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The Surrey Forum is a first step in advancing a regional team approach to rainwater management and green infrastructure that will align local actions in Metro Vancouver with provincial goals as stated in Living Water Smart, BC’s Water Plan. “We are adapting the experience gained and the lessons learned from the Vancouver Island pilot program. We envision that the Surrey Forum will be a transformational event and a catalyst for action ,” stated Raymond Fung.

“When we met with elected representatives in July 2008 to present our assessment of the Metro Vancouver’s strategy document, we endorsed the proposed Goals, Strategies and Action Strategies…and with suggestions to make it stronger. At that time we also challenged Metro Vancouver to provide visionary leadership, focusing on protecting the marine environmetn and recovering resources from our waste. In meeting with REAC we wanted to challenge them to show leadership as well,” stated Christianne Wilhelmson.

“This long awaited Plan is the latest stage in a history of efforts to reform BC‟s water laws over the past 15 years. This comment from the UBC Program on Water Governance is an initial reaction to the Plan, and points out crucial issues that deserve more in-depth exploration through a thorough public consultation,” stated Linda Nowlan. In her June 2008 commentary, she pointed out crucial issues that deserve more in-depth exploration through a thorough public consultation.

“The Green Communities Initiative encompasses plans and strategies that provide direction as to where the Province of British Columbia wants to go in terms of adapting to climate change and reducing impact on the environment,” stated Dale Wall, Deputy Minister.

At the first in the 2008 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series, held in September 2008, Catriona Weidman Development elaborated on the Province’s guiding philosophy for doing business differently. Grant programs will leverage change through a combination of eligibility and assessment criteria. “We all work with rules. What we really want to do is change some of the rules, to create the kind of communities that we desire. We are using infrastructure funding to encourage the right type of projects,” stated Catriona Weidman.

The purpose of the Collaborative Watershed Governance Initiative is to establish and implement a framework for collaborative watershed governance in BC. The result would be a shift toward ecosystem managementi in BC based on watersheds, using advanced governance arrangements and more local decision-making.

“I created the graphic several years ago for a meeting with the Board of the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District about the water sustainability component of their Regional Growth Strategy. I knew that if I did not have their attention on the first slide, I would not have their attention on the second,” stated Kim Stephens.

The design process outlined by Vic Derman does not differ greatly from traditional approaches with one exception. “The usual approach is to acquire land, decide what will be placed on it, then go about making it sustainable as possible. The layered approach effectively turns this upside down. Rather than being ‘fitted into the project’ after key decisions have been made, elements such as sustainability, amenity and social equity become the drivers of development outcomes,” stated Vic Derman.

“The goal of the series is to inform and educate local government practitioners. By spreading the curriculum over three sessions, this enabled participants to take in new information, reflect on it, blend it with their own experience, test it, and eventually apply it in making decisions,” stated Kim Stephens. At the final seminar, he re-capped the first two seminars, reinforced the provincial context for the series, and reviewed the learning outcomes.

“The June 2008 release of Living Water Smart provided a timely provincial frame-of-reference for the Learning Lunch Series. The City collaborated with the CAVI team to explore a bottom-up approach that would inform implementation of Living Water Smart. Our goal was to demonstrate how we can all do business differently and thereby make green choices that create liveable communities and protect stream health,” stated Kevi Lagan.