Note to Readers:
The following article is an abridged version of a document that was published in September 2009; and served as a resource for the 2009 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series. It provides relevant and necessary historical context for the purpose, objectives and desired outcomes of the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative.
Provincial programs provide direction as to where the Province wants to go with Living Water Smart and the Green Communities Initiative
This article describes the provincial context that provided a backdrop for the 2009 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series.
The series theme was Getting Ahead of the Wave: Change the Way We Develop Land to Achieve Settlement in Balance with Ecology.
Establish Expectations
The article summarizes complementary programs led by two ministries, namely:
- Living Water Smart, BC’s Water Plan, an across-government program led by the Water Stewardship Division of the Ministry of Environment
- Green Communities Initiative, led by the Ministry of Community and Rural Development
These two programs are mutually supportive and together established clear expectations for local governments going forward. Those expectations are now being realized through implementation of the new Water Sustainability Act, passed in 2014, and Gas Tax Agreement.
To Learn More:
To read the complete article, click on Today’s Expectations are Tomorrow’s Standards In British Columbia to download a PDF version.
Move from Awareness to Action on the Ground
“The program goals for Living Water Smart and Green Communities constitute a ‘call to action’ on the part of British Columbians to implement The New Business As Usual,” stated Kim Stephens in 2009 when the article was published. He is the 
Executive Director for the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.
“The Province has put in place a policy framework that enables local governments to be proactive in doing business differently: This is what we want our communities to look like in 50 years, and this is what we will do starting now to ensure it happens.”
“To help local governments move from awareness to action on the ground, the Province has also provided funding for web-based tools such as the Water Balance Model, Water Bucket Website, Irrigation Scheduling Calculator and Water Conservation Calculator.”
Alignment with the Vision for “Living Water Smart, BC’s Water Plan”
“A key message in Living Water Smart is that green development makes sense,” emphasized Lynn Kriwoken, Director of the Water Stewardship Division in the Ministry of Environment; and the Province’s lead person for development and delivery of Living Water Smart. It was Lynn Kriwoken’s inspiration plus her 
Ministry’s seed funding that brought the vision for the Water Sustainability Action Plan to fruition.
“New thinking about development leads to new benefits. These include more green spaces, more water and fish in the streams, improved community vitality, reduced demand for water, and reduced expenditure on infrastructure.”
SHARED RESPONSIBILITY:
“Water issues are complex and best solved collaboratively, which include using strategies and solutions that fall outside government control. While legislative reform is a foundation piece, collaboration takes place outside the legislative framework. At the end of the day, planners and engineers and other disciplines must come together to determine the issues and solutions. No statute will help them do that.”
“This is why we constantly emphasize that Living Water Smart is about motivating and inspiring everyone to embrace shared responsibility. Influencing behaviour and attitudes is at the heart of moving from awareness to action.”
Accelerating the Current Momentum
“In 2008, the pilot Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series successfully demonstrated how to inform, educate and inspire local government practitioners about making ‘green choices’ to create liveable communities and protect stream health,” reported John Finnie, Past-CAVI Chair (and formerly General Manager, Water & Wastewater Services, Regional District of Nanaimo).
“As an outcome of the 2009 Series, we want to get people thinking about how to make real the 2020 objective of supplying 50% of new water demand by using less. Getting there requires going well beyond the usual indoor water saving measures. It entails accelerating the current momentum for changing what we do on and to the land.”
The Future is Now Because Yesterday’s Policies and Expectations for Green Communities are Evolving into Today’s Standards and Practices
In May 2008, the “Green Communities” legislation known as Bill 27 amended the Local Government Act and Community Charter. This legislation helps municipalities and regional districts create more compact, sustainable and greener communities.
Opportunities and Strategies for Green Action
In June 2009, West Coast Environmental Law released a discussion paper titled Bill 27: Opportunities and Strategies for Green Action by BC Local Governments. Written by former West Coast Staff Counsel,Susan Rutherford, the paper is designed to provide “…analysis and practical guidance regarding how local governments may use the legal tools available to advance green initiatives.” The focus is Bill 27, new powers extended under it, and how that power may be used to strengthen sustainability efforts.
ACHIEVING GREEN ACTION OBJECTIVES:
The West Coast paper is organized by four Green Action topics:
- Global Warming Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Energy Reduction;
- Climate Change Adaptation;
- Water Sustainability; and
- Sustainable Land Use.
Under each topic, the paper discusses New Requirements and New Opportunities, as well as Strategies for overcoming challenges and making the best use of the powers for achieving each of the Green Action objectives.
“The paper by Susan Rutherford discusses a variety of legal tools, including development permit area guidelines. This is especially relevant to the 2009 Comox Valley Series because the development permit tool has been identified as a means to advance the regional team approach,” noted Kim Stephens.
Provincial Funding Fosters Innovation and Integration
“A mandate of the Ministry of Community & Rural Development is to foster partnerships, collaboration, innovation and integration through the program elements that comprise the Green Communities Initiative,” stated Glen Brown in 2009. Until 2014, Glen Brown was Executive Director of the Local Government Infrastructure and Finance Division of the Ministry. In April 2014, he joined the 
Union of BC Municipalities as General Manager, Victoria Operations.
“Ultimately it is the Ministry’s grant programs that provide the incentives that enable the Province to influence local government behaviour; and reward those who meet program objectives for doing business differently on-the-ground.”
“The reality of an increasing local government infrastructure deficit means that there will be even stiffer competition for available funding. As a result, there is a greater incentive for local governments to demonstrate how their innovation and integration will be effective in meeting the goals of both the Green Communities Initiative and Living Water Smart.”
To Lean More:
To read the complete article, click on Today’s Expectations are Tomorrow’s Standards In British Columbia to download a PDF version.
