Richmond projects snag green funding

Richmond, B.C. – The City of Richmond has received $327,000 from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Fund for a trio of planning projects.

"The City of Richmond is strongly committed to sustainability and is constantly looking for innovative ways to reduce or mitigate the environmental footprint of our community and its local government," said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie in a statement. "The Green Municipal Fund has allowed us to develop solid planning in support of major upcoming infrastructure projects and has also supported our continued award-winning pursuit of alternative, sustainable energy sources."

The fund provided 50 per cent of the funding for the following three planning projects:

• a solar energy feasibility study for the new Minoru Centre for Active Living;
• a brownfield site assessment remediation action feasibility study for the planned Middle Arm Waterfront Park and River parkway; and
• a micro sewer heat recovery district energy utility feasibility study.

Through the Green Municipal Fund, FCM supports initiatives that demonstrate an innovative solution or approach to a municipal environmental issue, and that can generate new lessons and models for municipalities of all sizes and types in all regions of Canada.

These initiatives offer significant environmental benefits, a strong business case and social advantages, and are completed by local policies and measurement systems, explains a release.

"FCM is extremely proud to showcase how Canadian municipalities are driving concrete results and contributing in a meaningful way to the national climate change agenda," said Clark Somerville, FCM past-president. "The projects announced today demonstrate what effective partnership can produce for our country’s environment, and how FCM is a natural partner in the transition to low carbon communities."

Richmond’s trio of projects were among 48 projects funded across the country through the Green Municipal Fund for 2016. The fund is supported by $72 million in funding from the federal government.