Comments Off on CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “Consensus is about framing the problem correctly, being realistic about the options, and getting to the right answer,” stated Clint Hames, mayor of Chilliwack during the crucible period covered by the 3rd installment of the Chronicle
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story (REPRODUCED BELOW).
The edition published on October 28, 2025 featured the third installment of the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver. Part C covers the period 1997 through 2005. This sweeping narrative weaves quotable quote to tell the story of what led up to publication of Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia in 2002, and the impact of what followed in the wake of publication.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CHRONICLE: Leaps of faith and calculated risks – convening for action in Metro Vancouver
The Green Infrastructure Chronicle covers the period between 1994 and 2024. At 700-plus pages, it is a tome. By definition, tome means it is both unusually large and unusually important. The Chronicle is oral history and the storyline is a work-in-progress because we are moving along a continuum.
With 2026 coming soon, how the next five to ten years play out depends on whether and how effectively municipalities adapt to implement the “streams and trees component” of the Metro Vancouver region’s updated Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan. It is an essential piece of the strategy for ensuring a livable region and thus quality of life.
HISTORY AT A GLANCE: Convening for action in the Georgia Basin between 1997 and 2005
In the late 1990s, drainage was a galvanizing issue for sustainable development. The Fish Protection Act had changed the game. The cumulative impacts of land use changes on stream health were proven. Implementation of streamside protection regulation was a work-in-progress. Content for the Stormwater Planning Guidebook was being developed through case studies.
COLOUR CODE: yellow is Georgia Basin in scope and white is specific to Metro Vancouver
QUOTABLE QUOTES: Peer-based sharing and learning the driver for convening for action
TABLE OF CONTENTS: for Chronicle and for Part C
Part C is structured in ten segments to tell the stories behind the story for the years between 1997 and 2005. It provides the reader with a sense of how energy released by the Georgia Basin Initiative in the mid-1990s began to play out consequentially in the Metro Vancouver region.
Comments Off on GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: “Ron Neufeld was an example to his peers of how to handle situations in a calm, professional and organized manner. Always a gentleman,” stated Derek Richmond, past-chair of CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island
In Memoriam
Ron Neufeld
Born in 1965, Ron Neufeld spent his formative years in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where his creativity and determination began to take shape. Ron pursued his calling in engineering, beginning with a Diploma of Technology from Saskatchewan Technical Institute in 1985, followed by a Bachelor’s of Applied Science from the University of Regina in 1997. He later earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Victoria in 2019, reflecting his lifelong commitment to public service.
His impact on the community was far-reaching. He played a pivotal role in improving local infrastructure, championed environmental stewardship, and led the negotiations of complex municipal agreements with integrity and vision.
A tribute by Derek Richmond, a former colleague and the past-chair of CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island
Convening for Action on Vancouver Island
CAVI is the acronym for Convening for Action on Vancouver Island. Launched in 2006 at the Water in the City Conference. An initiative of the Partnership for Water Sustainability, the CAVI program was delivered from 2006 until 2016 under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.
From 2007 through 2011, the Province and Real Estate Foundation co-funded CAVI as a provincial demonstration initiative to develop local government talent. The CAVI program was sustained by the commitment of the Partnership leadership team and the hands-on involvement of Vancouver Island local government staff.
This Vancouver Island Water community-of-interest is the homepage for recording the CAVI history as it is created.
Ron Neufeld played an important role in getting the CAVI program off the ground in the Comox Valley. He delivered presentations in 2007 and 2008 at Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation in the Comox Valley and the inaugural Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series, respectively. Both were provincial demonstration applications.
Comments Off on CONVENING FOR ACTION IN THE COWICHAN REGION: “What is possible for climate resiliency in the Cowichan? We are at this really unique moment in our community about what is possible, how do we drive it, who is going to drive it,” stated Cindy Lise, co-lead for the Cowichan Climate Gathering, a collaborative initiative for collective impact
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story.
The edition published on May 27, 2025 is the second in a 2-part series about the Cowichan Climate Gathering held in December 2024. The two provide an over-arching picture of what convening for action looks like in the Cowichan. The story behind the story is structured as three topics. First, Keith Lawrence introduces the network of networks context. Cindy Lise then reflects on the process for moving towards a common vision and explains why the artist’s storyboard is a foundation piece for build to Climate Gathering 2.0 in 2025.
A watershed moment for reconciliation in Cowichan region
Tackling the climate resiliency issue is a journey. It takes time. There is no quick fix. Concerns about extreme floods and droughts in the Cowichan region, for example, first surfaced in the 1990s. Three decades later, those concerns are still top of mind and are driving an outcome-oriented process.
Build something from nothing
“So you bring together a team of partners to try and figure out a way forward. Then something else whaps you on the side of the head. And you, as a collective, must figure out how to address that too. That is my experience because I get to live in a number of different worlds,” says Cindy Lise.
“But you do not have a preconceived history or notion of what it is you are going to do…because it is hitting you in a way you have never experienced before. The only way that you are going to solve a complex challenge is if you have trust in others and a willingness to try something new.”
The process is the journey
“It is really about a journey,” states Keith Lawrence, co-lead for the event. “It was the process of meeting on a weekly basis and connecting with each member of the team and with panel presenters. That was the relationship building.”
“On the day of, it was just the hope that everyone there had a rich experience. For me, the rich experience was building that deep connection with the planning team. That is why the journey is so important. The endpoint is more of a byproduct for me. What does it mean for where we go from here?”
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER
“Grounded in the cultural ways of the Indigenous partners, the Cowichan Region Climate Gathering originated as an outreach initiative of the regional district’s watershed protection program. It morphed into something much, much bigger,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“My history of collaboration with Cowichan Valley local governments provides me with a firsthand context for judging the historical significance of what this watershed moment represents.”
“Because I co-delivered the Blue Ecology in the Cowichan breakout session as part of a Watershed Moments tag-team with Michael Blackstock and Paul Chapman, this also gives me a participant’ s perspective.”
Convening for action in the Cowichan to align efforts and work towards outcomes
“The Cowichan Climate Gathering was an amazing experience. The energy, the passion, the diversity of groups participating was something to behold. Success in convening for action on December 9-10, 2024 is a testament to the co-leadership of Cindy Lise and Keith Lawrence. Their enthusiasm and commitment inspired others to step forward and make a difference,” concluded Kim Stephens.
Now what do you do to achieve desired outcomes?
“The Climate Gathering was an opportunity for us to really build the network of networks, to recognize the complexity of the systems that we are working within, to strengthen those connections and highlight how rich a tapestry of interactions can happen at an event like that,” Keith Lawrence said in a moment of reflection.
