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“When there is no champion, that area gets left in the dust. Of course every champion does need to put forward a compelling case for their area. At the end of the day, however, there just are not enough resources in an ongoing way to deal with all the issues. So, choices are made between competing issues and competing champions. What I see missing at times is an understanding of the linkages within a local government system. It is easy to forget there are other needs that have to be considered and balanced,” stated Pete Steblin.

“It would be a bonus if people came into elected office with background on what matters to the operation of a local government. But most will not have a clue. Especially when it comes to infrastructure. That is why they need to educate themselves about how to develop informed policies. Elected leaders can and should say…let’s work with talented staff and see if we can come up with something together that is going to work for me as an elected official and for you as staff…and us together for the community,” stated Darrell Mussatto.

Launched in 1994, the Georgia Basin Initiative was a call to action by the provincial government of the day. There was trouble in paradise. All communities knew they were under intense pressure and that we had to do something about it. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Just turn it. Solutions to complex problems require deep knowledge. The living legacy of the Georgia Basin Initiative is embedded and embodied in the successor Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative (IREI). Three decades and counting is an amazing legacy. The IREI itself is in Year 13.