VIEW KEVIN LAGAN ON YOUTUBE: “There are magnificent opportunities waiting for us, now and for 10, 20 years in the future,” stated Kevin Lagan, City of Courtenay Director of Engineering, at the Worth Every Penny Workshop when he shared his thoughts on how the workshop had inspired him (September 2010)
Nanaimo Workshop stimulates dialogue on Sustainable Service Delivery
Held on September 9th, the Nanaimo Water Pricing Workshop is decribed as the first of its kind in Canada. Part of the rollout to stimulate a national dialogue on sustainable water management, the workshop program was a unique blend of research and practice.
“The desired outcome for the workshop was that participating practitioners would understand why ‘conservation-oriented water pricing’ is a tool to achieve a larger end,” states John Finnie, General Manager of Regional & Community Utilities with the RDN. He is also Chair of Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, known by the acronym CAVI.
Links to YouTube Videos
Video clips provide the flavour of the day. The first three video clips have been uploaded to YouTube. Over time, the intent is to post additional clips that elaborate on the workshop content.
It’s the Cost of the Service!
Co-authors Kirk Stinchcombe and Oliver Brandes explained Worth Every Penny: A Primer on Conservation-Oriented Water Pricing, published in June 2010. “We talk about water pricing, but we are not actually talking about the price of water. We are talking about the services to provide the water,” emphasized Kirk Stinchcombe.
To learn more about the distinction, click on Stimulating a National Dialogue and view a 4 1/2 minute video of Kirk and Oliver setting the context for their segment of the workshop program.
Opportunities for Local Government
Kevin Lagan, Director of Operational Services with the City of Courtenay is passionate about what he does, and about the future.
“I have been involved with CAVI, Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, for about four years now. It is amazing (when one thinks about) the subjects that come up with common themes and common issues,” stated Kevin at the conclusion of the workshop. “Today, I see local government being at a major crossroads. After 43 years, I wish I had longer to go in local government, but I don’t. There are magnificent opportunities waiting for us, now and for 10, 20 years in the future. There is a whole list of things that we have heard today which I think will inspire us to move forward; to think about we are doing individually and collectively; and to try to get together to produce a better Canada.”
To learn why Kevin believes this to be the case, click on a local government perspective on creating a legacy and view a 2 1/2 minute video clip of Kevin Lagan speaking from the heart.
Looking Ahead to the Vancouver Island Summit
Eric Bonham is often described as the ‘heart and soul’ of CAVI because of his passion and vision for Vancouver Island. “Everything we have heard today fits in like a glove with what we are going to do with this next effort at the Vancouver Island Summit,” stated Eric in the final moments of the workshop.
To learn what Eric had to say about where CAVI is going next, click on Connecting the Dots to the ‘2010 State of the Island Economic Summit’ and view a 4 1/2 minute video clip of Eric Bonham in full oratory flight.