“But it is going to take us a while. When I think about when we started with the Regional Airshed Roundtable in 2014, it took us a year to build the foundation. And that is where we are right now,” continued Cindy Lise.
“Cindy has framed that well,” concluded Keith Lawrence. “We are talking about the broad role potentially going forward of the group of folks that are interested in leading this forward, both in terms of balancing how we build the collaborative framework going forward while advancing the collective along the spectrum of collaboration.”
“And then, also reaching out to the public or those that can have a difference with the way they do things in terms of supporting climate action. There is a need for both the strengthening of the framework internally and broadening it externally to bring in new participants. Maybe this is where it intertwines with Michael Blackstock’s work with Blue Ecology.”
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: A watershed moment for reconciliation in Cowichan region – a conversation with Cindy Lise and Keith Lawrence
This story about the Cowichan Climate Gathering is the second in a 2-part series, and focuses on Cindy Lise. In the first installment, the spotlight shone brightly on Keith Lawrence. Read together, the two stories provide an over-arching picture of what convening for action looks like in the Cowichan.
The story behind the story is structured as three topics. In Topic One, Keith Lawrence introduces the network of networks context that brought people together at the Cowichan Climate Gathering.
Topic Two addresses the Now What question as Cindy Lise reflects on the process for building on the passion of the collective to move towards a common vision. In Topic Three, she describes the importance of the artist’s storyboard as a foundation piece for building to Climate Gathering 2.0 later in 2025.
TOPIC ONE: Network of networks
“Across the region we have collaborative networks that are each focused on a particular set of actions that support climate resilience,” stated Keith Lawrence in the earlier interview. “For example, stewardship groups for a particular watershed, airshed protection roundtable, energy reduction champions and climate action planning leaders.”
“I see myself as merely a narrator speaking about a shared experience that we all had in planning the Cowichan Region Climate Gathering. We just know that ultimately, the network of networks can help us to work together towards a common vision.”
TOPIC TWO: Now what do we do? Reflections on process for moving towards a common vision
“After the Climate Gathering, we had stacks of evaluation and I wrote a report,” states Cindy Lise. “We really listened to participants and what they wanted to see moving forward, what the event meant to them. That is captured brilliantly in the story published by the Partnership in February.”
“What we heard was that nobody wanted it to be a one and done. So, as a community and a nitty gritty planning team, literally that event was pulled together by the collaborative process of partnerships that got us the little bits to make one big bit.”
THE CLIMATE GATHERING TEAM: David Reay, Fernanda Gutierrez Matos, Katie Mosewich, Cindy Lise, Sandra Thomson, Keith Lawrence
“And so, after the event we took the month of January to do the recapturing and reflecting, came back together in February as the small planning committee, and then asked ourselves three questions.”
“We are all coming from different places. So my vision of how we move the community forward is not necessarily the same vision as the partners of the planning team. For this reason, what we have been focusing on who are we, who needs to be at the table, and what is it that we see ourselves doing?”
“We have started with a terms of reference with this small group. Keith and I have a broader vision of building a collective in a big sense, and building that stream of collective impact that we worked so hard on.”
“And yet there are a couple of our members who sit at the table whose focus is on all the stuff that is already going on. What we need to do is focus on engaging with the public, they say, for getting information out there and for getting people thinking and so on.”
“We had to come to this place of almost doing both. Our terms of reference includes two things. In 2025, we would like to host some kind of an opportunity for all of those partners to come together and share with the broader community what they do.”
“The other thing we are planning is a Climate Gathering 2.0. Obviously we will not have the same capacity and funding as for the first one. So we envision it to be a one day gathering. And it will be about saying, let’s keep ourselves connected.”
“I have been doing collective impact work in the community for more than 10 years. It takes time, it really does. It is only NOW that it is really starting to have a profound impact on some of the other initiatives that we are doing.”
“For context, Keith and I have been involved with the airshed strategy and roundtable since 2014. We know it takes a sustained effort and a sustained backbone or people at the helm to drive it. And so, for this big climate gathering piece, we are at hello! But some of the work behind it is decades in.”
“If we really want this work to be successful, we need to have someone driving the bus all the way. And as a focus of their foundational work,” Cindy Lise underscores. “It takes time, it really does. There is no quick fix which is why you must know your history.”
TOPIC THREE: Artist’s storyboard is a foundation piece for building to Climate Gathering 2.0
“The story of the Climate Gathering 1.0 was encapsulated visually in a storyboard by artist Jenni Ottilie Keppler. The storyboard will be the foundation for Climate Gathering 2.0 and we will be using it along the way to tell the story of this watershed moment,” continues Cindy Lise.
“When I look at the storyboard, what resonates most for me is shared knowledge. You don’t know what you don’t know until you have an opportunity to experience that moment when you exclaim, aha, now I get it!“
“Climate Gathering 1.0 was shared knowledge in layers…cultural, elders, initiatives, learning, art. It is the complexities of so many pieces, and how do you hold that knowledge and what do you do with it. That event was about bringing to life all of those pieces.”
“I see all that in that storyboard. And that is what gives us the direction of where the group wants us to go. Stay connected. It is all in one picture. I use that as my tool for reflecting on my work,” concludes Cindy Lise.”
Comments Off on CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “You work with the politics of the day, and you have to be savvy. You must read your politicians,” advises Carrie Baron, former Drainage Manager with the City of Surrey
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story (REPRODUCED BELOW).
The edition published on May 13, 2025 is an introduction to and a high-level overview of Part B of the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure in Metro Vancouver from 1994 through 2024. The 100-page Part B is included as an attachment. It is a sweeping narrative that brings to life an era.
Part B feature and consolidates the stories of 13 “green infrastructure influences”. Each of their stories was published previously in 2023-2024 as a series of preview extracts.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Regional Team Approach to Municipal Collaboration Powers Change
Some individuals innovate and lead by example while others follow in their wake. Part B of the Green Infrastructure Chronicle elaborates on why 13 key individuals truly merit recognition as “green infrastructure influencers”
Regional “Leaders by Example”
Over the past quarter-century, the 13 have had a collective impact. The process for tapping into their experience, knowledge and wisdom involved conversational interviews. This approach is open-ended and organic. It lets the conversation find its own direction.
Each person reflected on their recollections of how ideas and practices about rainwater management and green infrastructure evolved over time in the Metro Vancouver region as a whole. Aha Moments yielded insights and gems in the form of quotable quotes.
Conversational interviews paint a picture
The actions of these unsung heroes have been instrumental in moving the Metro Vancouver region along the Green Infrastructure Continuum. Sustained and significant defines their collective impact.
