Cultivating SustainABLE Communities through Communication and Collaboration

2010 BSC Conference Highlights


The Fresh Outlook Foundation hosted its 4th Building SustainAble Communities (BSC) conference from November 15th to 18th in Kelowna, BC at the Delta Grand Resort. The conference drew 500 speakers and delegates from more than 80 communities throughout Canada and the U.S. This compares with 450 speakers and delegates from 71 communities in 2009.
 
Speakers and delegates represented a wide range of organizations from the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors, and from the general public. The conference program, available here, featured a huge range of social, cultural, environmental, and economic topics. To see many of the excellent presentations given over the three-and-a-half days, click the tabs above.
 
Measurable BSC Outcomes
 
The Fresh Outlook Foundation uses community-based social marketing to help build sustainable communities. Conference success, therefore, can only be measured in terms of tangible behavior change. As indicated by the following evaluation results (based on almost 100 delegate responses), conference attendees noted actual behavior change and commitment to future change based on their conference experience(s):

  • 83% of survey respondents who attended BSC in 2006, 2007, and/or 2009 have introduced new plans, policies, programs, projects, or partnerships AT WORK as a result of what they learned and/or who they met at the conference(s)
  • 82% of respondents who attended BSC in 2006, 2007, and/or 2009 have adopted new behaviours AT HOME as a result of what they learned and/or who they met at the conference(s)
  • 62% of respondents who attended BSC in 2006, 2007, and/or 2009 have adopted new behaviours AT PLAY as a result of what they learned and/or who they met at the conference(s)
  • More than 80% of respondents indicated they are likely to adopt more sustainable behaviors at home, work, and play as a result of what they learned and/or who they met at the recent conference
  • More than 90% of local government representatives who responded indicated they are likely to move toward more sustainable plans, policies, procedures, programs, projects, and partnerships as a result of what they learned and/or who they met at the recent conference.

Please click here for the entire conference evaluation.
 


Presentations from Monday, November 15th, 2010

Moving(Happily!) From Sustainability Planning to Implementation
Kim Flick & Kevin Poole, City of Vernon. Presentation.

What is Sustainability Planning?
Mike Stolte - Executive Director, Centre for Innovative & Entrepreneurial Leadership. Presentation.

The Link Between Virtual Water & Food Security
Dr. Hans Schreier - Professor, University of British Columbia. Presentation.

 


Presentations from Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Is Green the New Black?
Dr. Adrian Parr - University of Cincinnati, Author of Hijacking Sustainability. Presentation.

Reaping the Benefits of Municipal Investments in Biodiversity
Dr. Michael Healey - Professor Emeritus, UBC. Presentation.

POLLUTION PREVENTION & MITIGATION

Water Pollution in BC: An Overview
Dr. Hans Schreier - UBC. Presentation.

Provincial Pollution Prevention & Mitigation Commitments
Alan McCammon - Manager, Remediation Assurance & Brownfields, Land Remediation BC Ministry of Environment. Presentation.

Is Your Hospital Making You Sick? The Environmental Impact of Healthcare
Aura Rose - President, Healthwise Communications. Presentation.

Radon Gas: Speaking Out About the Silent Killer
Greg Baytalan - Air Quality Specialist, Interior Health. Presentation.

The Solution to Pollution is Not Absolution
John Werring - Aquatic Habitat Specialist, David Suzuki Foundation. Presentation.

Innovative Biowaste & Biogas Treatment Technologies
Dr. Cigdem Eskicioglu - Assistant Professor, UBC-Okanagan. Presentation.

The Pale Veil: Urban Lighting with Less Environmental Impact
Robert Dick - Chair, Light Pollution Abatement Committee The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Presentation.

GREEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Developing the Green Urban Economy
John Tylee - Director of Policy & Communications, Vancouver Economic Development Commission. Presentation.

Provincial Green Economic Development Strategies
Chris Gilmore - Director of Economic Initiatives in the Competitiveness, Economics and Policy Division, Ministry of Finance. Presentation.

