OTTAWA — The 2020 Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Sustainable Community Award winners were announced recently, celebrating the most innovative environmental initiatives in Canadian cities and communities of all sizes and recognizing sustainability leaders in municipalities.
The awards, delivered by FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF), showcase outstanding municipal projects in asset management, brownfields, climate change, energy, transportation, waste, water and sustainable neighbourhood revitalization and design, indicates a release.
This year’s winners include:
- Asset Management: City of Vernon, B.C. for the Drainage Infrastructure Prioritization Plan
The city completed a detailed assessment of their drainage infrastructure to identify stormwater drains needing maintenance or replacement to protect the city from future flooding.
- Brownfields: City of Montreal for the Rehabilitation of the Pointe-Saint-Charles industrial park (PEPSC)
Working in partnership with joint owners of this former landfill site, the city developed an approach to collect and treat contaminants at Pointe-Saint-Charles industrial park that were migrating into the Saint Lawrence River.
- Climate Change: City of Campbell River, B.C. for Campbell River Rising Seas
The city adopted Sea Level Rise Action Plan puts in motion a series of interventions to protect the community and the surrounding ecosystems from the impacts of rising sea levels.
- Energy: Town of Raymond, Alta. for Raymond Electrical Net Zero
To reduce their GHG emissions and save costs, the town installed a series of solar PV systems on their municipal buildings, including their town hall, aquatic centre, fire hall, arena and more.
- Neighbourhoods: City of Edmonton, Alta. for Blatchford
The city is developing a sustainable community on former municipal airport land that will house up to 30,000 residents, be carbon neutral and use 100 per cent renewable energy.
- Transportation – co-winners: Region of Waterloo, Ont. and Town of Cochrane, Alta.
The Region of Waterloo’s Growing Up: The Story of ION Light Rail in Waterloo Region
In 2019, the Region of Waterloo’s new ION Light Rail Transit system began providing travel between three urban centres and contributing substantially to the region’s environmental and community goals, including reducing GHG emissions and urban sprawl.
The Town of Cochrane’s On-demand Local Transit provides stop-to-stop transit service for community members, while addressing issues like affordability, inclusion and accessibility.
- Waste: Town of Canmore, Alta. for the Canmore Food Waste Collection Pilot
Faced with unique challenges that prevent the use of standard green bins, the town undertook a creative and collaborative approach to neighbourhood composting that diverts more than 800 kilograms of food waste per day from the landfill.
- Water: Corporation of Loyalist Township, Ont. for the Amherstview Water Pollution Control Plant Constructed Wetland
The township created a constructed wetland to lower the pH of their wastewater disinfection lagoons, helping to treat wastewater with natural biological processes and the use of native vegetation.
- Visionary Award: Regional Districts of Central Kootenay, East Kootenay, and Kootenay Boundary, B.C. for Accelerate Kootenays
The project creates a network of more than 50 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in small communities in the Kootenays region of B.C.
Honourable mentions were given to:
- Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and nine partner municipalities including: City of Toronto, Regional Municipality of Peel, City of Brampton, City of Mississauga, Town of Caledon, Regional Municipality of York, City of Richmond Hill, City of Markham and City of Vaughan for the Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program
The program is a neighbourhood model that helps municipalities retrofit older neighbourhoods and build community support and partnerships.
- Town of Paradise, N.L. for the Octagon Pond Brownfield Redevelopment Project
Through its ongoing work on brownfields redevelopment, the town has remediated and transformed multiple former industrial lands into recreational facilities, conservation areas and commercial and residential properties.
Award winners will present a TED-style talk on their project at the 2020 Sustainable Communities Conference, which will be held virtually from Oct. 20 to 22.
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