The Metro Vancouver region’s Green Infrastructure Journey began in the mid-1990s. The catalyst was the regulatory requirement that the region have a Liquid Waste Management Plan. Once the Minister of Environment approves an LWMP, it is legally binding.
An LWMP has two distinct components: sewage treatment and urban runoff (stream systems). In the 1990s, there was mixed messaging around urban runoff. Is it a pollutant or a resource? This conundrum led to a paradigm-shift in the late 1990s.
The Partnership for Water Sustainability uses the term ‘green infrastructure continuum’ to frame how green infrastructure understanding and the state-of-the-art around it are building on experience and evolving over time.
The continuum idea provides context for milestones on the green infrastructure journey in Metro Vancouver and within the Georgia Basin as a whole.
Now what will we do?
The stream systems component of Metro Vancouver’s first two LWMPs evolved in response to the urgency of preventing stream channel and corridor degradation and resultant costs. Once per decade, there is an opportunity to “look back to see ahead” and thus get it right.
Historical context for LWMP evolution is distilled in the table below. A core message of oral history is to understand THE WHY. Understand how the past informs the future and build on that experience.
City of Surrey is a beacon of innovation and inspiration for drainage and stream protection
The intergenerational nature of drainage experience and evolution in Surrey is unique in the region. The City of Surrey had a 25-yr head start on other BC municipalities. And there has been staff continuity over a 50-yr period.
For this reason, 4 of the 13 interviewees are current or former Surrey staff. Their continuous experience covers the entire 50-yr period.
Comments Off on GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “We have shown that this partnership model works where the community groups collect the data and we can ensure that it is of a quality that meets government standards,” stated Ally Badger, biologist with Aquatic Research & Restoration Centre of the BC Conservation Foundation, and coordinator for Vancouver Island Community Flow Monitoring Network
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story (REPRODUCED BELOW).
The edition published on May 6, 2025 featured the Vancouver Island Community Flow Monitoring Network. The story behind the story is structured in four parts. An over-arching message is that flow monitoring is a springboard to broader initiatives which can then inform community planning. The idea for a community-based flow monitoring network was seeded years ago in conversations between Peter Law and Neil Goeller, former colleagues in the Ministry of Environment.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Mobilize Stewardship Groups, Close Data Gap in Community Planning –
a conversation with Ally Badger and Peter Law
The story behind the story is structured in four parts. In Part One, Ally Badger reflects on why the community-based approach is proving so effective in mobilizing citizen scientists.
In Part Two, Peter Law reflects on his career experience to provide historical context, both for his interest in “getting the numbers” and his collaboration with Neil Goeller. He then illustrates why and how Shelly Creek is a living laboratory for citizen science in action.
The data collected under the community based flow monitoring program are high quality thanks to the standards set by Neil Goeller. Data are reliable and useful. In Part Three, Ally Badger elaborates on how the data feed into the provincial Aquarius database for use in making decisions.
Part Four presents “look ahead perspectives” by Peter Law and Ally Badger. An over-arching message is that flow monitoring is a springboard to broader initiatives which can then inform community planning.
Shelly Creek applied research is where it all began
“I did my BSc at Vancouver Island University which is where I met Peter Law and got involved in his Shelly Creek project. And that is also how I got my job with the BC Conservation Foundation because they were supporting the Shelly Creek project,” explains Ally Badger.
Shelly Creek is a living laboratory for applied research at the grassroots level, in large part due to the curiosity and humble leadership of Peter Law. He has a career history of breaking new ground with several provincial initiatives.
PART ONE: Vancouver Island community-based approach is replicable in other regions
“When you look at Vancouver Island, of the many thousands of streams, the majority are very small,” observes Ally Badger. “When you think about numbers such as 10 percent of the Mean Annual Discharge, what does that look like on a small stream? “
“The small streams are already the most impacted by humans, especially in the urban watersheds where streams have been re-routed and culverted. Just having baseline flow data to understand the quantity of water that is already there seasonally will make such a difference.”
“With a baseline, we can monitor and assess impacts to streams over time. Then we will be in a position to enact conservation and restoration initiatives to improve stream function. But first we need to know where they are at now!”
Moving towards a role defined as the provincial coordinator of regional coordinators
“My role is that of a regional coordinator. I coordinate groups and distribute the training and help coordinate people to actually do the monitoring. The idea is that you could have other regional coordinators around the province or anywhere applying this model that we have created.”
“There is real potential for this program to expand. Even on the island we have made connections with other not for profits up and down the east coast of the island. We envision possibly even having coordinators for smaller regional areas so that they can help to coordinate stewardship groups at that level.”
PART TWO: Community-based approach had its genesis in Shelly Creek water balance study
“During my career, we never really had a very robust way of analyzing flow in very small streams because the Water Survey of Canada stations were all on larger systems,” states Peter Law.
“There were always these numbers that were bopping around in the 1980s and 1990s. 10 percent of the Mean Annual Discharge was considered critical to maintenance of most freshwater salmonids in small streams. And 20 percent was supposed to be a good summertime mean flow.”
“Neil Goeller seemed to understand that you have to get down to some smaller watersheds with flow monitoring if we are going to understand the needs of freshwater ecosystems, and in particular fish in smaller tributaries and smaller coastal watersheds.”
“While my interest in streamflow monitoring is primarily fisheries in nature, the different groups involved in the community network have a wide variety of objectives. And these are not necessarily fisheries objectives.”
Shelly Creek is a living laboratory for applied research
“During my last years working at the ministry, I got to know Neil briefly and thought he would be a great guy to continue working with after I left in 2010. And so we did.”
“That same year, MVIHES initiated the Shelly Creek Water Balance and Sediment Reduction Plan in the City of Parksville. We needed to understand the watershed hydrology so that we could make the case to fix the hydrology.”
“In the 1980s, Jim Dumont did low flow analysis related to Alberta’s Old Man River. This work was precedent-setting for the time. The Albertans came up with the same findings for low flow fisheries needs as reported in the research for Montana watersheds.”
Shelly Creek set a high bar for citizen science in action
“It had long been an interest of mine, particularly in the mid-Island area, to see if we could get the services of the BC Conservation Foundation. Over time I linked up with Vancouver Island University and we did a small project on Shelley Creek during the heat dome of 2021.”
“We married two projects. The year before, in 2020, we had started a flow measurement initiative. This meant we had overlapping information for one year, 2021, which was the the year of the heat dome. This turned out to be an eye-opener because it was a worst-case scenario for drought flow.”
“The fish movement project was done as a directed study at Vancouver Island University. This means that the student has to know how to write a scientific paper, present the data, analyze the data, and defend the data. Ally Badger did it all. It was a lot of fun!”
