EcoPlan International was honored with three awards at the 2011 Planning Institute of BC (PIBC) awards and conference held last night in Nanaimo, BC. These awards mark the third year that the PIBC has recognized EcoPlan’s contributions to our clients and to planning profession in British Columbia. EcoPlan won Awards of Excellence for Planning Practice, Research and New Directions in Planning and Small Town and Rural Planning. We would like to thank our project partners, with whom we share these awards.

We would like to thank the Musqueam First Nation for their years of collaboration that lead an Award of Excellence in Planning Practice for We Are of One Heart and Mind: Musqueam Comprehensive Community Plan. The community’s guiding plan, We Are of One Heart and Mind clearly illustrates how Musqueam will become a self-sufficient, self-governing Nation and a complete and healthy community.

We would like to thank Dr. Robin Gregory and Dr. Tim McDaniels for their contributions to Using insights from planning: An alternative approach to assessing environmental damages and cultural loss, which won an Award of Excellence in Research and New Directions in Planning. This work developed and refined a new approach to help aboriginal communities address the issue of environmental damages, supporting negotiations and mediations as well as being tested in the courts.

Finally, EcoPlan would like to thank the Comox Valley Regional District, Urban Strategies and Ear to the Ground Planning for their contributions to the Comox Valley Regional Growth Strategy, which won an Award of Excellence in Small Town and Rural Planning. This project involved the development of a comprehensive Regional Growth Strategy for the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island.