MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE GAP: “The public continues to expect better and better service, but are less and less willing to pay. It’s a challenging place to be!” – Bill Sims, freshly retired General Manager of Engineering and Public Works
“Lately I have been reminding folks that in the 1970s, Canada saw an infrastructure funding boom – everyone built arenas, pools, sewers and water systems on 25 cent dollars. The problem is not aging infrastructure. The problem is the decades that we did not pay attention to it. This inattention created the infrastructure gap! No one thought about the need to replace, or maintain, all those pipes and buildings. And no one could have anticipated the dramatic escalation in replacement costs, now at 100% dollars. So, the infrastructure gap grows,” stated Bill Sims.
EVERY DECADE A DEFINING QUESTION IS THIS ONE: How will Southwest British Columbia absorb millions more people AND restore urban watershed health?
The Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation is a sweeping narrative. It brings to life an exciting period in local government “convening for action” history. The storyline weaves quotable quotes by those who were in the frontlines of the green infrastructure movement, and reveals their stories behind the story. “Our record of success during the 2006-2011 golden period was our springboard. The period 2012 through 2017 offered such promise, and then along came the pandemic. COVID set us back. Creating change is not easy,” stated Richard Boase.
OUT OF THE ASHES CAME THE GREEN ROOF INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK: Christine Thuring, co-founder of GRIN, explains how “Green Roof Champions” in British Columbia are bridging the knowledge gap to use green infrastructure for fire suppression and climate resilience
“In 2022, BCIT suspended green roof programming. The BCIT Centre for Architectural Ecology had consistently been a visible expression of BCIT’s commitment to sustainability. In the meantime, 5 new buildings have gone up on Burnaby campus, and not one has a green roof. Because green roofs no longer had a voice in BC, a group of us decided to do something about that. We created GRIN to advocate for green roofs in particular, and green infrastructure in general. This became my pivot. GRIN is one of my passion projects,” stated Dr. Christine Thuring.
RESILIENT REGION DESIGN CHARRETTE TACKLES NEW HOUSING LEGISLATION: “Regional livability is definitely on the table again. Everybody is thinking about the housing legislation now. Mayors are hearing from their constituents,” stated Patrick Condon, UBC professor emeritus and author of Broken City
“Society is a very complex organic instrument and it is not susceptible to very simple, dramatic solutions. And one mind is not capable of understanding that complex system. So, you need to bring together a lot of minds to even begin to understand the complex system. The charrette method is the crucible for actually getting disparate people at the table who understand, as designers, how to put the pieces together comprehensively in something that is visual. It is future casting in three dimensions,” stated Patrick Condon.
ASSET MANAGEMENT BC HOSTS “SAFE SPACE FORUM” FOR MUNICIPAL STAFF: “Maybe saying you do not have all the answers and asking for help, or saying that you have made mistakes, is a greater sign of strength than suggesting you are infallible.” – Gracelyn Day and Mike Matejka, co-chairs of the Asset Management BC Community-of-Practice
“Pain points. Safe space. Sharing stories of struggles. Turning problems into solutions. That was the mind map that framed how Arnold, Gracelyn and Mike approached their Asset Management BC sharing and learning forum last November. They share the story behind the story of why and how they came to organize the safe space forum. Local government people need a safe space to share their stories of struggle, they explain. Out of conversations come solutions to problems faced by everyone in local government,” states Kim Stephens.
SET THE GOAL, LEARN BY DOING, AND ADAPT TO CREATE LIVABLE COMMUNITIES: The context for action in the 2000s was the need to accommodate an extra million people by Year 2030 yet preserve regional livability
“Collaboration is essential. We also have to bring people together. If we find a common purpose that we are pursuing together, there really is nothing that we cannot accomplish,” stated former BC Premier Campbell in 2010. “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.”
WHEN PROVINCIAL BOLTS OUT OF THE BLUE IMPACT LOCAL AUTONOMY: “Housing should be about building homes that people can afford in communities that work,” stated Ken Cameron, regional planning thought leader in British Columbia
“We should be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater and be seduced by simplistic solutions. That is what I am trying to put on the record. There is a relationship between infrastructure services, open space, employment, etc. All those things are supposed to be brought together in plans and reflected in development decisions. And they are not anymore. I want to do what I can to help the current generation of decision makers understand what it is about regional planning that has got us to this point, both the good things and the bad,” stated Ken Cameron.
WHEN WE ARE PART OF A NETWORK, EVERYONE GOES FURTHER: “In these busy times, there is tremendous value in networks to help solve problems together. We are all yearning for cooperation that will help buttress this wobbly world,” stated Rémi Dubé, moderator for the Ambassadors of the Partnership Forum, and former senior manager in local government
“The January 29 2026 Ambassadors of the Partnership Forum will be remembered as the launchpad for the future of the Partnership,” stated Rémi Dubé when he reflected on what was accomplished in bringing together alumni and current local government staff to share stories and learn from each other. “Round table discussions clearly demonstrated a desire for collaboration in finding solutions to today’s challenges. The forum was an inter-regional gathering with folks from Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Okanagan and East Kootenays.”
LOCAL GOVERNMENT STAFF CONVENE FOR ACTION AT PARTNERSHIP FORUM: “A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead,” wrote Graham Greene, recognized as one of the great novelists of the 20th century
Stories that help us understand historical context and policy frameworks also point the way forward to help us find effective solutions for contemporary problems. Stories that share deep knowledge serve as a “narrative scan” of the past, transforming abstract experiences into practical wisdom for current challenges. By structuring complex information into relatable narratives, these stories help individuals and organizations identify patterns, build empathy, develop effective problem-solving strategies, and engage both the logical and emotional centers of the brain.
FALL 2025 SEASON IN REVIEW: “Never has storytelling been more important than it is today. And that is because deep knowledge is being lost at an alarming rate,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Executive Director, Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia
“We learn through stories. This is how we pass on our oral history. Storytelling is the way we share intergenerational knowledge, experience and wisdom. This is why each and every edition of Waterbucket eNews is built around a conversational interview. Waterbucket eNews stories celebrate the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. We start with a compelling quotable quote and delve into the story behind the story because that is what is interesting and relevant,” stated Kim Stephens.