“We learned from Ally Badger’s work that most Shelly Creek trout spent their entire summer in a single pool under a log or tree root, because flows were so low they could not move. It highlighted how vulnerable these fish are, and the importance of wood debris that creates deep pools for escape.”
PART THREE: Quality of community flow monitoring data meets provincial standards
“Our relationship with Neil Goeller in undertaking this program has always been significant. This project is part of his conception,” continues Ally Badger. “Neil Goeller and Thea Rodgers, my predecessor at BCCF, are the ones who initiated the Community Flow Monitoring Network and brought it to life.”
“The Province has a really strong interest in a project like this because they are limited in capacity and resources to do the monitoring of super small watersheds.”
“There are a lot of groups out there that have the passion and the interest. They have the people power and capacity to actually get out there and do the hands-on work. They just need a bit of help, which is where we come in.”
Apply the data, make a difference in local government decision making, and spur even more momentum
“We debunked the idea that community level data are not good enough to be in the provincial government database or be reliable and usable.”
“We are at the point now that we are actually starting to get data published. It has taken a few years. We now have data available on Aquarius that we are able to share with different local government partners. We are starting to see the results. This is really exciting.”
“Peter Law emphasizes how important it is for the groups to understand the hydrology of small streams. It is not just the low flows that are of concern and whether there is enough water. It is also when the water comes,” Ally Badger emphasizes.
PART FOUR: Canadian first for a “community-based network approach” to hydrometrics
“Most of these stewardship groups draw on people who live around the streams,” reports Ally Badger.
“Who better to be out there learning and gaining experience with the tools to do the work. And then taking the knowledge gained through this process to advocate for their streams.”
“To the best of our knowledge, nobody else in Canada has done this type of community-based network approach for hydrometrics before. There have been other types of monitoring, such as for lakes. But we are the only ones who have done it for hydrometrics.”
“In the long-term,” adds Peter Law, “what is going on down here on the ground is going to be more useful or as useful as the higher level stuff that the Province is doing. Neil Goeller is in touch with the grassroots. That is his strength. Do not lose sight of that, Neil.”
Flow monitoring is a springboard to broader initiatives which can then inform community planning
“As Peter Law is showing through his work, first on Shelly Creek in Parkville and now at Cottle Creek in Nanaimo, streamflow monitoring can lead to broader initiatives and projects because we have information to work with,” continues Ally Badger.
“It is great to have the network as a resource for everything related to stream health other than just the flow-specific training aspect.”
“We are really trying to work with that network aspect so that it is very collaborative, with groups knowing each other and what each other is doing. They can then share resources and experiences as well,” concludes Ally Badger.
Comments Off on GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “Communities and successive generations of their elected representatives and staffs must commit and recommit to restoring functional watersheds and streams. When they do, we will be successful in achieving this inter-generational outcome,” stated the late Erik Karlsen, former Director of Growth Strategies in the BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story (REPRODUCED BELOW).
The edition published on April 29, ,2025 is a tribute to the memory and legacy of the late Erik Karlsen on the 5th anniversary of his death. For a generation of elected representatives, his was a familiar face in the local government setting. His influence was profound and far-reaching. He touched many lives over the course of his unique career in public service.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Erik Karlsen, an extraordinary legacy
“The story behind the story is structured in three parts. In Part One, former cabinet minister Joan Sawicki describes her collaboration with Erik Karlsen, why the Georgia Basin Initiative was successful and why Erik Karlsen was such a key ingredient,” stated Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director and Waterbucket eNews Editor.
“In Part Two, Joan Sawicki and Peter Law explain the unique role played by Erik Karlsen in bridging two ministries to develop the language for riparian area regulatory protection. Part Three presents contemporaneous perspectives on the qualities that made Erik Karlsen one of a kind.”
PART ONE: Erik Karlsen brought passion and understanding to the Georgia Basin Initiative
“As a fairly new elected official in the early 1990s, I learned a lot in a very short time under Erik Karlsen’s tutelage,” remembers Joan Sawicki. “I first met Erik in action when Municipal Affairs Minister Darlene Marzari put us together to implement the Georgia Basin Initiative.”
Pathway towards sustainability
“Erik Karlsen had an unparalleled network of connection with Georgia Basin communities – and most importantly, a high degree of trust with those communities.”
“Even in those ministries where the ‘planning’ word was not allowed to be uttered, you could count on Erik to know the one person in every agency or organization who shared even one common thread of commitment to ecosystem-based community planning.”
Bold and proactive
“Erik and I were told that the intent of the Georgia Basin Initiative was to be both proactive and reactive. That was our job,” continues Joan Sawicki. “Just get out there. Talk to all the stakeholders. Find out what was needed. Work with everybody, including cross-border because it was bioregional thinking.”
“As Parliamentary Secretary, I had a visionary document and strong personal support from Minister Marzari at the top. And I had Erik Karlsen’s on-the-ground connections with Basin communities and their issues. All I had to do was run with it. And that’s what we did!”
“We were a very small staff – Judith Cullington, Charmaine Hall, and Brent Mueller. We were a small group but, with Erik’s energy and access to just about everybody everywhere, he created the illusion of something much larger.”
Here, there and everywhere
“We had projects, dozens of them, in every shape and form. We had speeches – everywhere. Erik managed to get me into just about every conference going, every community visioning process, the Urban Development Institute, the Universities, the National Round Table,” continues Joan Sawicki.
“During this time, the Province was also forging protocols and agreements with counterparts across the border. One of our key messages around the Georgia Basin Initiative was that air pollution, water pollution and growth impacts do not stop at the 49th parallel. Erik was instrumental in all of that.”
PART TWO: Erik Karlsen developed the language for riparian area protection
“When I became Minister of Environment, working to try to implement the Fish Protection Act, it was Erik Karlsen from Municipal Affairs who was our most effective front man,” continues Joan Sawicki.
“Where my staff could not get in the door with streamside protection guidelines, Erik not only got in the door, but managed to convince local governments to help write guidelines to which many of them were fundamentally opposed.”
“As Minister, I accompanied Erik to what must have been his 20th meeting with Lower Mainland Councilors and Mayors on streamside protection guidelines. He was amazing to watch – very astute, very strategic, and very persuasive.”
Erik Karlsen had unique insight into the important roles an informed local citizenry and their local governments can play in implementing effectivestrategies
“Erik Karlsen was delegated the role of being the lead in developing the wording of an Order in Council to enact Section 12 in the Fish Protection Act of 1997,” explains Peter Law. He served with Erik Karlsen on the inter-ministry committee that developed the Streamside Protection Regulation.
“It was a unique position, as this legislation was a Ministry of Environment initiative, led by Erik, who was the Director of Regional Growth Strategies in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.”
