"Two initiatives have laid the foundation for creation of the Vancouver Island 2065 vision," reports Eric Bonham
Note to Reader:
The Winter 2014 issue of the Asset Management BC Newsletter includes an article titled “Vancouver Island 2065: Moving Towards Sustainable Service Delivery”. To download a copy, click here.
The Vision: Settlement in Balance with Economy and Ecology
A new partnership Initiative – Vancouver Island 2065 – was announced at the 2013 ‘State of the Island’ Economic Summit, held in Nanaimo in October 2013. Vancouver Island 2065 is a partnership initiative ofConvening for Action on Vancouver Island (CAVI) and the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA). Joining this collaboration is Royal Roads University (RRU).
“Vancouver Island 2065 calls for a ‘top-down bottom-up’ strategy that forms collaborative and effective relationships among key stakeholders Island-wide to achieve a settlement in balance with economy and ecology,” states Derek Richmond, CAVI Chair and article co-author.
“Because affordability ultimately drives local government asset management and infrastructure standards of practice, Sustainable Service Delivery is a foundation piece for Vancouver Island 2065.”
“Asset management usually commences after something is built. The challenge is to think about what asset management entails BEFORE the asset is built. This paradigm-shift starts with land use and watershed-based planning.”
A Solid Foundation
“Two initiatives have laid the foundation for the partnership between CAVI and VIEA and the creation of the Vancouver Island 2065 vision,” continues Eric Bonham, a founding member of the CAVI Leadership Team. He was previously a Director in two provincial Ministries – Environment and Municipal Affairs.
“CAVI has been collaborating since 2006 with local governments and regional districts on the east coast of Vancouver Island under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia, culminating in the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Educational Initiative (IREI). The focus of the IREI is on a watershed-based approach to community planning and development.”
“The IREI has been endorsed by the Boards of four regional districts, including the Capital Regional District, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Regional District of Nanaimo and Comox Valley Regional District.”
“Complementing the IREI initiative is VIEA’s LINK project, a Collaborative Model of Regional Economic Development for Vancouver Island. This comprehensive State of the Island report, conducted in 2009-2010 throughout Vancouver Island, was inclusive in its mandate, collaborative in its approach and as a result, identified three common objectives: support for a diversified local economy, improved relationships with First Nations and long-term sustainability.”
“Vancouver Island 2065, building upon the IREI and LINK initiatives, seeks to establish an Island-wide forum to provide opportunity for sharing of ideas and stories of successful projects that integrate watershed management and asset management principles. It is hoped that this collaborative approach will set a new standard for land use planning on Vancouver Island—one that recognizes the importance of settlement in balance with the economy and ecology,” concludes Eric Bonham.
To Learn More:
Click on Vancouver Island 2065: Moving Towards Sustainable Service Delivery to download the article co-authored by Kim Stephens, Eric Bonham, George Hanson and Derek Richmond.
Suggested Reading: Click on Moving Towards Sustainable Service Delivery in British Columbia: “Build awareness first, then implement,” emphasized Glen Brown at inter-regional collaboration session. Demonstrating how they are implementing Sustainable Service Delivery will be an eligibility requirement for local governments applying for provincial grant funding in British Columbia.