Gibsons’ Natural Asset Management Journey

The Town of Gibsons was North America’s first community to integrate natural assets into asset management and financial planning. Here is an updated overview of our journey:

2009 to 2013

As part of its long-term plan to protect its most important natural asset, the Gibsons Aquifer, the Town commissioned an Aquifer Mapping Report. This work significantly expanded understanding of aquifer boundaries, hydraulic properties, and recharge and discharge processes, helping inform better decision-making by current and future stakeholders.

2014

Gibsons became the first municipality in North America, and possibly the world, to adopt an asset management policy that:

• Explicitly recognizes natural assets as an asset class
• Establishes obligations to operate, maintain and replace natural assets alongside traditional infrastructure
• This marked a shift from treating nature as a backdrop to recognizing it as core municipal infrastructure.
• The Town’s financial auditors also agreed to include a note acknowledging the importance of natural assets in the annual financial statements.

2015

Council endorsed Gibsons’ Eco-Asset Strategy, formalizing an approach that places nature and the services it provides at the centre of municipal infrastructure planning.

2016

Gibsons became a founding member of the Municipal Natural Asset Initiative (MNAI), helping to advance tools and practices that support local governments in identifying, valuing and managing natural assets.

2018

In partnership with MNAI, Gibsons released Advancing Municipal Natural Asset Management, sharing its experience in financial planning and reporting to support broader adoption across the municipal sector.

Gibsons and its partners also received the Real Estate Foundation of BC Land Award for leadership in sustainable land use and conservation.

2019

The Town received the Award for Government Leadership in Sustainable Infrastructure (Western Region) from the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.

Project Healthy Harbour was launched in partnership with the Nicholas Sonntag Marine Education Centre, with a vision of creating a healthy and vibrant harbour through innovative eco-asset management.

2020

The Town advanced several major initiatives:

• Partnered with MNAI on coastal resilience and the Source to Sea watershed project
• Secured $955,000 in provincial and federal funding for stormwater infrastructure at White Tower Park
• Created a Natural Asset Technician position to support monitoring and maintenance
• Adopted a Tree Preservation Bylaw, laying the groundwork for an Urban Forest Plan
• Gibsons also received the Union of BC Municipalities Community Excellence Award for asset management.

2021

The Town advanced monitoring initiatives within the aquifer watershed, including plans for surface water monitoring in local creeks to support long-term data collection and planning.

2022 to 2026: From Innovation to Implementation

Building on more than a decade of leadership, Gibsons has shifted from pilot projects to full integration of natural assets into everyday municipal planning and operations.

Key advancements include:

• Aquifer Protection and Monitoring
  Continued investment in aquifer monitoring, updated mapping, and stronger policy tools to protect drinking water at its source.
• Natural Asset Integration into Asset Management
  Natural assets are now embedded within the Town’s asset management planning, informing infrastructure decisions, lifecycle planning and long-term financial strategies.
• Climate Resilience and Infrastructure Planning
  Expansion of work on coastal resilience, watershed health, and green infrastructure to address climate change impacts such as storm events, erosion and drought.
• Urban Forest and Ecosystem Management
  Implementation of policies and practices to protect and enhance tree canopy and green spaces as critical municipal assets.
• Healthy Harbour and Watershed Initiatives
  Ongoing collaboration to improve water quality, ecosystem health and public access within the Gibsons Harbour and broader watershed.
• Capital Projects with Natural Asset Benefits
  Investments in projects such as stormwater management, creek restoration and green infrastructure that provide both engineered and natural service delivery.
• Knowledge Sharing and Leadership
  Gibsons continues to support other local governments by sharing its experience and contributing to the advancement of natural asset management practices across Canada.

Today

Natural assets are now a core part of how Gibsons plans, builds and maintains infrastructure. By recognizing the value of nature and managing it alongside traditional systems, the Town continues to lead in creating a more sustainable, resilient and cost-effective future.