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“Some heavy lifting has gone into the wonderful stories that we are sharing at the symposium. Most importantly, there is a return on investment when restoring natural systems,” stated Richard Boase. “There is a lots of work yet to be done. What if community groups started coming forward and saying we like this project because we believe there is a restoration return on investment? The takeaway message is that, from an asset management perspective, these restored assets are going to give us a return.”

“Each demonstrates how local government partnerships with stewardship groups can be transformational and ‘improve where we live’. These precedents are beacons of hope,” stated Kim Stephens. Stewardship operates under a different dynamic than the private sector or government. Stewards are drawn together for a common cause, like-minded individuals with a vision for the greater good. This purpose is not to be found in the policy manuals of government, nor in regulations or legislation. Rather, it is built upon an enthusiastic personal commitment and passion by a band of individuals to make a difference.

Bowker Creek flows through three municipalities: Saanich, Victoria and Oak Bay. Degraded over generations, and buried for much of its length, Bowker restoration demonstrates how a good strategy is the path to success. The Bowker Creek Urban Watershed Renewal Initiative serves as a how-to-guide for a ‘top-down & bottom-up’ approach. Connect with the community and get the vision right. “The multi-jurisdictional nature of our watersheds requires the collective commitment of local and senior government agencies, First Nations, and communities to improve the health of our watersheds,” stated Jody Watson.

Teamwork for the common good is a powerful and often transformative experience, particularly when a longer term vision for a local creekshed engages multiple interests, disciplines and local government. Collaboration taps into the passion and ingenuity of volunteers who are driven by commitment. Al Fraser provided context for the Comox journey, with a focus on partnerships. “When I look at the definition of partnership, and put it into the context of how it applies to the Brooklyn Creek storyline, the word that resonates most with me is participation.”

On Vancouver Island, the Brooklyn Creek restoration initiative is a “beacon of hope”. A provincially significant precedent, it has a long history in demonstrating how local government partnerships with stewardship groups can “improve where we live”. The Brooklyn Creek restoration story is inspirational. “We don’t own any land. So we work cooperatively with people who do, or have access to it. We are very fortunate to have a great working relationship with the Town of Comox,” stated Christine Hodgson.

At Parksville 2019, Marvin Kamenz elaborated on three building blocks in the evolution of the Town’s incremental process for implementing changes in development practices: lower Brooklyn Corridor, North East Comox, and new areas tributary to the middle Brooklyn Corridor. “Looking through the ‘worth lens’ culminated in a fundamental shift in philosophy regarding how to value natural assets in Comox,” stated Marvin Kamenz. “For the middle reach of Brooklyn Creek, we changed the approach to stormwater management in mid-project to focus on the protection and enhancement of the ‘Package of Ecological Services’.”

In this video clip, Richard Boase introduces Storm Cunningham to conclude Day Two of Parksville 2019. “Everywhere one turns these days, some form of the words ‘renewal’, ‘restoration’ or ‘regeneration’ appear. Storm Cunningham was the catalyst of that global ‘re’ trend when his first book, The Restoration Economy, was published in 2002,” stated Richard Boase. “Storm Cunningham believes that we need to start talking about, thinking about, and researching the ‘whole’ created by the myriad activities that are already restoring our built and natural environments worldwide.”

“You have heard about the Ecological Footprint and the Carbon Footprint. These measure the damage done as a result of our existence. They are wonderful tools. But we also need to measure the good stuff that we are doing. This is the Restorative Footprint, so that we are moving forward on two feet, not just hopping along on one negative foot,” stated Storm Cunningham. “The only way we can have a continuously growing economy is to base that economic growth on revitalizing the places where we have already developed.”