:01)
Susan Rutherford: Inform elected representatives about the big picture so that they understand why the tools are necessary(1:59) (off-camera; audio only)
Kevin Lorette: The Learning Lunch Series has been a relationship-building journey (0:52)
Townhall discussion at the 3rd in the 2009 Comox Valley Seminar Series
Derek Richmond: Postscript to Seminar #1 – frank communication has resulted in a collegial dialogue that will help resolve micro-disconnects(1:57) (off-camera; audio only)
Kevin Lagan: Regional team approach means investing in the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time(1:43)
Kevin Lagan: How the development approval process is evolving in the City of Courtenay (3:32)
Kim Stephens & Marc Rutten: Ah-Ha Moment – why the need for CV-OPS is intuitively obvious (2:26)
Judy Walker & Kevin Lorette: Integration of planning & engineering perspectives – the terms of reference for CV-OPS are wide open(0:47)
Glen Brown: It is all about creating trust and respect around a collective goal(1:14)
Ronna-Rae Leonard: The last word on an holistic approach for the Comox Valley (0:49)(off-camera; audio only)
Recap: Tangible Outcomes
At the conclusion of the Town Hall Sharing Session, Kim Stephens re-capped the 
discussion by referring to the graphic below and reminding participants of how their thinking had evolved over the course of the previous four months.
To hear what Kim Stephens said, click on Integration of perspectives leads to CV-OPS and Collaboration Protocol (1:32)
