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DOWNLOAD: Discovering Nature's Infrastructure Potential in the Comox Valley – Moment of Truth for a Changing Climate


Local government collaboration through the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Educational Initiative is producing tools and resources that will help communities integrate water balance solutions into land use decisions. “Broadening collaboration to include the stewardship, conservation and industry sectors would build understanding and improve practises in the field,” states David Stapley. “The Symposium is an opportunity for land use professionals, stewards, local governments, First Nations and Industry to come together.”

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LOOK AT DEVELOPMENT DIFFERENTLY: Comox Valley Eco-Asset Management Symposium – Discovering Nature’s Infrastructure Potential (on March 14-15, 2017)


“In community drinking watersheds, logging is accelerated as harvest rotations shorten. The reduced ability of forests to capture winter rain and slow snowmelt leads to increased spring runoff, resulting in more flooding and source drinking water quality issues,” states Tim Ennis. “If the long-term value of forest ecosystem services was taken into account when community development is planned, more forested areas would be retained to capture rainwater.”

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Climate Change: British Columbia’s Green Communities Amendment Act is a driver for doing business differently


“In December 2010, the CAVI-Comox Valley Regional Team hosted a ‘Developers Dialogue’. This initiated a conversation with the Comox Valley development community about local government policies and strategies to achieve ‘design with nature’ outcomes. The requirements of the Green Communities Act provided the backdrop for the dialogue,” reported Derek Richmond.

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Water Sustainability: "Convening for Action experience shows that success will follow when local governments embrace 10 guiding principles," stated Kim Stephens during a lecture delivered in Parksville (Nov 2016)


“Kim Stephens was able to communicate concepts in a way that made sense to the class. They understood him perfectly,” observed Todd Pugh, sessional instructor for Capilano’s Local Government Administration Certificate program. “It is such a mix of people – there were some who would have liked to hear more about the science behind what he presented, and for others it was more science than they’ve experienced since elementary school.”

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Implementation of Stormwater Utility in the City of Victoria: Moving Towards a Water-Resilient Future


The new billing system also allows people to reduce their stormwater bills by making improvements to their property to better manage water, Fraser Work said. Financial rewards will be offered to property owners who add rain gardens, cisterns, green roofs or resurface driveways with a permeable surface that absorbs stormwater. “When you are looking at potentially replacing your driveway, when you are looking at doing some roof work … you can look at this rewards program as a source of cost mitigation.”

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OPINION: What do we want this place to look like? – theme for an Op-Ed article by Derek Richmond, published in the Comox Valley Echo


“Water-centric thinking, planning and doing have become more than a vision. They are a reality on Vancouver Island and elsewhere in BC. CAVI, the acronym for the Convening for Action on Vancouver Island initiative, was a driver in this accomplishment and demonstrated what can be done through partnerships and collaboration,” stated Derek Richmond.

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FLASHBACK TO 2008: "A performance target approach to land development makes sense, can meet multiple objectives, and thereby result in net environmental benefits at a watershed scale," stated Kim Stephens at the concluding seminar in the Cowichan Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series (July 2008)


“Once we went back to basics and developed the concept of a Rainfall Spectrum, this then led into the concept of Performance Targets for rainwater runoff capture. The reason runoff percentage is the performance target is that municipalities exert control over runoff volume through their land development and infrastructure policies, practices and actions,” explained Kim Stephens.

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A Vision for ‘Sustainable Watershed Systems’ on Vancouver Island: Economy, Ecology and Settlement in Balance by Year 2065


“Unfortunately, the long view of ‘what will this be like in 50 years’ and policy to support such vision is difficult to establish and even harder to defend over time when decision-makers are regularly challenged with the demands of the day," observed Eva Kras. “Yet we need both immediate-term pragmatism and visionary dedication to sustainability if we are to preserve our capacity for positive and permanent regional vitality."

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2016 Annual General Meeting of Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society – event of record for launch of "Primer on Sustainable Watershed Systems"


Local governments are starting to recognize that watersheds are natural assets that have value, ecosystem services have a role in municipal service delivery, and so they need to be integrated into their asset management programs. “The MVIHES experience demonstrates that positive outcomes are a result of strong community support for protection of small streams and their tributaries,” stated Faye Smith.

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The Journey to Balance Economy, Ecology and Settlement on Vancouver Island


“Water sustainability became a common thread in discussions and decisions about land development, water use and water conservation. Participants from governments, the development community, academia, consulting organizations, and others, understand the importance of water sustainability and incorporate water sustainability practices into their activities. Water-centric thinking, planning and doing have become more than a vision. They are a reality on Vancouver Island,” wrote John FInnie.

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