Archive:

2015

“Nature is a fundamental component of a municipal infrastructure system,” says Emanuel Machado, Town of Gibsons Chief Administrative Officer


“The Town of Gibsons has developed and is implementing an Eco-Asset Strategy which recognizes the role of nature as a fundamental component of the municipal infrastructure system, leading to a greater understanding of the value of ecosystems services and improved financial and operational management plans of the community’s natural assets. At the heart of the Gibsons Eco-Asset Strategy is North America’s first natural asset policy, which directs the municipality to consider the role of natural assets within our overall asset management strategy. What gives life to the policy is the fact that, once the natural asset is within the policy, a budget must be set aside for its ongoing management and maintenance, and town staff must work together to preserve its integrity,” states Emanuel Machado.

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Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC celebrates 5th anniversary of incorporation on November 19, 2015


“The core strength of the Partnership for Water Sustainability, as the name suggests, has been the development of creative partnerships throughout BC and beyond that has included local and provincial government, the academic sector as well as the business sector, seeking through collaboration, common ground on water sustainability goals and practices,” states Eric Bonham in reflecting on what the Partnership has accomplished over the past 15 years, and in particular the last 5 years. “The Partnership has implemented a twin-strategy that enhances long term water sustainability goals realized through the implementation of practical tools that have been effectively demonstrated in communities throughout BC.”

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"Sustainable Watershed Systems, through Asset Management" introduced to regional district elected representatives in BC


“The ‘convening for action’ initiative is the best example of peer driven innovation that I have ever seen,” states Dale Wall, former Deputy Minister, BC Ministry of Community Development. “It has led to nothing less than a quiet revolution in how we approach the design and construction of human settlements in British Columbia. When I see an urban stream coming back to life or an innovative approach being taken to new infrastructure, I think of the networks of innovative professionals that not only stand behind this work but also continue to create positive change. I firmly believe that this ability to creatively innovate in support of sustainable practices will enable us to meet a host of future challenges.”

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BC guidance document now available for downloading…. "Sustainable Watershed Systems, through Asset Management"


Structured in four parts, ‘Beyond the Guidebook 2015’ is a progress report on how local governments on the east coast of Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland are ‘learning by doing’ to implement affordable and effective science-based practices to achieve Watershed Health, Resilient Rainwater Management and Sustainable Service Delivery. “This is superlative work (that word combines all of the other adjectives I could use).  It records so much in visual and conversational ways that everyone who reads it will see how changes are informed and guided towards collaborative action to achieve real results.  You have connected the dots enabling those who were part of the stories to see how they have contributed in so many meaningful ways for themselves and their communities of place and practice.  This is a true gift to everyone, individually and writ large,” states Erik Karlsen.

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“If a vision for food security is to be entrenched as the new business as usual by 2030…….we have a 5-year window to get the initial elements of restorative development right,” forecasts Bob Sandford


“We now realize that our current risk assessments with respect to climate disruption are built on confidence in relative hydrologic stability that no longer exists. This changes everything,” states Bob Sandford. An internationally respected ‘water champion’ and widely published author. “We had no idea until recently of how much influence the hydrological cycle has on our day to day lives or on the broader conditions that define the distribution and diversity of life on this planet. It has been very difficult even for experts to grasp the full extent of what the loss of relative hydrological stability means. Unfortunately the problems associated with the loss of relative hydrologic stability are not going away. Quite the opposite.”

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“Will there be sufficient fresh water in the Lower Fraser River for agriculture in the future?,” asks Ted van der Gulik, President of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC


“Context is everything. BC needs 215,000 hectares of irrigated agriculture to help feed our current population, an increase of 20% over what has access to irrigation today. Another revealing comparison is the amount of irrigated agricultural area within the Metro Vancouver region versus that in the Okanagan Valley: ~13,000 ha versus ~20,000 ha. The Fraser Valley can increase irrigated acreage to 35,000 ha with careful planning, a region where most of the vegetables would come from. From a food security perspective, these comparisons underscore the strategic value of agricultural land in the Fraser Valley,” states Ted van der Gulik.

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“If used properly as an adjective, the phrase ‘Sustainable Service Delivery’ makes sense,” says David Allen, City of Courtenay CAO, and Co-Chair of Asset Management BC


“The word ‘sustainable’ is an adjective, not a noun. Since it is not a ‘person, place or thing’, how could we achieve that which we cannot see, hear, smell, touch, build, buy or steal? The BC Framework defines Sustainable Service Delivery as a collection of practices that enables continuous delivery of current community services in a responsible manner that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable Service Delivery is the singular aim. Sound Asset Management practices prevent in-service failure of assets which consequently cause service delivery interruptions. Therefore, Asset Management is the means to achieve the aim,” stated David Allen.

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“By supporting our staff to become EOCP-recognized trainers and to deliver training at home and in nearby communities, we are making a very cost-effective investment in the City’s long-term human resource capacity for water utility excellence, while also meeting our regulatory requirements for continuing education,” stated Joe McGowan, Director of Public Works for the City of Cranbrook


When the water utility operators at the Village of Canal Flats heard about the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) training pilot project being led by Columbia Basin Water Smart and the Environmental Operators Certification Program (EOCP), they knew they had a perfect case study for testing the model: in May 2015, water utility staff from Canal Flats contacted Joe McGowan at the City of Cranbrook and requested peer-to-peer training support from Cranbrook utility personnel with expertise in Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) sewer camera operation.

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“The Cowichan Region is advancing processes and developing products that are the foundation for a future Water Sustainability Plan,” says Keith Lawrence, Senior Environmental Analyst (Engineering & Environmental Services Department), Cowichan Valley Regional District


Located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, the Cowichan region is an incubator for Water Balance approaches that can be replicated elsewhere in the Georgia Basin and beyond. “Recurring region-wide consequences of water-related challenges have also prompted regional action to develop governance structures and processes to make the connections between high-level decision making and actions on the ground. The Regional Surface and Ground Water Management and Governance Study identified co-governance with First Nations as a primary condition for success in managing regional water resources,” stated Keith Lawrence.

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“It is a key shared journey that watershed systems thinking and analysis must integrate water balance strategies with existing infrastructure strategies to visualise what a ‘resilient future’ would look like,” states Peter Coombes


“A history of top down management of water in Australia was challenged by drought. Concerned citizens called for implementation of bottom up strategies and inclusion in the decision making process. It was an emerging insight that there were no ‘silver bullet’ single solutions for water management. Both bottom-up and top-down approaches were needed. The local and small scale actions of citizens ensured that the majority of Australian cities did not exhaust urban water supplies. Citizens reduced water use by up to 50% using rainwater harvesting, water efficient appliances, reuse of greywater and changes in behaviour. The solutions dismissed as not viable helped save our cities,” states Peter Coombes.

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