Vancouver Island Water

“If local governments and the develop community do things right at the front-end, the end result will be a lot better, and everyone will wind up saving time and money. The end product that the community has will be an added-value product,” stated Derek Richmond.

“t is necessary to wait and see how the Regional Growth Strategy plays out. Once the strategy is approved by the Regional Board and three Municipal Councils, the learning lunch forums can then serve as an implementation mechanism,” annpunced Kim Stephens.

“When we move into the action phase, it will not be one organization doing it. This involves everybody. Job functions will be modified so that everyone has a role in implementation. If we all work together, we will be that much more effective.” states Kevin Lorette.

“We are trying to change a way of thinking, building, developing that has been taking place for over 100 years – we won’t turn it completely around in only a few years. But we are starting to make a difference. Water-centric thinking is beginning to take hold and it will grow more quickly with time, eventually becoming the norm,” states John Finnie.

“The day is divided into two parts, with the sub-theme unifying the two parts being alignment of efforts at a watershed scale. First, we focus on establishing expectations – this is what we want our valley to look like! Then the spotlight shifts to delivering on expectations – this is how we will get there,” reports Glenn Westendorp,

“To promote a holistic approach to infrastructure asset management, we have crystallized three key objectives for Sustainable Service Delivery: pay down the legacy cost of existing hard infrastructure; reduce the life-cycle cost of new hard infrastructure; and, shift from gray to green to protect downstream values,” stated Kevin Lagan.

“We know that the time to shape future life-cycle costs is at the infrastructure planning ‘front-end’; and we recognize the importance of thinking at a watershed scale. Protection of a community’s natural resources is an important piece in Sustainable Service Delivery,” states Kevin Lorette.

“We ended the 2011 Series on a high note. There was energy in the room; everyone was still. engaged; and there was enthusiasm for moving to the next step.The discussion could easily continued past our 3pm cut-off time. But we have made it a practice of starting and finishing on-time,” reported Kim Stephens.

“Collaboration with CAVI creates an opportunity for success in moving forward with the Link Project. CAVI has been building credibility and a network in a local government setting. CAVI can inform the VIEA implementation plan and provide a springboard for expanded action,” stated Cori Lynn Germiquet.

Showcasing of the Cowichan Valley experience creates an opportunity for inter-valley sharing. “The valley has experienced many flood events resulting from high flows in the Cowichan River and its tributaries, and from ponding in low-lying areas during heavy rain events,” states Kate Miller.