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FCM–CH2M HILL Sustainable Community Awards
While sustainable development is on the radar for municipalities across Canada, small and rural communities may feel disadvantaged by limited resources compared to their larger counterparts. Never fear — a growing number of small communities have proven that sustainable development is indeed possible in smaller settings. In fact, small communities have a lot to teach others about innovation, leadership and creativity, as these award-winning small-town initiatives show.
Protecting local water resources in Chelsea
The Municipality of Chelsea, Québec (pop. 6,500), a small community in Québec’s Gatineau Park, rose to the challenge of protecting its natural resources and its residents’ quality of life with its
H2O Chelsea initiative. The municipality brought together non-profit groups, faculty at the University of Ottawa, residents and municipal staff to protect local water resources. Partners assessed water use patterns, tested groundwater sources and provided educational information for residents. “H2O Chelsea fulfilled the municipality’s vision of environmental stewardship and complemented the many sustainable development programs, legislation and practices that Chelsea has implemented over the decades,” said Patrick Henry, project coordinator. Since partners were from different sectors, they had access to different sources of funding and could offer expertise from different disciplines.
Winner: 2006 Sustainable Community Award (water category)
Ucluelet plans for success
The decline of local fishing and forestry prompted the District of Ucluelet (pop. 1,700) on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to produce an Official Community Plan to support its emerging tourism industry. With limited resources and a one-person planning department, the community devised the official plan with the collaboration of the community. Felice Mazzoni, the district’s planner, noted that: “…without their input and determination, it would have been impossible to build these policies.” The policies in the Official Community Plan provide environmentally friendly guidelines for development, protect public access to the waterfront and include density bonuses for developers.
Winner: 2006 Sustainable Community Award (planning category)
Okotoks goes solar
In Alberta, the Town of Okotoks decided to use solar energy to power a number of municipal projects, and in the process became Canada’s leading municipal user of solar power. The town has, among many other initiatives, a solar air heating system (solar wall), a district solar heating system and a new solar-powered subdivision. With a population of just under 12,000 people at the time, the municipality realized that preparing the public for a shift to solar power was key to successful implementation. “You can build the greatest thing in the world but the market has to be ready for it,” said Rick Quail, the town’s municipal manager.
Winner: 2006 Sustainable Community Award (energy category)
Organic waste hits the curb in Ladysmith
The Town of Ladysmith, British Columbia, produced a vision statement that describes the town as “a spirited community that values its small town feeling and offers residents a full and healthy way of life.” In support of this vision, the town became the first in B.C. to successfully implement a
curbside organics waste collection program. The initiative was promoted to the town’s 7,700 residents through a powerful public education campaign that town staff and councillors believe significantly increased citizens’ support for the program.
Winner: 2007 Sustainable Community Award (waste category)
Small communities, big achievements
A lack of resources and a small population didn’t stop these communities from pursuing their sustainability goals. Creativity, partnerships and citizen engagement were keys to their success. By focusing on preserving the natural resources that support the unique lifestyle in rural or small-town settings, and drawing on the strong social networks that make them great places to live, sustainable development projects can help smaller communities flourish.
Has your community recently completed a great green initiative? Communities of all sizes are encouraged to apply to the 2010 FCM–CH2M HILL Sustainable Communities Award program*. This year’s winners will be announced on June 6, 2009, at the FCM–CH2M HILL Sustainable Community Awards ceremony in Whistler, B.C., during the FCM Annual Conference and Municipal ExpoTM. For more information on the Awards program, and to read all about previous winners in the online Winners’ Database, please see the FCM Green Municipal Fund website.
*Look for application information for the 2010 Awards on the FCM Green Municipal Fund website in the fall of 2009. |
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