Archive:

“The multi-jurisdictional nature of our watersheds requires the collective commitment of local and senior government agencies, First Nations, and communities to improve the health of our watersheds. Utilizing a ‘Design with Nature’ approach, we are changing the way we develop our land by attempting to re-engineer the hydrological function back into our urban landscape. We are, in some ways, cultivating a new land ethic,” wrote Jody Watson.

“The CRD is composed of 13 municipalities and 3 electoral areas. Watershed boundaries are not political boundaries or even neighbourhood boundaries. When local government champions come to the table to work with regional staff and each other, great things happen,” wrote Dale Green. “We continue to look forward and enhance cooperative efforts to make us all stronger and better able to protect and enhance our watersheds.”

“Moving to a watershed-focused program allows the Capital Regional District to support the core area municipalities with new strategies for environmental protection, including an increased focus on dealing with watershed stressors near the source rather than at the municipal infrastructure or receiving environment level. Additionally, the strategy supports municipal efforts in watersheds that cross municipal boundaries,” wrote Glenn Harris.

“We truly have a rich basis in which to begin the process of stepping back, learning and reflecting on our next steps,” wrote Kate Miller. “As we look out into the future in a changing environment – our new normal – this richness and the depth of community participation can only help our region’s future resiliency…..at the end of the day we need to have everybody at the table.”

“Communication had been happening in the region for many years, but this year was a more deliberate attempt to make that communication happen in a coordinated way. We worked with the various local governments to gather information about the impacts. And we also looked at what can we do collectively to solve the issues,” stated Keith Lawrence. “In 20015 we had a coordinated approach to communicating what is happening in our region.”

“The IREI program supports the CVRD’s ‘Phase II Regional Asset Management Project: Built and Natural Systems’. This is an important capacity building project to support the development of an asset management program for regionally funded CVRD assets. This includes examination of integrating natural systems into our asset management planning,” wrote Jacob Ellis, Deputy CAO, in 2015.