“In my view, there was nobody more suited to the task of crafting a Regulation that, in the end, would be embraced by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), the Province and of course, very wary local government staff and politicians.”
PART THREE: Perspectives on what made Erik Karlsen one-of-a-kind in government
“Erik truly cared about people, about planning, about making communities better. He made a personal connection with people. He also had infinite patience with democracy – and if he constantly pushed the envelope outward, he also had the ability to start from where people were at,” states Joan Sawicki.
“That is why he was such a valuable asset to other ministries – because he had the pulse of local government. He always knew what would work with them and for them, and what would keep them talking and engaged.”
“Erik Karlsen marched to the beat of his own drum. He stood out from others as a change leader, a contrarian thinker, and a gifted teacher,” reflects Lynn Kriwoken. “Erik was a voracious reader and a lifelong learner, continually refining his ideas and keen to hold court and share his learnings with whoever would listen.”
Eric Bonham
“Erik Karlsen was one of a kind who was universally respected by colleagues and politicians alike. He played a major role on so many fronts, including in the development of creative government policy,” recalls Eric Bonham.
Robyn Wark
“Thinking of everything that Erik Karlsen achieved over the years I knew him professionally is very inspiring,” says Robyn Wark.” I realize how influential he has been on my own style of work – particularly the value of networks, desire to bring people together, and leverage everyone’s strengths.”
Tim Pringle
“As it turned out, the Province and the Real Estate Foundation devised and implemented the strategy that got the $$$ flowing,” remembers Tim Pringle. “Erik Karlsen demonstrated his pragmatism and vision; he understood how to play a hand of opportunities to advantage.”
Susan Haid
“(In the late 1990s) there was tension between stakeholders,” recalls Susan Haid. “Yet the productiveness of those dialogues inspired a lot of professionals, myself included, to dig deeper and find solutions and learn. You felt like you were part of a movement. The discussions around the Fish Protection Act had a huge influence shifting perspectives to a bigger scale.”
Bruce Kay
“The provincial Georgia Basin Initiative predated the federal initiative, a fact that Erik often reminded us,” says Bruce Kay. “His participation in the federal partnership brought much of the growth strategy and municipal planning perspective to the development of the federal strategy and programs instituted through the GBEI.”
Joan Sawicki’s closing reflections
“Erik Karlsen had a job description like any other employee in the public service, but no supervisor, Assistant Deputy Minister or Deputy Minister, ever had the slightest idea what Erik actually did with his time.”
“When hard pressed to justify his activities, or reprimanded yet again for not at least occasionally keeping the Deputy Minister in the loop, Erik responded with his customary detailed explanation – and charm.”
“You could get exasperated with Erik because he seldom followed the rules – but he got good things done.”
Comments Off on GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “In a meeting with Assistant Deputy Minister Jim Mattison in 2005, Premier Gordon Campbell gave the team our marching orders. So began the creation of Living Water Smart. Leading up to 2008, we were on a fast track,” recalled Lynn Kriwoken, former Executive Director in the Ministry of Environment
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story.
The edition published on April 22, 2025 featured Lynn Kriwoken, recipient of the Partnership’s Watershed Moments Award for her unwavering vision and courage as champion for development and implementation of Living Water Smart. Premier Gordon Campbell wanted a “plan to lead the world in water management, the best bar none.” Lynn delivered. Living Water Smart is an idea that has a life beyond a date-stamped plan. Below is the Story Behind the Story.
Lynn Kriwoken, Living Water Smart champion
“For well over 20 years, I have been a colleague of Lynn Kriwoken through our collaboration under the Partnership umbrella,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director. “Moreover, it was Lynn’s commitment that gave life to the Partnership in 2003. When she was an Executive Director in the Ministry of Environment, her vision and support made it possible for me to develop and lead the Water Sustainability Action Plan.”
“In government, Lynn was a leader who made a difference behind the scenes with her vision and ability to make things happen. She was the Living Water Smart champion, and her passion and leadership drove it.”
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: A conversation with Lynn Kriwoken, champion for Living Water Smart in BC
The story behind the story is structured in three parts. In Part One, Lynn Kriwoken explains why the Living Water Smart idea transcends government and is standing the test of time. The values and imagine statements that inspired the vision for Living Water Smart are timeless, she emphasizes.
In Part Two, Lynn Kriwoken reveals the never-before-told-story of how the idea for Living Water Smart emerged after a difficult period in provincial government history. Premier Gordon Campbell gave Lynn and her team the mandate to be bold and innovative.
Part Three unveils the legacy resource that Lynn Kriwoken created, with help from graphic designer Carina-Marie Nilsson, to illustrate the history of water management in British Columbia. It tells the story of the drivers, milestones and programs over 150 years, and is sprinkled with Lynn’s journey and learnings along the way.
PART ONE – Living Water Smart is an idea that has a life beyond a date-stamped plan
“We took a different approach with Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan. Rather than a boring, bureaucratic plan that starts with a vision, mission, goals, actions and words and more words…we started with a design,” states Lynn Kriwoken.
“There was a lot of involvement from the Premier’s Office and back and forth. The rest is history. It was a different approach for government in the way we designed and developed that plan and the uptake on the message.”
Why the Living Water Smart story lives on
“Living Water Smart has lived on but it is not ‘Living Water Smart the plan’ that lives on. What has stood the test of time is the story of what it means to do business differently and live water smart. The VALUES and IMAGINE statements are timeless. They are the essence of the Living Water Smart story.”
Living Water Smart as an idea transcends government
“Let’s be clear. Living Water Smart was a government commitment plan, 17 years ago with 50 commitments signed off by the Premier and Environment Minister of the day. Many public servants have worked over many years to deliver on those commitments.”
“The story of Living Water Smart is not just about the plan. That was the plan then; in 2025, it is dated. No government is going to resurrect that plan because that was date stamped for that administration.”
What matters is the imagine storyline
“But what I am really pleased about is that the imagine storyline has stood the test of time. And I am sure those statements still resonate with many. Everybody pulled a piece of yarn out of that plan and knit a sweater.”
“It is the story that lives on and is transferable to anyone who picks up the Living Water Smart book and wants to use it. We built that plan based on a format and the stories. It was quite unique for government at the time.”
“Today there are different pressures and stressors on all those aspects of how water is used and abused. The Living Water Smart book is the story of water. Here are the values. Here is THE IMAGINE. There is a continuum from there to where we are now.”
A message that continues to resonate
“Living Water Smart is a timeless story about the value of water in all its forms and its message continues to resonate with people today. It is not just about the plan per se and the government commitments at the time. It is about the timeless story that inspires and educates others about water.”
