Formal Rollout of "Beyond the Guidebook 2010" Commenced at the UBCM Annual Convention

Forging Gold Medal Standards for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration

The formal rollout of Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia commenced on September 27th at the 2010 annual convention of local governments, held in Whistler. The convention theme was Forging Gold Medal Standards in keeping with the Olympic spirit of the Whistler venue.

Glen Brown and Ray Fung represented the provincial and local government perspectives, respectively, in delivering an integrated presentation to a packed study session (180 attendees). They spoke on behalf of the “convening for action” partnership that is responsible for Beyond the Guidebook 2010, released under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.

To read a story posted on the Water Bucket website about their co-presentation, click on Forging Gold Medal Standards for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia.

REGIONAL TEAM APPROACH: "The philosophy behind the Action Plan is quite simple: bring local and regional stakeholders together where there is a desire and energy to make some form of change," explained Glen Brown when he elaborated on the 'regional team approach'.

"As we move forward with the Action Plan, it is making sure that we provide the people on the ground with the tools and resources that they need to help support action at the local level."

"A top-down approach does not work. It is all about being bottom-up... that is to say, the regional team approach. When a community shows interest or a desire to move something forward, that is when we mobilize. The Action Plan purpose is to engage, listen, understand and support the local interests in moving forward. That is where we have been successful."

 

To view a 3-minute video clip of Glen Brown elaborating on the 'regional team appoach', click here.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY: Beyond the Guidebook 2010 synthesized a set of ten guiding principles that provide a framework for a successful local government implementation process. Ray Fung spoke to these principles in his part of the integrated presentation.

"There are a lot of times when we in local government like to blame or put on senior governments the responsibility to provide the framework for doing something...but there are things that we in local government can do. We need to choose to be enabled," stated Ray Fung.

"So, what we mean by shared responsibility is that everyone has a role, and everyone can act.... all levels of government, developers, regulators, bureaucrats, consultants, planners, engineers.... we all have a role."

 

To view a 90-second video clip of Ray Fung speaking about Guiding Principle #9, Promote Shared Responsibility, click here.