Sustainability Today

Big Kudos for Small Communities at the 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.
Click here to find out who the winners are and what they are doing to keep their small communities sustainabile.

Need more affordable housing in your municipality?
If you’re thinking about how to get started on an affordable housing project in your municipality, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has a resource for you!  CMHC has created a website to help municipalities with information and resources. CMHC has a team of experts dedicated to advancing affordable housing solutions across the country. CMHC provides access the most comprehensive range of affordable housing information, tools and resources, financial assistance and project profiles that can all help make your vision a reality. Check out their website at http://www.cmhc.ca/en/inpr/afhoce/index.cfm

Thinking of Creating Idle-Free Zones in your Community?
Natural Resources Canada has a fantastic website dedicated to idle-free initiatives for communities and governments. Check out there website for information on idle-free zones, major issues, what others are doing and how to go about starting an initiative in your own community.

Municipal Capacity Development Program launches new website
The MCDP recently launched a new website to provide information and assistance to municipalities. The MCDP was created with the primary objective of building sustainable communities in Saskatchewan by encouraging and assisting in the development of municipal capacity on an inter-juristictional basis. Visit their new website at www.municipalcapacity.ca

New Sample Audit for ecoENERGY Retrofit
To help you apply for the ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentive for Buildings, the Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) has created a “Sample Pre-Project Energy Audit” that you can use as a guide. You will now receive this PDF document when you access Version 4.3 of the Application Guide and Forms. For further explanation, you can also refer to the Conduct a Pre-Project Energy Audit section of the guide.

Is your organization considering energy improvements? Dozens of organizations have already finished their projects and have received incentive payments for their retrofit projects in small and medium-sized buildings across the country.

FCM’s Green Municipal Fund Supports the City of Saskatoon’s Study of Retrofitting Rapid Stabilization and Gas Collection in Older Landfills 
Saskatoon City Councillor Bev Dubois and Maurice Vellacott, Member of Parliament for Saskatoon-Wanuskewin, on behalf of the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources, announced today a Green Municipal Fund (GMF) grant for the City of Saskatoon.

As part of the City’s Brownfield Programs Strategy, the $262,500 grant will be used to conduct a feasibility test on retrofitting rapid stabilization and gas collection in older landfills.

“FCM’s Green Municipal Fund offers a range of resources and services that specifically address the sustainable community development needs of municipal governments,” said Dubois, representing FCM. “The financing and knowledge provided by the Fund supports the development of communities that are more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.”
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Rural leaders create national vision for prosperity
Canada's rural leaders have released a groundbreaking report that outlines the priorities of their communities and a plan for continued sustainability. The report, One Vision, Many Voices: How to Build a Sustainable Rural Canada, is based on the themes and recommendations of the Rural Matters! Forging Healthy Canadian Communities national symposium held during the summer of 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta.

The seven recommendations for a sustainable rural Canada:

1. Increase cooperation and partnerships among rural municipalities, senior levels of government, industry, rural stakeholders and Aboriginal communities.
2. Increase educational opportunities for rural Canadians by reducing the barriers to access post-secondary opportunities.
3. Increase high-speed connectivity in rural and remote regions of Canada to ensure readily available access to critical information and promote opportunities.
4. Ensure stable, predictable funding for local and regional governments, not necessarily based on population.  
5. Establish a federal ministry dealing solely with issues and opportunities of rural and remote Canada.
6. Establish a rural network to share best practices for rural economics, infrastructure, environment and governance across all jurisdictions of Canada.
7. Communicate the messages from the Rural Matters! symposium to decision makers, rural organizations and community leaders.

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Check out Water Connections Newsletter
The Centre for Sustainable Watershed has just released the Winter 2009 Water Connections Newsletter. Follow the link provided to download it: http://www.waterconnect.ca/docs/WCWinter2009.pdf

Apply year-round to FCM's Green Municipal Fund for Capital Project Funding
FCM's Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is committed to a more client-centered service. You want a streamlined applications process that is easier and takes less time: we are looking for ways to accomplish that. You want to be able to apply for grants and loans at any time of the year, and to know far in advance what kinds of applications will be eligible: we have made that change. We have removed all deadlines to apply for grants and below-market loans for capital projects: you can now apply whenever it best fits into your project cycle. On our part, we are committed to reviewing the application process and providing a response within four to five months.

We have also locked in the eligibility requirements from now until at least March 31, 2010. You can apply for loans and grants to complete capital projects in all GMF sectors, at any time of the year:
-        Brownfiels - Below-market loans, with no limit
-    Energy - Up to $4 million in loans combined with up to $400,000 in grants
-    Transportation - Up to $4 million in loans combined with up to $400,000 in grants
-       Waste - Up to $4 million in loans combined with up to $400,000 in grants
-       Water - Up to $4 million in loans combined with up to $400,000 in grants
-       you can also apply for grants to complete sustainable community plans, feasibility studies and field tests at any time of year

For more information, visit www.fcm.ca/gmf

EnerCan West 2009
March 16 & 17, 2009, at Evraz Place, Regina.

