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When Premier Gordon Campbell penned this lynchpin objective for Living Water Smart, it became the Partnership focus for outreach and peer-based learning. “Look long term. Think about what is best for the future. Not for you, but for those who will follow you. Think about how we can create a better environment that others can live in and benefit from. We get to make our own choices. We get to make our own future. We just have to have the vision to imagine, and the tenacity to pursue it. Collaboration is essential. We also have to bring people together,” he stated.

“When I was on the faculty at the Harvard Business School, I began my research into the concept of a networked approach that is more focused on network-building and trust-based relationships, and less about building an organization to get to your mission impact. People learn from and are inspired by stories. Work is easier, more effective and more fun when people collaborate. The big idea is to try and seed a culture change and shift in climate-conservation work to one that really values the power of relationships and networks,” explained Jane Wei-Skillern.

Developing and crafting the Water Sustainability Act was a difficult and challenging job, as there are many views on water. Provincial staff consulted far and wide. The end result is legislation that had broad-based support. There are many water management issues that need to be resolved and the Act established a process that can address many of them. “A decade later, some people have qualms and issues with the Water Sustainability Act. Quite often they are minor things. It is easy to throw darts when you don’t know what you don’t know. That is what I see happening,” stated Ted van der Gulik.

“We are adapting asset management to a changing world. One of the big priorities for me this year is to just start bringing Asset Management back to reality. To say, we are all facing the same struggles. Let’s talk about what those struggles are, instead of just believing that we have the solution to it. The theme that I am now promoting is this, just tell us your story because people can learn from stories. It does not have to be perfect. We know it is not perfect. But do not be afraid to tell the story. Passing on knowledge really is about the stories,” stated Arnold Schwabe.

Percy McGauhey was an early proponent of an interdisciplinary approach for making better decisions. Buried in his textbook published in 1968 is this gem: “Ideally, the alternatives on which a final political decision is made in the field of water resources management should come from a team of experts from the several disciplines concerned. Historically, however, no such team has been utilized.” His hierarchy of decision making was the source of inspiration for the Partnership for Water Sustainability’s cascading approach to outreach and continuing education in the 2000s.

“The edition of Waterbucket eNews published on October 21, 2025 is about profiles in courage. It featured two individuals: former BC cabinet minister Mike Morris; and University of British Columbia professor Dr. Younes Alila. The story behind the story is about how they have aligned efforts to build awareness of Dr. Alila’s Flood Risk Methodology for flood protection. Their compelling message is that removal of forest cover, whether in rural or urban watersheds, increases the frequency, magnitude, duration and liability of floods,” stated Kim Stephens.

“It took us eight years to get Kelowna’s first Water Security Plan across the finish line. We define our responsibilities within this plan. We looked through a One Water lens to address community needs and responsibilities. Our community must be consistent in its response and actions. First Nations, other communities, we all share the lake. But not all have the resources we have at the City of Kelowna. We felt it important to lead by example. We have accomplished something special. I see it. Others see it. This plan is critical for the growth of the city,” stated Rod MacLean.

Christina Gemino breaks new ground with her master’s thesis titled “The Silent Death of Agriculture in Metro Vancouver”. Using data from the provincial Agricultural Land Inventory (ALI) program, she draws attention to the consequential impacts of non-sanctioned (aka illegal) changes in how agricultural land is used and abused. “The non-sanctioned expansion of industrial use on agricultural land was a factor that drove my research. This can mean a lot of things. These uses can forever change the agricultural land base,” stated Christina Gemino.

“I have always believed that BC has perhaps the world’s finest wild river heritage. We have amazing waterways in our province. I have long written articles for academic and technical audiences. After I wrote my first children’s book, I began to wonder whether I could write a book that would introduce the allure and magic of rivers to a broader audience that perhaps I had not reached before. The reason for publishing my book River Magic in 2025 is that it is in concert with the 20th anniversary of World Rivers Day which was inspired by BC Rivers Day,” explained Mark Angelo.

The Partnership embarked on a multi-year transition strategy in 2023. The strategy is designed to achieve two outcomes in sequence. The Partnership continues to add to the leadership team; has crafted what the Partnership and network would look like after 2025; and recognized and acted on the need to accelerate the strategy to put in place leadership for 2028 and beyond. To achieve our intergenerational mission through the network, the Partnership launched the Ambassadors Program in 2021. The ambassadors are the bridges across boundaries.