Village of Cumberland is a Champion Supporter of the Partnership for Water Sustainability

July 1, 2013 - Posted in Convening for Action in 2013, Uncategorised

 

 

Note to Reader:

In January 2013, the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC recognized the Village of Cumberland as a Champion Supporter in appreciation for Council’s support for the team-building efforts of the Partnership. Located in the Comox Valley region of Vancouver Island, the Village of Cumberland has 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 Regional Team Approach in the Comox Valley

Since 2008, the Village of Cumberland has been a champion for the CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island initiative. Cumberland is a member of the Comox Valley Regional Team and hosted and chaired the 2013 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series. The regional team comprises representatives of the City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, Comox Valley Regional District, Comox Valley Land Trust, TimberWest, and Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.

 

Get It Right at the Front End

“If you are going to align efforts on a watershed scale, then getting it right at the front-end means looking beyond your boundaries to envision the bigger picture. In other words, global thinking for local action. It means you are communicating and cooperating with others to ensure that your collaborative results are coordinated in a timely manner,” explains Derek Richmond, City of Courtenay representative and CAVI Chair since 2011.

“The change in approach starts with land use planning and determining what infrastructure and services can be provided sustainably, both fiscally and ecologically. Another key message is that all those involved in land development have a role to play in achieving Sustainable Service Delivery,” Judy Walker stated at the CAVI Forum within the 2011 Vancouver Island Economic Summit.

 

Inter-Regional Collaboration

“Commencing in 2008 with participation in the inaugural Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series, the Village has made a material contribution to the success of the CAVI initiative,” states Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director and facilitator for the annual Comox Valley series. “The Comox Valley is a provincial demonstration of what can be accomplished by a ‘regional team approach’. We highlighted the Comox Valley experience at the 2011 Vancouver Island Economic Summit.”

“The Partnership values our relationship with the Village and greatly appreciate the Village’s ongoing contributions through the participation of Judy Walker on the regional team.” 

“Significantly, the 2012 set of Comox Valley regional team working sessions constituted ‘proof of approach’ for the Inter-Regional Education Initiative on Rainwater Management in a Watershed Sustainability Context (IREI). Wen are now into full-scale implementation on both sides of the Georgia Basin,” concludes Kim Stephens.