Ted Van Der Gulik
Last updated on May 9, 2023
"What I enjoyed most about working in the BC Public Service was being able to make a difference. The opportunity and ability to obtain a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise and then being able to transfer this knowledge to the agriculture sector and others working in water management was very rewarding."
Ted van der Gulik received the Legacy Premier’s Award in 2014 and was inducted into the Hall of Excellence in the same year.
During his career with the Ministry of Agriculture in Abbotsford, Ted built an international reputation for his leading-edge work in agricultural water management, authoring many guides and manuals used locally and around the world. In 2000, the American Irrigation Association recognized his leadership in promoting proper irrigation techniques and honoured him with the prestigious Crawford Reid Memorial Award.
He was a driving force behind the formation and evolution of the Irrigation Industry Association of B.C. As a past president and Founder/Chair of the Certification Board, he received the Dave Peach Award in 2004.
For a full generation, whenever a water initiative or issue touched on agriculture, Ted was at the table. He led numerous water projects that have had a lasting impact, not only on individual farms, but also on entire communities and watersheds in B.C. Not surprisingly, he won Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards for the Water Balance Model and the Agriculture Water Demand Model.
Ted influenced development of provincial water strategies, starting with Stewardship of the Water of British Columbia, a review of British Columbia’s Water Management Policy and Legislation in 1993. He is one of the architects of the Water Sustainability Action Plan, released in 2004. He was also an advocate for agriculture and the efficient use of water during the development of Living Water Smart: British Columbia’s Water Plan in 2008. Ted continued his advocacy role during development of the Water Sustainability Act, received Royal Assent in May 2014.