LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: Barry Janyk, former 4-term mayor of Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast, had a vision for what a community is and what makes the community a great place to live –– that set him apart from most mayors and most municipal elected officials
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 January 28, 2025 celebrated the contributions of the late Barry Janyk (1952-2024), former 4-term mayor of the Town of Gibsons.
He was outspoken, funny and fearless in following his passions and advocating for the causes he believed in. One of those causes was “Smart Development”. Because he believed in doing the right thing, he played a leadership role in setting the green infrastructure movement in motion a generation ago. He was an influencer in a profound and public way.
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER
“Zooming out to view the past three decades as a whole, the period 1997 through 2005 was the crucible for the golden period that followed from 2006 through 2011. This is our context for remembering Barry Janyk, a true political champion for smart development,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“The crucible era is bracketed by the passage of the Fish Protection Act in 1997 and the Green Infrastructure Consultation Workshop held in May 2005. These were literally watershed moments.”
“A large cast of characters was involved. We were venturing into uncharted territory, and that meant taking leaps of faith and calculated risks that we were heading in the right direction. We pushed the boundaries of knowledge and experience. We learned together.”
Smart Development founded on an ecosystem-based approach was a movement
“The cast of players during the period 1997 through 2005 was large indeed. There was passion, there was commitment, and most of all there was a can-do attitude. It was a movement,” continues Kim Stephens.
“Drawing on my firsthand knowledge and experience in working closely with so many during this period, I view the roster of players in term of three tiers of champions. Keep in mind that my perspective is the convening for action lens.”
Who are the Tier One champions?

“The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. That expression captures the collective contribution of the group of seven. Their individual orbits intersected, overlapped and aligned in ways that powered a movement that was inspired by the greater good.”
“Each individual in the group of Tier One champions rose to the moment in ways that were complementary. They provided leadership within their individual spheres of influence. When the smoke cleared, the collective impact of their contributions was transformational,” concludes Kim Stephens.
To learn more about those who were influencers in a profound and public way, click on Tier One Champions for implementing an Ecosystem-based Approach in British Columbia. This is an extract from the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver from 1994 through 2024.
To Learn More:
To read the complete story, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Remembering Barry Janyk, political champion for Smart Development.