2007 Green Infrastructure Leadership Forum organized under the umbrella of Water Sustainability Action Plan
Advancing a new way-of-thinking
The Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities (AVICC), which represents local government on Vancouver Island, and Convening for Action on Vancouver Island (CAVI) co-hosted a Green Infrastructure Leadership Forum in Nanaimo on December 3, 2007.
The goal in holding the Leadership Forum was to start a conversation that will lead to an Island-wide dialogue around achieving settlement change in balance with ecology.
The Forum was structured in two parts. In the morning, there was a celebration of on-the-ground successes. This prepared participants for a brainstorming session in the afternoon. Breakout groups discussed how regional growth strategies and official community plans could be aligned with a new way of doing business on Vancouver Island.
The focus of the brainstorming session was on this question: Through implementation of infrastructure policies and practices that reflect a Design with Nature guiding philosophy, what could Vancouver Island and coastal communities look like in 50 years?
Local government controls land use
“If we are to control our destiny, then we need to challenge Vancouver Islanders to 
visualize what they want this place to look like in 50 years and get on with creating our future,” stated Rod Sherrell, AVICC President and Chair of the Mount Waddington Regional District. “We can create our future because local government controls land use.”
To learn more about the Forum program design and desired outcomes, click on Creating Our Future on Vancouver Island – Green Infrastructure Leadership Forum advances a new way-of-thinking.
To download a summary report on the day, click on Creating our Future: Initiating a Dialogue about A Positive Settlement Strategy for Vancouver Island & Coastal Communities.
Posted January 2010