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Tonya Surman is upending our notions of work, innovation and community by shaping them into a new model of social entrepreneurism.

Tom Osdoba presents the EcoDistrict approach taken by cities to explore practical solutions for sustainability.

Hélène Gignac, of Montreal, QC, outlines the concept of "industrial ecology" as the focus of a shared vision for sustainable communities.

Don Grant presents the Ottawa EcoDistrict goal to green the downtown core through integration of local development programs.

Normand Gariépy, of Sorel-Tracy, QC, notes that community outreach is vital in planning for a sustainable future.

(In language of origin) Richard Blais, chef de division – Urbanisme (arrondissement d'Ahuntsic-Cartierville) explique que le développement durable nécessite des efforts de sensibilisation à long terme.

(In language of origin) Norm Boucher, maire de Medicine Hat, explique comment la production et l'économie d'énergie profitent aux citoyens, à l'économie locale et à l'environnement.

(In language of origin) Claude Dauphin, maire d'arrondissement de Lachine décrit le Fonds municipal vert comme un maillon indispensable dans la mise en œuvre de projets en développement durable.

Warden Tom Bain anticipates great achievements in sustainability for Essex County in the next 20 years.

Councillor Timothy Habinski says the municipality's long-term plan targets small business investment and a revitalized agricultural sector.

Susan Fraser, manager of parks and recreation, attributes the city's success in sustainability to community and stakeholder engagement.

Facilities Coordinator Scott Warren champions collaboration with neighbouring communities on Selwyn's path to sustainability.

Councillor Pat Warren notes that rural and regional communities face more complex infrastructure challenges.

Environment Consultant Oksana Oliyeva says that integrating sustainability principles into strategic plans is a critical step for cities like Kyiv, Ukraine.

Councillor Nancy Dicks highlights sustainable infrastructure as key to the town's vibrancy.

Councillor Maryann Chichuk believes the  town's focus on sustainability is attracting residents and businesses.

Councillor Linda Buchanan highlights North Vancouver's historic past as the key to a sustainable future.

Alderman Les Pearson says cities need greater financial support and effective partnerships to improve key infrastructure.

Councillor Jenny Gerbasi highlights brownfields, transit and waste management as priorities on Winnipeg's sustainability agenda.

Director of Planning and Development Jennine Scheck talks about the importance of planning in sustainable development.

Director of Engineering Dwayne Kalynchuk values the networking opportunities at the 2013 FCM Sustainable Communities Conference.

David Roewade highlights FCM's role in helping the Regional Municipality of Waterloo to reduce its GHG emissions.

Regional Councillor Clark Somerville says that partnerships between all orders of government are key to overcoming infrastructure challenges.

North Vancouver's Caroline Jackson talks about the importance of public engagement in implementing sustainability initiatives.

In this session, Nitin Kawale, President of Cisco Canada, will show why innovation is at the heart of addressing many of today's most pressing global challenges.

Regions are becoming more specialized in economic activity, creating a global battle for talent. Combining in-depth analysis, cutting-edge trends, compelling personal stories and a touch of humor, Dr. Richard Florida presents his insights into how creativity and the Creative Class are revolutionizing the global economy during a time of "Great Reset".

Graham Seaman talks about Markham's emphasis on knowledge sharing and data management to spur green development.

Carolyn Bowen explains how the City of Calgary developed indicators to measure progress in sustainable development.

Anna Mathewson describes the process to identify indicators of sustainable growth in Surrey, BC.

Lisa Prime presents the role and development goals of Waterfront Toronto, which will revitalize former industrial lands along Lake Ontario.

Kristina Verner describes the state-of-the-art technology that will help create a smart, inclusive community in Toronto's Waterfront development.

Municipalities are on the front lines of infrastructure maintenance and management, but lack access to the tax dollars necessary for repairs and expansions. Canada has recently enjoyed a period of renewal and reinvestment after 3 decades of underfunding and deferred infrastructure maintenance.

Evidence suggests that warming temperatures are causing water to move more energetically through the global hydrological cycle, changing precipitation patterns and increasing the frequency and duration of extreme weather.

Travis Allan notes that municipalities may face increased future legal actions due to damage from unstable weather.

Justyna Braitewaite on how GTA neighbourhoods "SNAP" to sustainability.

Karen Naismith shares the success and lessons learned from Project Neutral.

Dr. Louie Allie of Laurentides, QC, notes the opportunities and challenges for sustainability in a tourism-driven economy.

Bud Clayton of Frontenac County presents ideas for a greener rural Ontario.

Al McCully of Parkland, AB, speaks about telecommunications planning in small and rural communities.

FCM is committed to partnering with all Parliamentarians for jobs and growth.

Watch this first installment of our seven-part video series celebrating FCM International's 25 years of working with local governments overseas.