Don’t Get Green Washed, Get Green Certified!
Dale Bonke - Environmental Consultant, P.Ag. Evergreen Environmental Solutions and Institute for Green Business Certification. Presentation.

The Future of Green Industrial Design
Adrian van Wijk - President, JDi Designs. Presentation.

Climate Justice: Green Jobs and The State of Industrial Policy In BC
Dr. Kenneth Carlaw Professor - UBC-Okanagan. Presentation.

Using Green Energy to Build Sustainable Economies in Rural BC
Norm Connelly - Executive Director, Community Energy Association. Presentation.

BC’s Carbon Offset Opportunity: Making Green Projects Happen
Thomas Kineshanko - CEO, Habitat Enterprises. Presentation.

STATE OF DEBATE: Tar Sands Oil Production in Alberta

  • Janet Annesley - Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.
  • Will Horter, Executive Director, Dogwood Initiative. Presentation.

BIOMIMICRY: Using Nature’s Secrets to Build Sustainable Economies
Marie Zanowick - Environmental Engineer, Certified Biomimicry Professional EPA Pollution Prevention Team. Presentation.

PANELS FOR POLLUTION PREVENTION & MITIGATION
Exploring Municipal Pesticide Bylaws

  • Jerilynn Maki (Moderator) - Health Promotion Coordinator, Canadian Cancer Society – BC and Yukon. Presentation.
  • Warren Bell - Family Physician Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Presentation.
  • Nicolette Richer - Environmental Coordinator, Resort Municipality of Whistler. Presentation.
  • Dr. Paul Hasselback - Medical Health Officer, Interior Health. Presentation.

Getting Dirt on Brownfield Renewal

  • Tami Fur (Moderator) - Ministry of Agriculture & Lands. Presentation.
  • Alan McCammon - Manager, Remediation Assurance & Brownfields, Land Remediation BC Ministry of Environment. Presentation.
  • Dr. David Scott - Associate Professor & FRBC Watershed Research Chair, UBC-Okanagan. Presentation.
  • Tim McLeod - Tranquille on the Lake. Presentation.

Emerging Technologies for Pollution Prevention & Mitigation

  • John Christie (Moderator) - Executive Director, Okanagan Science & Technology Council. Presentation.
  • Robert McAllister - Enertopia Corporation. Presentation.
  • Curt Kerns - President, Wetlands Pacific Corp. Presentation.
  • Jacqueline Foley - Associate & Senior Hydrogeologist, Golder Associates. Presentation.

PANELS FOR GREEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Building a Green Economy

  • Robert Fine (Moderator) - Director, Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission.
  • Dr. Nicole Vaugeois - BC Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development Vancouver Island University. Presentation.
  • Andrew Moore - Program Manager T`Sou-ke Centre for Sustainable Living. Presentation.
  • Dan wilson - Community Sustainability Planner Whistler Centre for Sustainability.

Forging Green Economies With & For First Nations

  • Geoff Greenwell (Moderator) - Senior Partner, 2G Consulting Group. Presentation.
  • Nene Kraneveldt - Tseshaht First Nation. Presentation.
  • Donnella Sellars - Program Coordinator, Smart Planning for Communities. Presentation.
  • Wes Shennan - Indian & Northern Affairs Canada. Presentation.

Leading the Transformation to a Green Economy
Bob Willard - International Speaker & Author, The Sustainability Advantage. Presentation.


Presentations from Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Future-Proofing: Oxymoron & Opportunity
Dr. Bill Rees Professor - Professor, Author and Speaker UBC School of Community & Regional Planning. Presentation.

SustainAble Cities by 2050: Rigorous Targets and Real Performance
Mark Holland - Principal, HB Lanarc Consultants. Presentation.

Keynote
Terry Tamminen Author, Speaker and Climate Advisor Seventh Generation Advisors.

Operationalizing & Financing the Resilient Community
Randy Cleveland Director, Infrastructure Planning & Asset Management City of Kelowna. Presentation.

Visualizing Low-Carbon, Attractive, Resilient Communities
Dr. Stephen Sheppard Professor, Director of Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP), UBC. Presentation.

