Towards Watershed Sustainability: City of Surrey experience is informing the ’Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative’
City of Surrey is a ‘Champion Supporter’ of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC
The Champion Supporter designation recognizes government and non-government organizations that are playing a leadership role in the ‘Convening for Action in British Columbia’ initiative. Last week, the presentation of a framed “letter of recognition” to Surrey City Council provided the opportunity to reflect on the historical and provincial significance of successive transformational events hosted by the City over the past decade.
“The Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC is pleased to recognize the City of Surrey as a Champion Supporter,” states Tim Pringle, Partnership President. “The City of Surrey’s long-term commitment is helping the Partnership advance the vision for achieving watershed sustainability through implementation of green infrastructure policies and practices.”
“Once we know what we want our watersheds and neighbourhoods to look like, the next step is to decide what the tools are that will get us there,” states Vincent Lalonde, General Manager of the Engineering Department for the City of Surrey. “All of us ….whether we are regulators, developers or designers ….need to understand and care about the goal if we are to create the future that we all want.”
“Surrey hosted the 2009 Metro Vancouver Water Balance Model Forum because we wanted to start a dialogue in this region between policy-makers and project implementers. We approached the program design from a shared responsibility perspective. We explored how policy and legal tools can help developers, regulators and designers collaborate to ensure responsible outcomes.”
“Surrey case studies are foundation pieces for evolution of provincial approaches and tools. Surrey experience is currently informing the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative. Collaboration will help everyone go farther, more efficiently and effectively, to restore and protect watershed health,” concludes Tim Pringle.
To Learn More:
To read the complete story about what the City of Surrey has done over a period of many years to earn recognition as a Champion Supporter, click on Getting Green Infrastructure “Built Right”: Moving Beyond Pilot Projects to a Broader Watersheds Objectives Approach.
