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Living Water Smart

    WATER EFFICIENT YARDS AND GARDENS: “The BC Landscape Water Calculator is a new tool for the CRD’s Summer Waterwise Campaign. It has real potential to foster a stewardship ethic on the part of homeowners,” stated Glenn Harris, Senior Manager of the Capital Regional District’s environmental protection team


    “CRD saw that our participation in the BC Landscape Water Calculator initiative would benefit both our residential and business water conservation programs. When CRD launches Waterwise Summer as part of Live Green in the Yard and Garden, we will promote the BC Landscape Water Calculator as part of the program. The campaign objective is to raise awareness throughout the region about water conservation. We will present the BC Landscape Water Calculator as a tool that anyone can use to design a water efficient irrigation system and landscape plan,” stated Glenn Harris.

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    FLASHBACK TO 2019: “We have moved beyond continuing education solely for the purpose of professional development. We are exploring what implementation of regional policy means on the ground,” stated Glenn Westendorp when he reflected on the collaborative framework for the Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series


    From 2008 onwards, Glenn Westendorp was an enthusiastic player in the CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island initiative as a member of the CAVI-Comox Valley Regional Team. In 2019, he retired from local government as Superintendent of Public Works with the Town of Comox. Upon retirement, and to recognize his sustained commitment to the Living Water Smart vision, the Partnership for Water Sustainability honoured Glenn Westendorp with Lifetime Member status for his help in demonstrating the benefits of the ‘regional team approach’ in the Comox Valley.

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    A 100-YEAR ACTION PLAN FOR URBAN WATERSHED RESTORATION: “The Bowker Creek Blueprint is about reclaiming ‘lost territory’ from damage caused as a result of our ‘collective indifference’ because we did not consider the values of urban streams important,” stated Eric Bonham in his keynote reflections at the Bowker Creek Forum (February 2010)


    “A number of principles apply to the Bowker experience. First, there is the necessity for partnerships and collaboration. Second is the importance of leadership – from the top down; and leadership from the bottom up. Third is a long-term vision, in particular the 100-year timeline. Most important of all is recognizing  the importance of community. This is what distinguishes the Bowker Blueprint from other projects. The Bowker Blueprint has been truly driven by the passion and vision from the community up,” stated Eric Bonham.

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    FLASHBACK TO 2011: “The award recognizes those who are leading the way and demonstrating overall commitment to water sustainability,” stated Daisy Foster when the BC Water & Waste Association honoured the ‘Comox Valley Regional Team’ with the Leadership in Water Sustainability Award


    The regional team approach is founded on partnerships and collaboration; and seeks to align actions at three scales – provincial, regional and local. The term ‘regional approach’ has been part our vocabulary for a generation or more, but it has never resonated the way ‘regional team approach’ resonated in the Comox Valley. “Leadership in water sustainability must be demonstrated in any or all of four areas that correspond to the four elements of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia,” stated Daisy Foster, (former) BCWWA Executive Director.

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    FLASHBACK TO 2008: Capacity-building program branded as the “Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series” – and implemented in the Comox and Cowichan valleys – was a demonstration application of how to build inter-departmental and inter-governmental alignment to achieve the vision for Living Water Smart, BC’s Water Plan


    Launch of the Living Water Smart outreach program commenced with a precedent-setting approach to capacity-building in the local government sector. “We are using the slogan The New Business As Usual to convey the message that, for change to really occur, practices that until now have been viewed as the exception must become the norm moving forward. We have to build regulatory models and develop models of practice and expertise to support The New Business As Usual,” stated Dale Wall, former Deputy Minister (Municipal Affairs) when he announced the Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series

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