Talking DIRTy X10,000: The Making of a Behaviour-Change Movement
Joanne de Vries Founder & CEO, Fresh Outlook Foundation / Principal, Alliance Communications. Presentation.

Linking Sustainability and the Social Economy Through Food

  • Dr. Sean Connelly Postdoctoral Fellow, BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance
  • Mark Holland Principal, HB Lanarc Consultants Presentation.

The Regional Adaptation Collaborative: Reducing Climate Vulnerability
Jim Vanderwal - Senior Manager, Fraser Basin Council. Presentation.

Collaborating with Energy Utilities for Community Energy Solutions
John Turner, Director, Energy Solutions, Terasen Gas. Presentation.

Growing Beyond Food Security to Community Resilience

  • Bob McCoubrey (Moderator) - McCoubrey Farms & Former Mayor of Lake Country.
  • Arzeena Hamir - Coordinator Richmond Food Security Society. Presentation.
  • Dr. Kent Mullinix - Director, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, Kwantlan Polytechnic University. Presentation.
  • Curtis Stone - Urban Farmer / Food Activist, Green City Acres. Presentation.

Moving the Wheels of Active Transportation

  • Dr. Gord Lovegrove (Moderator) - Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, UBC-Okanagan.
  • David Cubberley - Active Transportation Consultant, Momentum Consulting. Presentation.
  • John Luton - Victoria City Councilor / Executive Director, Capital Bike & Walk Society. Presentation.
  • Mandy Johnson - Canada Walks, Green Communities Canada. Presentation.

Understanding Social Sustainability Challenges in BC

  • Lorraine Copas (Moderator) - Executive Director, Social Planning & Research Council of BC.
  • Mabel Jean Rawlins - Coach, Vibrant Communities Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement. Presentation.
  • Michael Clague - Director, Fraser Basin Council. Presentation.
  • Dena-Kae Beno - Principal, Vista Planning. Presentation.

Getting Charged About District Energy & Heating

  • Dale Littlejohn (Moderator) - Senior Manager of Advisory Services, Community Energy Association. Presentation.
  • Mark Watt - Strategic Projects Manager, City of Kelowna. Presentation.
  • Dr. David Johnson - President, Revelstoke Community Energy Corporation. Presentation.
  • Roger Prosser - Dalkia Canada Inc. Presentation.

Planning the Future Through the Lens of the Past

  • Berdine Jonker (Moderator) - Acting Senior Heritage Planner, Heritage Branch, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts.
  • Ken Newman - Community Planner, Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine. Presentation.
  • Lisa Zosiak - Urban Planner, District of Maple Ridge. Presentation.
  • Patrick Frey - Former Director of the BC Heritage Branch.

Presentations from Thursday, November 18th, 2010

Great Expectations: What Canadians Want in Their Communities
Dr. Reginald Bibby - Professor, Board of Governors Research Chair, Department of Sociology University of Lethbridge.

The Spiritual Piece of the SustainAbility Puzzle
Dr. Reginald Bibby - Professor, Board of Governors Research Chair, Department of Sociology University of Lethbridge.

Urban Magnets & Precincts: Strategies for Downtown Revitalization
Mark Holland - Principal, LB Lanarc Consultants. Presentation.

Water Governance Reform Options & Opportunities
Deborah Curran - Principal, Deborah Curran & Company / Environmental Law Centre, University of Victoria. Presentation.

Profiting From Low-Carbon Economic Development Zones and Policies
Angela Reid - Kelowna City Councilor & GreenStep Sustainability Coaching. Presentation.

Biophilia: Exploring the Instinctive Bond Between People & Living Systems
John Buchko - Urban Systems. Presentation.

Meeting Climate Action Goals: Community Successes

  • Peter Robinson (Moderator) - Community Energy Planner, Community Energy Association. Presentation.
  • Dave Smith - Director of Planning and Development Services, District of Peachland. Presentation.
  • Mike Brotherston - Manager of Climate Action and Environment, The Corporation of Delta. Presentation.
  • Jack Allingham - Utility Manager, District of Lake Country. Presentation.

