Winners of Sustainable Communities Awards unveiled in Ottawa, Ont. (08/02/2012)

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) today unveiled the winners of its 2012 Sustainable Communities Awards, a program recognizing municipal projects across Canada that demonstrate excellence in environmental responsibility. The Awards were announced at a ceremony during FCM's Sustainable Communities Conference and Trade Show (SCC) in Ottawa, Ont.  

"As FCM president, I have had the chance to travel to communities all across Canada, and I can say that this year's award winners are in great company," said Berry Vrbanovic, president of FCM and councillor for the City of Kitchener, Ont. "The impressive range of examples of environmental leadership I have seen on the ground shows that municipalities are playing a key role in driving the emerging green economy.'' 

FCM's Green Municipal Fund^TM (GMF) is the primary sponsor of the Sustainable Communities Awards. The Government of Canada endowed FCM with $550 million to establish the Fund.

"This year's award winners make a very strong case for the economic and social viability of sustainability," added Raymond Louie, chair of the GMF Council, and councillor for the City of Vancouver, B.C. "They show that municipalities are leaders in achieving Canada's national environmental and economic objectives, and are taking cost-effective actions to deliver real results."

The winners of the 2012 FCM Sustainable Communities Awards are: 

• Brownfields: City of New Westminster, B.C.— Westminster Pier Park
• Buildings: Town of Oakville, Ont. — Green Buildings and Initiatives
• Energy: City of Montréal, Que. — A Space for Life — Energy Efficiency Program
• Energy: Rural Municipality of Ritchot, Man. — Île-des-Chênes Community Centre District Geothermal Project
• Planning: City of Vancouver, B.C. — Greenest City Action Plan
• Planning: Town of Drayton Valley, Alta. — Community Sustainability Plan
• Planning - Neighbourhood: City of Terrebonne, Que. — Côte Terrebonne Master Plan for Sustainable Development (Urbanova)
• Residential development: District of Summerland, B.C. — Zoning Bylaw Review and Update
• Transportation: City of Waterloo, Ont. — Davenport Road Multi-Use Corridor Improvement
• Transportation: City of Sainte-Julie, Que. — Taxi 12-17
• Waste: Columbia Shuswap Regional District, B.C. — Capture and Beneficial Use of Landfill Gas and Leachate at the Salmon Arm Landfill
• Water: City of Cranbrook, B.C. — Wastewater Improvement Project