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A Vision for Vancouver Island: Settlement, Economy and Ecology in Balance (Hour #2 Panel)

 

 

 

Note to Reader:

On October 15 in Nanaimo, the “CAVI Forum within the VIEA Summit” will look ahead to paint a picture of settlement, economy and ecology in balance. The story below previews the Panel segment that will lead-off Hour #2 and set the stage for the featured presentation by Eva Kras – visionary, scholar, traveller and author of “THE BLOCKAGE – Rethinking Organizational Principles for the 21st Century.

 

LOOK AHEAD – “This is how we can and will get there!” 

“Commencing in 2007, the CAVI experience demonstrates HOW to move from awareness to action on-the-ground in the local government setting. The theme for Hour #2 of the CAVI Forum within the VIEA Forum is that we no longer have a blank canvass. We have a trackrecord of accomplishment, and this gives our Hour #2 Panel the confidence to lay out a road map for settlement, economy and ecology in balance,” foreshadows Kim Stephens, Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia. 

“Quite simply, our theme is ‘we are doing it’ on Vancouver Island. We believe it is important to highlight that there are parallel initiatives underway; and that when viewed together, these initiatives begin to create the big picture – that is, a Vancouver Island Vision. These initiatives comprise the Inter-Regional Education Initiative led by the Partnership, the Agricultural Water Demand Model led by the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Linking Leaders Project led by VIEA.”

“The essence of the VIEA-CAVI partnership is contained in the phrase economy and ecology in balance. VIEA promotes regional initiatives that strengthen economic capacity; and CAVI represents the ecological perspective through its championing of green infrastructure and water sustainability. Looking ahead, ‘economy and ecology in balance’ is a message that we will both be communicating in the public realm in an educational context,” states David Willie, VIEA Chair.

 

The Hour #2 Panel

In Hour #2, a panel of four will a continuum of perspectives: business, academia, provincial-agricultural, and local government.

  • MARIANNE STOLZ has developed a comprehensive background in all aspects of the real estate industry including property management, commercial brokerage and forest land management. As an avid promoter of Vancouver Island, Marianne sits on the VIEA Board and represents VIEA, as part of the CAVI team. She will  elaborate on how VIEA’s Link Island Leaders Project, completed in October 2010, fits into the big picture for a Vancouver Island Vision.
  • OLIVER BRANDES serves as Co-Director of the University of Victoria’s POLIS Project on Ecological Governance and leads the Water Sustainability Project where his work focuses on water sustainability, sound resource management, public policy development and ecologically based legal and institutional reform. He serves on many boards and committees that provide strategic water policy advice to all levels of government. Oliver will connect the dots between CAVI and the Draft Collaborative Watershed Governance Accord for BC.
  • TED VAN DER GULIK, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Senior Engineer, has built an international reputation for his leading edge work in agricultural water management.  He is the visionary behind the Agricultural Water Demand Model. This web-based tool brings science to the table, enables scenario comparison in a changing climate, will help users understand current agricultural water use,and fulfils the province’s commitment (under the Living Water Smart strategy) to reserve water for agricultural lands.
  • DEREK RICHMOND has been a driving force behind the CAVI-Comox Valley Regional Team, and is the current CAVI Chair. “To be successful, we all need to think of ourselves as a team, not individuals within silos. Getting there means we will have to continue breaking down boundaries through communication, collaboration, cooperation and coordination,” says Derek. As CAVI Chair, he will outline future directions for the CAVI initiative.

Marianne, Oliver and Derek will each share a vignette to paint a part of the picture of settlement, economy and ecology in balance. Ted will have 10 minutes to tell the story of the Agricultural Water Demand Model and its significance for Vancouver Island.

 

The Link Project: Linking Island Leadership

“At the 2010 Summit, VIEA released the report on the Link Project. This summarized the results of a year-long research effort. The Link Team visited communities, businesses, and First Nations leaders across the Island to learn about initiatives, future plans, and perceived challenges while also conducting research into various levels of community and regional planning,” states Marianne Stolz.

“By reviewing what was and wasn’t being done, the Link Team identified missing puzzle pieces within an overall picture of Vancouver Island leadership. The final Link Project report outlined 6 key recommendations and 34 action items. One of the most pressing needs on Vancouver Island is creating awareness of the role that regional collaboration plays in strategic economic develoment.”

“Following release of the report on the Link Project, VIEA identified collaboration with CAVI as a high priority in our strategic plan. Collaboration with CAVI is enabling us to show progress in moving forward with the Link Project.”

 

To Learn More:

The Link Project collected the pieces of the puzzle that create a picture of economic development for Vancouver Island. For the complete story on the six recommendations, click on Link Project Report