Capital Regional District is a Champion Supporter of the Partnership for Water Sustainability
Note to Reader:
In January 2013, the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC recognized the Capital Regional District (CRD) as a Champion Supporter in appreciation fof the CRD’s support for the efforts of the Partnership. The CRD’s demonstrated commitment to achieving a shared vision for water sustainability in a local government setting is vitally important to the Partnership’s capability to carry out its mission in delivering the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.
Commitment to Watershed Sustainability in the Capital Region
Under the umbrella of the CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island initiative, the Capital Regional District (CRD) and three other regional districts are aligning their efforts to advance Inter-Regional Collaboration. The initiative supports implementation of watershed-based strategies and programs.
“The CRD and partner municipalities have been leaders within the CAVI initiative since 2008 – initially through participation in the Vancouver Island 
Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation Series; and subsequently through hosting of the Bowker Creek Forum as an inter-regional ‘sharing and learning’ event in February 2010. More recently, the CRD was an integral part of the provincial pilot Course on the ISMP Course Correction, held in November 2011,” states Kim Stephens, Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
Integrated Watershed Management
“The CRD is currently implementing a two-year 
Integrated Watershed Management Strategy in the region’s core area; and also provides watershed protection and/or monitoring services to four other municipalities and the three electoral areas. Partnering under the CAVI umbrella will provide opportunities to better deliver on our commitments,” states Glenn Harris, Senior Manager, Environmental Protection Division.
“Board support for the Inter-Regional Education Initiative enables CRD staff participation in a coordinated inter-regional information sharing process. Local governments will benefit from the information sharing between four Vancouver Island regional districts, learn from the experiences of the other regional districts, and be able to participate in workshops delivered locally and elsewhere on Vancouver Island,” concludes Glenn Harris.
Inter-Regional Collaboration
“In 2012, Board support for the Inter-Regional Education Initiative on Rainwater Management in a Watershed Sustainability Context (IREI) enabled the Partnership to align efforts and implement the ‘proof of approach’ in collaboration with the Cowichan, Nanaimo and Comox Valley regional districts,” continues Kim Stephens.
“To close out the 2012 program, the Capital Region hosted a workshop where the Partnership unveiled the beta version of the web-based Water 
Balance Model Express for Landowners. The experience gained in 2012 will inform full-scale implementation on both sides of the Georgia Basin in 2013 and beyond.”
“In 2013, the Partnership is facilitating an inter-regional collaborative process that will add the Metro Vancouver region to the mix. The desired outcome is inter-regional consensus on a performance monitoring framework that can be used to adjust actions and inform land use planning that maintains healthy streams in the Georgia Basin.”
“Everyone needs to agree on expectations and how all the players will work together, and after that each region and each community can reach its goals in its own way,” concludes Kim Stephens.
