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Living Water Smart: The Series

LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Blue Ecology reinforces the attitude change that is necessary to support widespread use of tools and resources that help local governments design with nature,” stated Richard Boase, career environmental champion within local government


“Think of Blue Ecology as a compass in terms of how it relates to a water-first approach to Water Reconciliation between cultures. The compass points the way forward and to success. Because of the diversity in backgrounds, skills and experiences that we have in the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, we are positioned to take what Michael Blackstock has created with the Blue Ecology framework and make it actionable in the local government sector,” stated Richard Boase.

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LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “The more you can build buzz around your work and get people energized, the more feasible it becomes. Success breeds success,” stated Dr. Jane Wei-Skillern of the University of California at Berkeley


“I was teaching an MBA elective on social entrepreneurship, was doing some case writing, and came across Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Geraldine Peacock, the CEO, did all of these counter-intuitive things in order to get her organization’s impact bigger. But it was by decreasing their own organizational footprint, investing in their peers and former competitors, and focusing more narrowly on their core business, that enabled them to leverage their resources more broadly and create greater and more sustainable impact in the entire field,” stated Jane Wei-Skillern.

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LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “How you adapt to change is that you develop a culture where you welcome, and you try and anticipate, what a future state might be like. And then be nimble enough to adapt and adjust yourself to it,” stated Ramin Seifi, former General Manager of engineering and planning with Langley Township in the Metro Vancouver region


“In my conversations with current and former senior level municipal staff around the Metro Vancouver region, there is a sense among them that the current generation of politicians appears more interested in appeasing a few people who are outspoken, as opposed to listening to the advice of their professional staff. More than ever, we need STRONGER CHAMPIONS and people who believe in what they are doing at heart. When I reflect on my time with Langley Township, I hope my lasting contribution is the confidence that I instilled in people to not be afraid of trying something and being a champion for it,” stated Ramin Seifi.

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LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “When we keep it simple, practical and implementable, we achieve a lot more than when we make things complex. Make this your north star. It will get you over the finish line to deliver a strategy, plan or program,” stated Melony Burton, Manager of Infrastructure Planning with the City of Port Coquitlam in Metro Vancouver


“The purpose of the Metro Vancouver region’s Adaptive Management Framework is to measure watershed health. How well are your watershed plans working? We kept it simple, practical and implementable for a reason,” stated Melony Burton. “You are not going to measure everything every five years because it is unaffordable when you have multiple watersheds or limited resources. If you were to go back every five years and check, could you see your watershed health improving? How many of your recommendations have you implemented? ARE THEY WORKING?”

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LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Think of Blue Ecology as a compass in terms of how it relates to a water-first approach. We are on a journey. The compass points the way forward,” stated Tim Pringle, a founding director and Past-President of the Partnership for Water Sustainability


“Streams need a place to be. If we cannot get our heads around that, we are not going to keep our streams. EAP provides a value picture of a stream system as a land use. Because nature is a system, you cannot slice and dice it. EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, recognizes this and is a financial tool to give streams the support they need to survive in the local government setting. How are Blue Ecology and EAP interconnected? My answer is that Blue Ecology emphasizes the social perspective for protecting watersheds and streams. EAP shows how to achieve that outcome with a financial tool,” stated Tim Pringle.

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LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “We proceeded on three parallel tracks and established relationships with a new generation of provincial decisionmakers and staff,” stated Ted van der Gulik, President of the Partnership for Water Sustainability (January 2024)


“The Partnership is the engine for a network in the local government setting. Our mission is intergenerational. This means we are striving to bridge the gap in understanding; and we are doing what we can to help governments overcome organizational amnesia. The clock is ticking, and we are working hard to shape this outcome: what the Partnership and associated network will look like after the Year 2025. In 2023, we exceeded our own expectations. We are ahead of schedule in moving forward with the strategy for network continuity,” stated Ted van der Gulik.

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LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “When a new generation of advisors lacks the deep background and experience to comprehend what numbers really mean, how can we expect elected representatives to make informed decisions?” stated Kim Stephens, Executive Director with the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC


“As I reflect on the planning and operational implications of these interconnected issues, I am reminded of what the late Dr. Wesley Eckenfelder, a legendary professor from Vanderbilt University, told my engineering class when he was a guest lecturer for a week-long course at UBC,” stated Kim Stephens. “He said what are the numbers telling you? Understand the context. What are the assumptions? Look for the pattern. Ask the right questions! Wesley Eckenfelder’s words of wisdom have influenced my career as a professional engineer involved in policy and planning.”

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LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “We all learn through stories. Every edition of Waterbucket eNews is built around a conversational interview,” stated Kim Stephens, Executive Director, Partnership for Water Sustainability


“In these challenging times, it is imperative that we offer hope. Sharing stories of people’s experiences is valuable for inspiring others. Each week, we start with a compelling quotable quote and delve into the story behind the story. During the past 3-month period, the Partnership has published 11 feature stories. This edition constitutes our “season in review”. We have kept it simple. To refresh reader memories about the topics and how much ground we have covered, we have brought forward the headline plus defining quotable quote from each of the 11 storylines,” stated Kim Stephens.

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LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “The Bowker Creek Initiative is a network. It is a true community-driven collaboration made up of people with a lot of heart, grit, commitment, and dedication. They are dedicated to achieving the Bowker Blueprint vision,” stated Jody Watson, Supervisor of Environmental Initiatives with the Capital Regional District


The 100-Year Action Plan for bringing Bowker Creek back to life will be achieved through an intergenerational commitment to a shared vision. Key words that capture the essence of the Bowker story are perseverance, dedication, and TIME in capitals. Changes do not happen overnight. It is a journey and journeys take decades. “That is what makes the Bowker Creek Initiative the best. We are watching it implement organically and operationally, unlike how it was 10 years ago when we were always banging at doors and saying don’t forget about the creek,” stated Jody Watson.

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LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Without the Agricultural Land Reserve and watercourses, the city of Surrey would feel different. It would not be the place that it is,” stated Rémi Dubé when he reflected on the evolution of rainwater management and green infrastructure over decades


“Watercourses really do drive a lot of what we do in Surrey. It always goes back to the natural resource that we inherited. From an urban fabric perspective, between the Agricultural Land Reserve and our watercourses, the city would be quite a bit different if not for them. Between those two assets, you drive through Surrey and there is an environmental sense to it despite the density in the City Centre. When the Natural Drainage Policy was adopted in 1975, formalizing that need to preserve creeks in the 1970s made a huge difference to what we have now,” stated Rémi Dubé.

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