Water-Centric Planning

LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “I think it is great that the Partnership for Water Sustainability is the keeper of the Georgia Basin Initiative legacy and that what we started in the 1990s continues,” stated Mike Harcourt, the former Premier of British Columbia whose leadership made possible the Georgia Basin Initiative during a critical period

November 12, 2024 - Posted in Living Water Smart in BC, Living Water Smart: The Series, published in 2024

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 November 12, 2024 featured Mike Harcourt. He was premier of British Columbia from 1991 until 1996. In the interview, he talked about the cross-border collaboration that was his bigger picture context for the Georgia Basin Initiative. In turn, the GBI provides relevant context for Metro Vancouver’s Livable Region Strategic Plan, deemed to be the region’s first regional growth strategy.

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER

“It was 2009 when I had the opportunity to get to know former premier Mike Harcourt. The opportunity arose when UBC’s Patrick Condon recruited us to be part of his Sustainability by Design Research Roundtable and I chaired the Water Group,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.

“SXD was a collaborative effort to produce a compelling representation of what the Metro Vancouver region might look like in 2050 at the neighbourhood, district, and region-wide scales. It is the only initiative of its kind.”

Nested layers – context for integrating perspectives to create livable communities

“For the past two years, I have been doing “story behind the story” interviews for the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation. With each interview, I gain more and more insight into the context surrounding my involvement in the critical first decade of the Georgia Basin Initiative (GBI).”

“When Mike Harcourt sent word to me that he was interested to chat about the history of the Georgia Basin Initiative, it opened the door to asking what inspired him to make the GBI a priority for his government. Our subsequent conversation was a revelation.”

Understand The Why

“Mike Harcourt talked about the cross-border collaboration that was his bigger picture context for the Georgia Basin Initiative. In turn, it provides context for Metro’s Livable Region Strategic Plan. This was deemed to be the region’s first regional growth strategy when Minister of Municipal Affairs Minister Darlene Marzari approved it in February 1996.”

“Cross-border collaboration, the George Basin Initiative and Livable Region Strategic Plan are nested layers for integrating planning, engineering and environmental perspectives to create livable communities! Cross-border collaboration in the 1990s with thought leaders in Washington State had a huge influence on my lived experience.”