A not-to-be-missed, first for Canada conference and trade show about energy. This two-day conference and trade show is plotting a course to be a world-class signature event for cutting edge information and technology relating to energy that will include:
     • best minds
     • best practices
     • best products and
     • best technological innovation
      within the environmental and energy industries

EnerCan West will set the stage for energy-focused business development, investment, and public policy discussions by creating a truly excellent venue for the exchange of world-class information. This year the conference will focus on nuclear power as an energy option in a carbon-constrained world.  Examine the role of nuclear energy as one of the mix of choices emerging globally. Check out the stellar lineup of Enertrack breakout sessions!  Visit our Program page. 

Although SUMA is not a member of SEIMA, SUMA delegates are eligible to register at member registration rates. SEIMA is also offering to consider all SUMA members attending as a delegation, allowing for some additional discounts.

Regina-based research gets $4M in funding
By Angela Hall, Leader-Post
REGINA -- Regina-based research probing how infrastructure such as municipal drinking water systems can be better maintained and developed will continue with $4 million in renewed federal funding. The investment in the National Research Council’s “sustainable infrastructure technology cluster” allows partners from universities, governments and private firms to work on solutions together, groups said Tuesday.
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Check out the RCE Website
Have you ever visited the website for the Saskatchewan Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCE Saskatchewan)? This site is a portal for community members to interact, participate, and collaborate on topics on education for sustainable development. You will find information on other community sustainability initiatives, recent news, activities and blogs. Check it out at http://www.saskrce.ca/.

In Motion Needs Our Help
In Motion has undertaken a project that will encourage families to get out and get active together.  It will be "A Destination Guide for Active Families".  In Motion is seeking your input from your community to complete this booklet.  Could you please forward information regarding what events are happening in your community year round that encourages this type of activity.  Also, what is in your community...parks, pools, lakes, equipment rentals, picnic areas, u-pick farms, guest houses, horse back riding, hiking or biking trails, etc.  It would be great to have as much information made known to the public on what we all have to offer in our province. 
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Submit Your Nominations for the 2008 Saskatchewan Waste Minimization Awards
The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is seeking nominations for the Saskatchewan Waste Minimization Awards for 2008.  If you know of an individual, business, municipality or community organization who should be recognized for their waste minimization efforts, please complete and submit the nomination form.  Deadline for nominations is February 27, 2009, with the awards ceremony being April 2-3 in Saskatoon.

New Recycling Website
SARCAN, Saskatchewan Waste Electronic Equipment Program (SWEEP), Sask. Association for Resource Recovery Corporation (SARRC), Product Care and Sask. Scrap Tire Corporation (SSTC) have teamed up to launch a new recycling website. Visit www.recylesaskatchewan.ca to find out what you can recycle and where you can take it. The website provides a comprehensive list, by municipality, of where you can recycle which products.You will also find some great recycling tips.

2009 FCM–CH2M HILL Sustainable Community Awards
Has your municipality taken action on sustainability?
Does an initiative in your community merit national recognition?

The 2009 FCM–CH2M HILL Sustainable Community Awards celebrate excellence in sustainable community development by highlighting the best municipal initiatives that link environmental, social and economic goals.  The award-winning projects demonstrate that Canadian municipalities are not just thinking about sustainability — they are making it happen. FCM profiles all winners in a video and interactive DVD to share their lessons and encourage other communities to follow their lead. Awards will be granted in eight categories: brownfields, buildings, energy, planning, residential development, transportation, waste and water.

Applications will remain open until December 11, 2008.
For more information:
E-mail: awards@fcm.ca
www.sustainablecommunities.fcm.ca/FCM-CH2M-Awards

Homes and Businesses Go Solar With No Upfront Cost, Repay on Property Tax Bill
Renewable Funding is nowproviding a first-in-the-nation financial service allowing property owners to install solar panels and pay for them over 20 years through a voluntary line item on their property tax bills.

The company provides a complete financing and administration package to cities interested in offering this financial product to property owners. The City of Berkeley selected Renewable Funding to finance and administer its nationally recognized new solar and energy efficiency program.
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Communities in Bloom
Congratulations to Lloydminster, Weyburn, Denzil, and Wawota, our Saskatchewan municipalities that were finalists in the Communities in Bloom program and featured in the 14^th National Edition of the Communities in Bloom magazine. Hundreds of communities participate each year in the program. Communities in Bloom is a Canadian program that aims to improve quality of life through beautification, community involvement, environmental awareness and heritage conservation. This national program assists Canadian communities of all sizes to improve their quality of life while encouraging community involvement and civic pride. Are you interested in getting your community involved? Check out their website at http://www.communitiesinbloom.ca/.