Envisioning New Approaches to Health Care

  • Jan Enns (Moderator) - Jan Enns Communications
  • Dr. Eric Kuelker - Mental Health Pros. Presentation.
  • Betty Brown - Population Health Facilitator, Interior Health. Presentation.
  • Dr. Garrett Swetlikoff - Kelowna Naturopathic Clinic / BC Naturopathic Association.

Zeroing in on Waste Reduction Success

  • Brock Macdonald (Moderator) - Executive Director, Recycling Council of BC.
  • Greg Moore - Mayor, City of Port Coquitlam. Presentation.
  • Carey McIver - Manager of Solid Waste, Regional District of Nanaimo. Presentation.
  • Gordon Light - Organics Supervisor, City of Kelowna. Presentation.

Accelerating to a Zero Carbon Footprint

  • John Turner (Moderator) - Director, Energy solutions, Terasen Gas. Presentation.
  • Naomi Devine - Community Sustainability Planner, Whistler Centre for Sustainability.
  • Patricia Bell - Sr. Community Energy Planner , Community Energy Association. Presentation.
  • Victoria Smith - Manager of Aboriginal and Sustainable Communities, BC Hydro. Presentation.

Reinvigorating Democracy

  • Carol Suhan (Moderator) - PowerSense Service Manager, FortisBC PowerSense.
  • Michelle Colussi - Manager, Canadian Centre for Community Renewal. Presentation.
  • Susanna Haas Lyons - Senior Associate, America Speaks. Presentation.
  • Lana Popham - MLA Saanich South.
  • Richard Walton - Mayor, District of North Vancouver. Presentation.

STATE OF THE DEBATE: The Future of the Agricultural Land in BC

  • Peter Ladner (Moderator) - Fellow, SFU Centre for Dialogue.
  • Dr. Sharon McCoubrey - , Professor, UBC-Okanagan and former Agricultural Land Commissioner.
  • Dr. Arthur Fallick - Director, Sustainable Urban Systems, Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, Kwantlan Polytechnic University. Presentation.
  • Gordon Wilson - Chairman / Principal, Tugboat Enterprises Ltd., former Leader of BC Liberals.

Political Altruism: Looking Beyond the Three-Year Election Cycle

Igniting Resilience: Five Powerful Tools to Wake Up Your Community

  • Facilitators: Angus McAllister - McAllister Opinion Research & Jan Enns - Jan Enns Communications. Presentation.

Solving the Community Energy Puzzle: An Interactive Decision Analysis Game

  • Robyn Wark - Senior Key Account Manager, BC Hydro. Presentation.
  • Jorge Marques Manager - Technology and Innovation, BC Hydro. Presentation.

Working Towards Ever-Greener Buildings

  • Emmanuel LaVoie (Moderator) - Principal, Reevolution / BLUEGREEN Living Communities. Presentation.
  • Stacey Fenwick - Developer, SOPA Square. Presentation.
  • Kevin Ryan - Principal, Coast Agriculture Group Inc. Presentation.
  • Patsy Bourassa - Executive Officer, Canadian Home Builders Association (Central Interior). Presentation.

Water-Centric Planning: An Okanagan Example

  • Dr. Bernie Bauer (Moderator) - Professor, UBC Okanagan.
  • Dr. Anna Warwick Sears - Executive Director, Okanagan Basin Water Board. Presentation.
  • Ted van der Gulik - Senior Engineer, BC Ministry of Agriculture & Lands. Presentation.
  • Bruce Wilson - Spot Solutions Ltd. / Water Supply Association of BC. Presentation.

Restoring Urban Habitats

  • Andrew Appleton (Moderator) - Manager of Stewardship and Restoration Services, Evergreen Vancouver.
  • Ken Crosby - Natural Area’s Technician, Parks Division, City of Surrey.Presentation.
  • Bill Turner - Executive Director, The Land Conservancy of BC.
  • Darren Inkster - Mayor, District of Sechelt. Presentation.