BOWKER CREEK FORUM PREVIEW: Eric Bonham will open the Forum with a call to courage. He will elaborate on the mantra: What do we want Vancouver Island to look like in 50 years?
Note to Readers:
To download the 1-page Agenda Overview that accompanies the web story below, click on Bowker Creek Forum: An Integrated Approach to Urban Watershed Management.
Bowker Creek is a Provincially Significant Demonstration Initiative
The Bowker Creek Forum creates an opportunity to learn about urban watershed management successes and challenges from the Bowker Creek Initiative.
“A desired outcome in holding the Bowker Creek Forum is to share information about successful approaches, so that they can be replicated in other jurisdictions,” states Tanis Gower, Coordinator for the Bowker Creek Initiative (BCI).
“In addition, this forum will be a chance for regional organizations, businesses and community members to learn more about and celebrate the accomplishments of the Bowker Creek Initiative.”
Local and Inter-Regional Dimensions
“There are two dimensions to the day. While the spotlight is clearly on the Bowker Creek Initiative, local government representatives from Metro Vancouver and ‘north of the Malahat’ will also be sharing their experiences related to achieving watershed-based objectives,” adds John Finnie, Chair of Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, known by the acronym CAVI.
Mission Possible: Convening for Action on Vancouver Island
Eric Bonham, Past-Chair of the Highlands Stewardship Foundation, will open the Forum with a call to courage. A founding member of CAVI, he is a former Director in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. He will elaborate on the mantra: “What do we want Vancouver Island to look like in 50 years?”
“To initiate change so that we do business differently means we set the vision based upon community values, support the vision with information and education, provide practical tools, seek partnerships and engage local decision makers,” states Eric Bonham.
Bowker Creek Blueprint Explained
The Bowker Creek Blueprint incorporates significant and considerable input from municipal staffs and community members; reflects work undertaken and experience gained since the BCI was established in 2004; builds on existing resource materials; and creates a plan of action at two scales: watershed; and creek sections.
Part 1 – Blueprint Development
Jody Watson and Ian Graeme will share the unique approach taken to develop the Bowker Creek Blueprint.
“We will discuss the key factors to the BCI success, some of the challenges we faced and how we navigated through rough waters to complete the development of the Bowker Creek Blueprint,” states Jody Watson.
Part 2 – Blueprint Actions
Tanis Gower will unveil the Bowker Creek Blueprint – a 100-year action plan to restore the Bowker Creek watershed. “We will delve into the watershed-wide management actions, site-specific creek corridor actions, incorporation of greenways, and watershed health monitoring.”
Part 3 – Blueprint Implementation
Adriane Pollard (District of Saanich), Steve Fifield (City of Victoria) and Jody Watson will share ideas on key factors for success, expected challenges of competing priorities and multiple jurisdictions, keeping the plan alive and updated, and creating synergies with other initiatives, such as; climate action, Bill 27 legislation for Green Communities, inflow & infiltration in sanitary sewers.
“Success stories that highlight incremental on-the-ground actions, such as the creation of the Trent Street Raingarden in the City of Victoria, will also be shared,” adds Tanis Gower.
Conversations with Other Jurisdictions About Implementing a New Culture
The Bowker Creek Forum will be the venue for the provincial launch of the Topsoil Law and Policy and Technical Primer Set, developed by the Green Infrastructure Partnership in collaboration with the City of Surrey, City of Courtenay and District of North Vancouver.
Convening for Action in the Georgia Basin
“This will seed a plenary discussion about HOW to implement a new culture for watershed restoration and management across other jurisdictions on Vancouver Island and in Metro Vancouver,” foreshadows Kim Stephens, Program Coordinator for the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.