PART TWO – Living Water Smart resulted from a mandate to be bold and innovative
“My story behind the story of how the Living Water Smart book came to be starts when I returned to work from maternity leave in 2001. A Liberal government led by Gordon Campbell was elected in May 2001 and proceeded to cut the public service by 40 percent. It was a difficult time,” continues Lynn Kriwoken.
“We spent the first four years of the first Campbell mandate reeling from cuts and pulling programs back together. By 2005, the government had done the rationalization of reducing the public service.”
“After their re-election, the government created a Water Stewardship Division in the Ministry of Environment. That had never been done before. It was a single division with headquarters staff in Victoria and regional staff throughout BC. This brought water together organizationally and operationally.”
Premier Gordon Campbell was British Columbia’s water champion, bar none
“That was 2005. We spent the next three years in the Watershed Stewardship Division churning out plans. I don’t think the government was clear on exactly what they wanted. But they would know when they saw it.”
“In a meeting with Assistant Deputy Minister Jim Mattison, Premier Campbell gave the team our marching orders. So began the creation of Living Water Smart.Leading up to 2008, we were on a fast track.”
“Delivery on the some of the commitments has waned over the years. We went through so many ministers, deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers during my time in leading the development and implementation of Living Water Smart.”
Someone has to keep their eye on the prize
“Often in government…with reorganizations every four years…it is too easy during change to throw your pencils and books down, stop in the middle of a meeting and say now what. And then wait for someone to say what to do. Briefing up on what we were doing and why became more important than ever.”
Role of the Partnership for Water Sustainability as an implementation arm for Living Water Smart
“Living Water Smart was broad sweeping. And a lot of commitments were across regulatory reform, business change, conservation, and the built environment. The latter is where the Partnership came in as the implementation arm for two of five themes, outreach and community planning.”
“Our Ministry’s priority was the legislative reform. In 2008, the recession was not a great time to introduce Living Water Smart, a lofty water plan. We knew that rather than spread ourselves too thin, we had to hunker down and start writing and consulting on discussion papers to inform what eventually would become the Water Sustainability Act.”
Convening for action in British Columbia:
“What I saw was that the Partnership for Water Sustainability was ready to pick up some of the commitments around choosing to be water smart. The Partnership sphere of responsibility was the municipal context and included preparing communities for change, whereas doing business differently was around regulation.”
“The Partnership became an important implementation arm on that one facet of the plan. Co-funded by the Province and the Real Estate Foundation, the Partnership led convening for action programs in the Lower Mainland, on Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan about choosing to be water smart.”
“Is this real? Yes, it is real. And soon we start seeing the Living Water Smart book in council rooms and in planning meetings. It was easy for them to leverage this little book to say, this makes sense and this is where we are going and this is what other local governments are doing.”
“It is about doing what really matters. That’s an important part of the story of the Partnership. The role played by the Partnership goes beyond mere metrics. It is intangible. It is about believing in what you are doing.”
“It is about testing approaches to doing business differently and choosing to be water smart. That is how the Partnership contributes to Living Water Smart success, then and now.”
PART THREE – We take care of our water, our water takes care of us…
“In government, reorganization, changing priorities and budget cuts are a given, with people asking: what are we doing today and how are we doing it? That detracts and is a huge energy drain on momentum. With perseverance and continuity, however, you see the light at the end of the day.”
“The last thing I did before retiring from government in 2020 was to create a legacy visual illustrating the history of water management in British Columbia. It tells the story of the drivers, milestones and programs over 150 years. And it is sprinkled with my journey and learnings along the way.”
Comments Off on GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “In 2025, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of waterbucket.ca, storytelling platform for showcasing and sharing success stories about an ecosystem-based approach to land and water use in southwest BC,” stated Mike Tanner, founding chair of the intergovernmental waterbucket.ca partnership
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story.
The edition published on April 15, 2025 featured Mike Tanner, founding chair of the Waterbucket.ca Website Partnership and celebrated the 20th anniversary of the launch of waterbucket.ca in April 2025. The combination of waterbucket.ca and the Waterbucket eNews newsletter gives champions in the local government and stewardship sectors a platform and voice for telling their stories. Below is the Story Behind the Story.
Somebody had to put up the initial seed funding for waterbucket.ca
“The 20th anniversary of the waterbucket.ca website is an opportunity for celebration as well as reflection. An intergovernmental partnership funded development of waterbucket.ca to support an Ecosystem-Based Approach to land development and water use,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“Mike Tanner is the waterbucket.ca visionary. His leadership got the website off the ground and online within 12 months of the inaugural meeting of founding partners. He did the heavy lifting that brought together provincial ministries and so many others for a common purpose.”
“Somebody had to put up the initial seed funding to build support for the waterbucket.ca idea. And that is what I was able to bring from BC Hydro with a $5000 contribution from the Power Smart program,” recalls Mike Tanner, former senior manager with Power Smart.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: waterbucket.ca, Storytelling Platform for an Ecosystem-Based Approach to Land and Water Use – a conversation with Mike Tanner
“The story behind the story of my conversational interview with Mike Tanner is structured in four parts,” continues Kim Stephens. “In Part One, he explains the importance of the Project Charter as the framework document that crystallized the shared vision for waterbucket.ca as an online magazine.”
“In Part Two, Mike Tanners shares his insights as to why waterbucket.ca is a trusted source of information. His reflections in Part Three recognize three individuals who injected timely energy and passion. Part Four closes with Mike’s thoughts on how waterbucket.ca has matured as a legacy resource.”
PART ONE – waterbucket.ca partners had a vision for an online magazine and virtual community
“To prepare for this conversation, I went on a trip down memory lane and read the Project Charter that we adopted in 2004. Twenty year later, it makes for an interesting read. It is is a valuable historical document because it lays out what the waterbucket.ca partners set out to accomplish,” states Mike Tanner.
“We set out to further collective understanding, collaboration and the development and implementation of best practice.”
Context for waterbucket.ca editorial policy
“We have stayed true to those words. And over time, waterbucket.ca has exceeded expectations and become much more than what we thought it would be in 2004.”
“From day one, waterbucket.ca has been about providing information and a means of sharing the information of others, especially their success stories. That is what people are looking for, understand and value.”
“And, I am proud to state, we have never have asked for anything since the launch of the website. It is self-funded by the Partnership for the Water Sustainability as a public service. In the early years, we resisted any suggestions to commercialize it. The content is sustained by a volunteer effort.”
Just go to waterbucket.ca
“Twenty years later, it is also fascinating to read the record of the partnership forum in February 2005. This was a mere two months before we launched the website. Much of the discussion that day revolved around editorial policy to achieve what is laid out in the Project Charter.”
“Think of the website as a magazine, the record of meeting states, with the objective being to appeal to a readership slice so that we attract readers to the website. From the beginning, our target audiences were the government and stream stewardship sectors.”
