May 6, 2005
(released by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities)

The City of Pickering Receives $175,000 from the Green Municipal Funds for Sustainable Community Planning and Greenhouse Gas Reductions

May 6, 2005, Pickering, ON – Acting Mayor Maurice Brenner on behalf of Mayor David Ryan and Council of the City of Pickering; Regional and Local Councillor Brenda Hogg of the Town of Richmond Hill, representing the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) National Board of Directors; the Honourable Dan McTeague, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament for Pickering–Scarborough East; and Mark Holland, Member of Parliament for Ajax-Pickering, announced today a $175,000 Green Municipal Funds' grant to help Pickering become more sustainable. The grant will be used to prepare a Sustainable Neighbourhood Plan (SNP), as part of the City's growth management strategy, and to complete Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) Milestones One to Three, which will provide accurate baseline data and a summary of recommendations for corporate, community and institutional greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions.

"The City of Pickering is committed to providing the leadership, guidance, and support required for it to become a sustainable city," said Acting Mayor Brenner. "This includes the reduction of corporate and community carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions through its participation in Partners for Climate Protection."

Through the SNP, the City will develop a comprehensive list of sustainable design elements that has the potential to reduce environmental impact and GHG emissions compared to conventional design practices. Areas to be examined will include energy, water and wastewater, stormwater management, solid waste and construction waste, transportation, landscaping and building design. Design guidelines for a preferred sustainability concept will be prepared, evaluated and, where applicable, implemented in the selected neighbourhood. The SNP can be used also as a template for other neighbourhoods in Pickering and elsewhere.

"This project represents Pickering's dedication to secure an environmentally-friendly future for its citizens," said Councillor Hogg, representing FCM. "Importantly, it can serve as an example of a municipality-supported comprehensive green development plan for other Canadian municipal governments to follow."

"I am pleased that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities is supporting this project through the Green Municipal Funds," said the Honourable Dan McTeague. "It will set an important precedent and lay out a roadmap with lessons learned for other municipalities to draw upon in the future. I look forward to seeing more projects in our community that offer environmental benefits to our citizens."

"The Funds' support for projects like this is helping Canadian municipal governments – large and small, urban and rural – to secure their future growth and progress," said MP Mark Holland. "It attests to the commitment of the Government of Canada to help municipal governments develop new and innovative approaches to sustainable community planning."

The Government of Canada has endowed $250 million to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to establish and manage the Green Municipal Funds. The Funds support partnerships and leveraging of both public and private sector funding to reach higher standards of air, water and soil quality, and climate protection. In Budget 2005, the Government of Canada committed a further $300 million to the Green Municipal Funds.

FCM has been the national voice of municipal governments since 1901. It is dedicated to improving the quality of life in communities by promoting strong, effective and accountable municipal government.

For more information:

For more information on the Green Municipal Funds, including details of other approved projects and studies, visit FCM's Knowledge Network at http://kn.fcm.ca

Also, please visit FCM's main website at www.fcm.ca for information on all Federation activities.

Information on the City of Pickering can be obtained at cityofpickering.com.