The workshop was an action item arising from an earlier consultation workshop held in conjunction with the Water in the City Conference in September 2006. “If we are to control our destiny and create our future, then we need to challenge our fellow Vancouver Islanders to visualize what they want Vancouver Island to look like in 50 years,” stated John Finnie.
“There are a lot of good things happening throughout Vancouver Island. It is essential that we celebrate successes so that we create momentum that is self-fulfilling in achieving water sustainability”, stated Kim Stephens
Workshop provided context for green value, designing with nature, green infrastructure and water sustainability….from the shoreline to the watershed, and from the development site to the municipality.
This story provides a ’50,000 foot view’ of some of the ‘on the ground’ initiatives taking place across Vancouver Island municipalities and Regional Districts. These examples clearly demonstrate that paying attention to water sustainability is moving into mainstream municipal/regional district thinking – and most importantly – action.
Michael McCarthy represented the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations. Afterwards, he observed that: “All of us on Vancouver Island are connected by water; in my language we have a word, “hee-shook-ma-tswak,” which means we are all one.”
Green Value means thinking about and realizing land use strategies that accommodate settlement needs in practical ways while protecting the ecological resources upon which our communities depend. Understanding green value approaches means having positive options for managing growth, the design of communities, buildings and sustaining the ecology.
