Water-Centric Planning

LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Engaging citizen lake stewards throughout the province would extend the ability of government, as we face climate change,” says Eric Bonham, a director of the BC Lake Stewardship Society

October 24, 2023 - Posted in Living Water Smart in BC, Living Water Smart: The Series, published in 2023

Note to Reader:

Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on October 24, 2023 featured Eric Bonham and his story behind the story of the creation of the BC Lake Stewardship Society (BCLSS) in 1997 by Ministry of Environment colleagues Rick Nordin and Ken Ashley.

A community response to climate change is a call for all hands on-deck

“Eric Bonham has long been a source of inspiration for me. When we first met in the 1990s, I was instantly impressed by Eric’s courage to speak from the heart and tell it like it is,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.

“We served together on the provincial working group that developed A Water Conservation Strategy for British Columbia, released in 1998. Eric was ahead of his time with his advocacy for a “One Water” approach at a time when the notion of water conservation was in its infancy.

Eric Bonham retired from government in 2004, but his mission and commitment to community stewardship and engagement has continued in collaboration with Rick Nordin, Ken Ashley and many others. He frames this as Mission Possible. The term aptly describes the “story behind the story” of the BC Lake Stewardship Society as told by Eric Bonham.

“Mission Possible” is a call to action

In 2006, Eric Bonham was a founding member of CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, an initiative of the Partnership for Water Sustainability. Educational in scope, the CAVI program was built around peer-based learning.

A credible formula:

Eric would open these capacity-building sessions for local government staff with a spirited call to action built around the Mission Possible theme. Drawing on his experience, both as civil servant and community steward, he would state that:

“Major breakthroughs happen when decision-makers in government work with grass-roots visionaries in the community to create the future desired by all. Collaboration grows from a shared vision about the future and commitment to action. This is the ‘top down and bottom up’ approach.”

TO LEARN MORE:

To read the complete story, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Our land ethic has consequences for water. The downloadable version includes a Bonus Feature – the guest essay by Eric Bonham!