Archived News

SPC in 2012

Visit SPC News and Events page for the latest news or visit archived files for the following years:

2014 I 2013 I 2011 I 2010

Drinking water protection and economic diversification among top sustainability issues in rural BC – new research

by Jennifer Nichols, posted on December 19, 2012

Research Provides Local Governments with Tools and Recommendations for Successful Rural Sustainability Planning in BC

The Fraser Basin Council’s Smart Planning for Communities program has completed a research project investigating the application of integrated community sustainability planning (ICSP) by regional districts and small municipalities for rural areas of British Columbia.

The research identifies:

1) what makes a successful sustainability process for a rural area in BC;

2) what actions are suitable for a rural sustainability strategy; and

3) the rural areas’ relationship with urban and provincial sustainability goals.

The study, funded by the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), finds that communities in rural areas of the province consider protecting drinking water supplies (80%) and pursuing economic diversification (60%) as the most important aspects of a successful sustainability strategy. Over one hundred local government elected officials and staff, along with academics and consultants, participated in surveys and focus group sessions as part of this research.

The full report with the research results and a summary of tools and recommendations for successful ICSP process for rural BC can be downloaded from our Resources page.

For more information about the research paper:

Joan Chess, MCIP, RPP  
Sustainability Facilitator 
Smart Planning for Communities, Fraser Basin Council
Phone:  250 612-0282

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Village of Nakusp makes B.C. Climate Action Toolkit website for greenhouse gas initiatives

The Village of Nakusp is going to be under the ‘Success Stories’ section of the BC Climate Action Toolkit website because of its greenhouse gas (GHG) modeling tool.

At the last council meeting, chief administrative officer Bob Lafleur brought forward the information.

“They are developing a success story for the BC Climate Action Toolkit and Nakusp has been identified as a leading local government,” Lafleur said. “They’re proposing to work on a project to produce a short webcast on it.”

He went on to say that Nakusp’s participation in this will give the village some recognition for its green effort, as well as be used on the toolkit website for any other community to look at and possibly model from.

Nakusp mayor Karen Hamling said it was great to be recognized for their green initiatives and reasoned why the village was chosen.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the grants we’ve applied for in the last couple years,” Hamling said. “I actually ran into one of the ministry officials in Nelson a few months ago and he knew Nakusp right away. He said ‘You’re the ones doing all the projects and all the green stuff.’ I think it’s nice to get some recognition on that.”

In the message sent to council, Maureen LeBourdais, program manager for Smart Planning for Communities of the Fraser Basin Council, wrote out their reasons for recognizing Nakusp on their website.

“The Village of Nakusp has been identified as one of a small number of leading edge local governments using greenhouse gas modelling tools to inform their community-wide GHG reduction activities,” she writes. “We would like to collaborate with you and/or your project consultant on developing text and webcast Success Stories that profile the GHG modelling tool that your community has used and your experience working with it.”

LeBourdais went on to say that Nakusp’s participation in this could also possibly be used by other local governments to model their greenhouse gas modelling tool.

See original article on BCSEA website here >

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New Research: The Regulation of District Energy Systems

The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) released a new white papers this spring authored by the Smart Planning for Communities energy specialist: Peter Ostergaard.

Peter Ostergaard’s white paper report examines nine diverse district energy systems in BC. The report’s focus is on the type and level of economic regulation that can encourage the development and sustainability of district energy systems, while providing their customers with reasonably priced energy services. 

The report can be found online at: http://www.toolkit.bc.ca/Resource/Regulation-District-Energy-Systems. Findings were presented at the Canadian District Energy Association’s “Energizing Communities” conference in Ottawa mid-June. postergaard@fraserbasin.bc.ca

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