“We have been true to that vision for a news magazine with the type of stories we publish. They are short, concise and allow readers to take a quick look at whether they are interested in reading further. The information we have has garnered the right people to stay on the website and delve into the stories.”
PART TWO – waterbucket.ca is a trusted source of information for a global audience
“With my marketing background at BC Hydro Power Smart, I realized the need to provide success stories. That is how you become successful in promoting a product. People are wary about trying different things. Providing them with success stories and factual information helps motivate them to implement some of the things that we talk about.”
Power of success stories to influence behaviour
“Part of my Power Smart thing is that I was successful with customers in implementing something that they did not quite understand about Power Smart. We were basically paying them to reduce using our product…electricity…which goes against every marketing concept.”
“The idea behind marketing has always been to get customers to pay to use more. And we were paying them to use less! We needed stories that would help them understand why they would be successful if they got involved with the Power Smart program and spent upfront to save money.”
“So we needed to be able to provide the story that company A did it and they achieved this energy saving. So, company B can do it too and also achieve this saving.”
waterbucket.ca content is in the public domain to provide universal access to information and resources
“We do not charge anything for people to access the Waterbucket.ca website or subscribe to the Waterbucket eNews newsletter. This goes against the principles of marketing – you provide something, you expect people to pay for it. But we do not. It is free!”
“Because we are not asking for anything, that goes to the level of trust that we have developed with our readers. We just want to provide information that people can see, understand and implement if possible.”
Michael Blackstock’s Blue Ecology is a prime example:
“That guiding philosophy has worked out well for us. With my marketing background, I needed to be sure that we would have content on there that would provide that level of trust for people to keep coming back to read our success stories and use the Partnership’s tools and resources.”
“If it is on waterbucket.ca, our readers know they can trust the story to be factual.”
PART THREE – Recognition of three individuals who injected timely passion and energy
“Fiona Crofton was part of my original website working group. She brought passion and experience to the project. She made a huge contribution in developing a proof of concept for the website. This got us started.”
“We had to first attract people to waterbucket. ca and then we had to hold their interest. That certainly is what the Waterbucket eNews newsletter does as a companion platform. The stories we publish help do that. Compelling, that is what the website and newsletter have developed into!”
Why the waterbucket.ca embraced a storytelling approach to information sharing
“Storytelling is the way we share intergenerational knowledge, experience and wisdom. We learn through stories. This is how we pass on our oral history. This is why each and every edition of Waterbucket eNews is built around a conversational interview. Those stories are also posted on the website.”
“The storytelling approach would not be what it is without Kim Stephens. His unwavering dedication and commitment over two decades has made waterbucket.ca the success that it is. I cannot imagine anyone else being able to take the baton from Joanne and fulfil that storytelling role.”
PART FOUR – Closing reflections on 20 years of success in sharing the stories of champions
“The success of waterbucket.ca has outpaced anything that I thought we would achieve. The fact that we get people from other countries looking to us for information says so much about waterbucket.ca as a destination.”
“We understand that it has something to do with our heavy use of images. Every story we post has multiple images. We strive to match words and images so that waterbuckeet.ca stories are visually compelling. It must also help that waterbucket.ca has been around for 20 years and counting.”
A living record of the “convening for action” history of Living Water Smart in British Columbia
“We profile those who do good work in the spirit of Living Water Smart. This is a big reason why waterbucket.ca has become the place where people go to look for information on water. We have the communication platform. We give the champions a voice.”
“The Partnership for Water Sustainability cannot do everything. If we can be the avenue to get the information of others out there, that is what we can do and have been doing. Our success comes from publishing our own stories plus the stories of other groups and individuals who are doing tremendous work for the common good.”
Growing the network of champions:
“Through waterbucket.ca and the Waterbucket eNews newsletter, we are getting the stories of the Living Water Smart champions out there. This validates what they are doing.”
“That is a public service that the Partnership is able to do because we have an independent communications platform. The waterbucket.ca community is about networking and collaboration. And that is what we stated in the Project Charter in 2004.”
“And they can do it through waterbucket.ca! This serves our needs but it also serves their needs as well.”
waterbucket.ca has matured into a legacy resource
“In 2004, we were thinking about where we are now. We have adapted over the past 20 years. We have changed when we have had to. We have always gone where there is interest and energy. We have done all this and that is a big part of our continuing success.”
“When people say I saw it on waterbucket.ca, that is our ultimate measure and testament of success. Hopefully that will continue to be our story for another twenty years and beyond. That will be the legacy of the Waterbucket Website Partnership founders,” concludes Mike Tanner.
Comments Off on GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “EAP gives municipalities the methodology and metrics that will let them add streams to their asset management strategy in terms of budget and plan,” stated Tim Pringle, Adjunct Faculty with the Master of Community Planning Department at Vancouver Island University
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Storylines accommodate a range of reader attention spans. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story (reproduced below) .
The edition published on April 8, 2025 featured Tim Pringle and Robert Hicks to support an announcement that the Partnership and the Metro Vancouver Regional District are co-funding the next evolution of EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process. Metro Vancouver is coming full circle to build on seminal research that it undertook in the late 1990s to develop a classification system for watershed health. EAP adds financial dimension for asset management purposes.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Urban streams are municipal assets; they supply ecological services
“The story behind the story is structured in two parts. The historical context is first. Robert Hicks, an ambassador of the Partnership, explains how Metro Vancouver tapped into the expertise of Richard Horner when the science was hot off the presses,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews editor and Executive Director with the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
“EAP as a predictive tool for land use planners is the second part. Tim Pringle describes the road map for evolving EAP. With 22 demonstration applications completed and/or in progress, the next step is to develop the rules of thumb for quantifying the financial implications of increased development density.”
PART ONE – HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Assessment of Stream Health in Metro Vancouver Region
“In the early 1990s, a group of Puget Sound local governments initiated a university-based research centre, secured seed funding for it, and then framed eight key questions for investigation.”
“His doctoral work is the foundation that the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC has been building on for the past three decades by evolving the Twin Pillars of Stream Integrity, namely Water Balance Accounting and Ecological Accounting.”
Genesis for cross-border collaboration
“In 1997, Metro Vancouver established an interagency Stormwater Management Technical Advisory Task Group,” states Robert Hicks, who was staff support for the group
“The 1992 Land Development Guidelines were about doing business differently. It was a best attempt at the time. DFO realized that the status quo was not working. This is why the municipalities were feeling the pressure to change course when the interagency group was established.”
