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The Inland Kenworth truck and heavy equipment facility in the City of Nanaimo illustrates what can be accomplished through collaboration when a municipality challenges a development proponent to be innovative. “We view this project as the one that has changed the thinking of the consulting community in Nanaimo, particularly on redevelopment projects,” stated Dean Mousseau when he reflected on the changes that had taken place in Nanaimo as an outcome of establishing the Inland Kenworth precedent for ‘designing with nature’.

“Flooding was caused by undersized culverts and poor grading. Traditional engineering solutions would have resulted in a linear total loss of habitat, would have significantly impacted on private property, and the costs were well beyond the the financial capacity of the Town. Instead, a course of action involving a suite of solutions was chosen. First and most important was a commitment by all jurisdictions to hold the line,” stated Glenn Westendorp.

“Urban land use has been degrading the natural environment for more than 100 years. Sit on that for a while. 100 years, perhaps more. Holy smokes. So what’s all this talk about developers and builders, the ultimate urban land users, protecting watersheds? It’s true. Developers who increase the amount of pervious surfaces on their sites keep rain on-site, delay runoff, and reduce flooding. City planners and engineers love this,” stated Marie Savage.

“A common theme that emerged throughout the Watershed Moments series is the need for better integration of the science, knowledge base and governance processes that are currently applied in a somewhat fragmented fashion to the management of natural assets across various levels of government and societal groups. The other general theme is the development and implementation of new analytical or assessment tools and standards that will move the general desire for greater interdisciplinary integration forward,” stated Dr. Kim Hyatt, Fisheries & Oceans Canada.

Emanuel Machado and Tim Pringle agree that the key message to take away from the video of their session is that: “We are looking at a whole system. The natural and built environments are interconnected. Without an ecological system, there are no ecological services.”

Vancouver Island’s Gail Adrienne had her hands, heart and soul (and considerable will) invested in NALT’s and the Nanaimo community’s stewardship success. Her legacy is felt when hiking Mount Benson or looking up at its seasonal snow-covered heights. Her work is reflected in B.C.’s thriving land trust movement. Her efforts inform the decisions made by the City of Nanaimo’s Environment Committee and are reflected in the City’s Official Community Plan.

“The changes wrought by COVID 19 have allowed NALT and the Partnership for Water Sustainability to dare to be bold in integrating technology platforms and co-host what we anticipate will be a compelling virtual symposium. We are integrating Zoom and YouTube to create a viewing experience that captures the passion, knowledge and wisdom of our team members in conversation. The vision for the Video Trilogy Series is that it will take on a life of its own as a legacy resource that informs, educate and creates understanding,” states David Mackenzie. He is the technical director for production of the series.

The first module in Watershed Moments features a dynamic team comprised of five women. They are leading programs that strive to ‘reconnect land and water in altered landscapes’ in four regional districts on the east coast of Vancouver Island. “The panel delivered a sincere and honest discussion that held viewers’ interest and raised awareness on what is happening with respect to water and watershed protection on Vancouver Island. Job well done. Viewers are certain to tune in to the next symposium,” stated John Finnie via email at the conclusion of the broadcast.

“In 2005, there were a number of initiatives on Vancouver Island that were focusing upon the theme of sustainability. It was a matter of seeking out partnerships to reinforce the common theme of sustainability based upon an island wide communications information exchange network. We did a survey. It was clear that there was widespread interest in holding a workshop that would provide an opportunity for the exchange of information, and to explore the possibility of establishing a communications network for the Vancouver Island region. This resulted in Meeting of the Minds workshops in consecutive years. The rest is history,” stated Graeme Bethell.

“In the age of COVID 19, it is necessary to adapt and evolve in response to the new reality imposed by physical distancing. How could we avoid going down the same pathway as others, which would be to subject viewers to a day of staring at their computer screens? And so the plan took shape for a unique and interactive experience via YouTube in combination with Zoom. We are bringing our three teams together in a safe space for a series of in-person, facilitated conversations. Immediately after watching each video on YouTube, our virtual audience will be able to chat in real-time with the presentation team,” stated Kim Stephens.