Puget Sound research correlated land use changes with impacts on streams
“So many studies manipulate a single variable out of context with the whole and its many additional variables. We, on the other hand, investigated whole systems in place, tying together measures of the landscape, stream habitat, and aquatic life,” explained Richard Horner in a 2014 conversation.
For two decades, Dr. Chris May had a leadership position in Washington State local government – first with the City of Seattle and then with Kitsap County. The latter was his living laboratory. Because he was Director of the Surface & Stormwater Division, Chis May could put science into practice.
“Working at multiple scales is a must to restore urban streams. You have to go back and address the impacts of legacy development. To move the needle, communities must restore riparian areas,” explained Chris May in a 2023 interview about the Road Map for System Integrity
Metro Vancouver Watershed Health Rating System validated Puget Sound research findings
“We built on Puget Sound research and developed a watershed health rating system for our region. A trend projection from 1996 to 2036 demonstrated how the status quo would lead to a further region-wide decline in stream health,” continued Robert Hicks in a 2024 interview about the reasons Why Watersheds are at Heightened Risk
“When we showed the picture of the Riparian Forest Integrity index to the Board members, they agreed that things had to change. Things will get worse if we do not change our ways,”
PART TWO – NEXT EVOLUTION OF EAP: A predictive tool for use by land planners
“With hindsight, I can say that Metro was ahead of its time and got it right with the RFI index. That early leadership has provided the region with a foundation and a springboard for success in 2025 and beyond,” emphasizes Tim Pringle.
“In hindsight, the RFI idea dropped off the radar screen because the timing was not yet right for it and all the energy was going into the Water Balance Pillar. A generation later, we are resurrecting RFI and adding the EAP dimension to operationalize the Ecological Accounting Pillar.”
“Both the Metro research in the late 1990s and the current EAP research are spatial analyses. The EAP process allows local governments to transcend the numbers and explore the financial impact of land development choices. And it is also about solutions.”
“Metro got it right in the 1990s. By revisiting the 1999 research through the EAP lens, the region is poised to move to a restored and renewed leadership position.”
EAP lens encompasses both the asset management and land planning perspectives
“Planners have a spatial way of looking at land use. So, I imagine that they would like to have a means of understanding a stream from a spatial point of view…what is being measured, what are the metrics for doing that measurement, how do you use it. It has to be that basic.”
“EAP deals with parcels which is as spatial as you can get. The Metro research in the late 1990s was also a spatial analysis. Metro used the science and applied the basics related to loss of riparian and woodland areas (ecosystems) and intrusion of impervious cover in developed areas abutting streams,”
EAP springboard to a regional scale to make the financial case for action in at-risk watersheds
“We have a two-step plan. We have brought the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University into the EAP Partnership. This expands the pool of graduate students to do EAP theses.”
“In 2026, as Step Two, a master’s thesis will create a predictive tool to quantify the financial implications of increased development density and provincial housing policies regarding the Riparian Deficit.”
“We are moving EAP from a primary emphasis on Asset Management to use by planners for spatial analysis related to streams and trees. As we evolve EAP through more projects, and use Sam’s thesis as the springboard, we will be able to say here is the utility for planners and it is based on these rules of thumb,” concludes Tim Pringle.
Comments Off on CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “The Georgia Basin region is at both a cross-roads and a tipping point for regional growth management and livability. The region was at a similar crossroads three decades ago,” stated Kim Stephens when the Partnership for Water Sustainability released Part A titled Georgia Basin Context
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story (reproduced below).
The edition published on April 1, 2025 is an introduction to and a high-level overview of Part A of the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure in Metro Vancouver from 1994 through 2024. The 73-page Part A is included as an attachment. It is a sweeping narrative that brings to life an era.
source: The Georgia Basin Initiative, 1994 brochure
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Livability of Southwest BC at a crossroads, again
Without the passion and commitment of Darlene Marzari, Joan Sawicki and Erik Karlsen, the call for action in the 1993 report by the BC Round Table on the Environment and the Economy may not have gone anywhere. They made a difference and they changed history in the Georgia Basin.
To see ahead one must learn to look back
Never has storytelling been more important than it is today. And that is because knowledge and memory are being lost at an alarming rate. A look into the future by Jay Bradley in 2007 has proven prescient in foreshadowing what is happening in the post-COVID era.
Jay Bradley’s quote nails the nub of one of the challenges of our time. And that is, loss of continuity is happening just when continuity of understanding is needed most.
Will it be business as usual or wise use?
The Georgia Basin links two nations and includes three bodies collectively known as the Salish Sea. “It is not mere coincidence that two-thirds of the population of British Columbia occupies lands bordering its great inland sea,” wrote Howard Macdonald Stewart in his book titled Views of the Salish Sea: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Change around the Strait of Georgia.
In Views of the Salish Sea, Howard Macdonald Stewart documents that, too often in his career as an advisor to the United Nations, he experienced a vital paradise that had become an environmental desert due to ‘business as usual’ decisions.
Concerned that many past decisions made in the Georgia Basin were contributing to its degradation, he wrote his text to help readers better understand these past decisions and their consequences for the evolving future of the Georgia Basin.
Focus on” Context, Intent and Results”
“The region’s continued health and sustainability demands that we treat it as one system, not as a composite of separate and jurisdictionally distinct entities.” – from page 14, Georgia Basin Initiative: Creating a Sustainable Future, 1993.
“As Parliamentary Secretary or the Georgia Basin Initiative, I had a visionary document and strong personal support from Minister Marzari at the top ” recalls Joan Sawicki. “And I had Erik Karlsen’s on-the-ground connections with Basin communities and their issues. All I had to do was run with it. And that’s what we did!.”
“Erik Karlsen not only had the passion and understanding for this stuff and was way ahead of his time, but he also had an unparalleled network of connection with Georgia Basin communities – and, most importantly, a high degree of trust with those communities.”
“Sustainable refers to attaining certain conditions in the context of social, economic and environmental considerations. Resilient in a biological sense is primarily the ability for an ecosystem to recover from an intervention,” wrote Erik Karlsen in 2015.
Build consensus around the need for action
“The Province passed the Regional Growth Strategies Act in 1994. It was then my job to implement regional growth management. The government subsequently combined Regional Growth Strategies and the Georgia Basin Initiative into one operation so that Erik Karlsen wound up working for me, ” recalls Dale Wall, former Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs.
Erik Karlsen was a sessional lecturer at Royal Roads University. He taught change management and was the éminence grise behind the guiding philosophy that drives the Partnership for Water Sustainability. His core message was one of hope and determination. Erik Karlsen understood the power of story!
To Learn More:
Waterbucket eNews stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story. To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Livability of Southwest BC at a crossroads, again. The document is complete with the 69-page Part A of the Green Infrastructure Chronicle as an attachment.