In this second installment of our video series highlighting 25 years of local government development cooperation, Canadian municipal experts lend a hand to partner municipalities in Nicaragua and Sri Lanka dealing with waste management challenges.

Canadian volunteers work with overseas partners to improve municipal operations such as tax collection, land-use planning and budgeting of public finances, helping make local governments more effective and encouraging citizen participation in setting community priorities.

FCM and its partner local government associations are working to increase women’s participation in local governments, in Canada and in numerous countries overseas as part of a critical strategy for change.

FCM International programs help partner municipalities boost economic development by increasing their capacity to manage public affairs, attract and retain investment and encourage new business ventures.

While no community can predict if or when a natural disaster may occur, they can take steps to prepare for those eventualities. By working together, FCM partner communities are helping to create safer everyday environments, while demonstrating their willingness to provide assistance when disaster does strike.

Overseas partner communities are not the only ones benefiting from FCM International programs. Canadian municipalities also reap rewards from assisting their international partners.

In just three years, Westminster Pier Park has been transformed from a contaminated brownfield into a sparkling waterfront jewel that will stimulate tourism and revitalize downtown New Westminster.

Cranbrook increased the quality of its treated effluent and decreased its energy consumption and GHG emissions.

The Columbia Shuswap project involved capping the completed portion of the Salmon Arm landfill, capturing gas and upgrading it to provide natural gas heating for hundreds of homes.

Taxi 12-17 offers greater social opportunities and ready access to public transportation in the rural community of Sainte-Julie.

Largely completed in 2011, this upgrade helped to lower traffic speeds by reducing Waterloo's Davenport Road from four lanes to two, with dedicated turn lanes and landscaped islands.

Summerland adopted an updated Zoning Bylaw in September 2011, along with minor updates to the Official Community Plan to allow higher densities and new intensification zones.

Terrebonne's Urbanova project is based on a plan that integrates environmental, economic and social development.

In 2009, the Town of Drayton Valley developed a Community Sustainability Plan that now guides all departmental operations.

This project has helped three Montréal institutions reduce their combined energy use by 40% and their GHG emissions by 37%.

When the Town of Île-Des-Chênes sought to replace the ice plant in its hockey rink with a geothermal system, it discovered the costs were daunting.

The new Oakville Transit facility and the Sixteen Mile Creek Sports Complex reflect an innovative town policy that requires new municipal buildings larger than 500 m2 to achieve LEED® Silver certification.  

A Rick Mercer inspired rant on the importance of Canada's communities and cities — the place we call home.

The webinar discusses the realization of renewables in the municipal context as well as the potential challenges in their application.

Learn how Alberta municipalities implemented leading planning practices that helped them put their plans into action in this webinar hosted by Stratos Inc.

Waterloo University Masters students want to learn about environmental initiatives and how student skill sets can be used.

(Available in original language) Le directeur de projet, Daniel Sauriol, décrit le plan de développement  durable primé Urbanova de la Ville.

(Available in original language) La mairesse, Pauline Quinlan présente l'engagement de la Ville envers le développement durable et l'économie verte.

(Available in original language) Le conseiller municipal, Luc Montreuil, jette un regard sur l'infrastructure verte grandissante de Gatineau.

Economic Development Manager Geoff Millar discusses the southern Vancouver Island's program to encourage a slower pace of community life focused on local sustainability.

Executive Secretary Mary McCuaig talks about Transit Eastern Ontario's commuter service from outlying areas to downtown Ottawa and Gatineau.

The Toronto Region Conservation Authority's Shannon Logan believes sustainability can be a SNAP: a Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan.

(Available in original language) Le conseiller en planification, Martin Laviolette, parle des stratégies d'intégration du développement durable au développement des projets de l'Arrondissement.

(Available in original language) La conseillère municipale, Denise Laferrière, discute des efforts de la Ville pour réduire son empreinte écologique.

Mayor Moe Hamdon explains what inspired the town to develop its integrated bioindustrial park.

(Available in original language) Le gestionnaire de projet de l'AQME, Mathieu Gillet, croit que les municipalités sont des joueurs clés du développement durable.

Economic Development Officer Lesley Gaudrey champions active transpotation  initiatives in this rural Manitoba municipality.

(Available in original language) Rencontrez Isaël Poirier, conseiller régional pour le Fonds municipal vert de la FCM.

Daniel Dicaire, energy and sustainability officer, highlights solar projects in the city's social housing community.

(Available in original language) Le maire de l'arrondissement de Lachine de la Ville de Montréal et le premier vice-président de la FCM, Claude Dauphin, présente le programme d'efficacité énergétique de Montréal qui permet de réaliser des économies au niveau énergétique et financier.

Planning Director Eric Cousens talks about the town's green approach to redeveloping a valuable brownfield site.

City Councillor David Chernushenko encourages Canadians to do  what they love, embrace what they do and be positive members of society.

Sustainability Coordinator Katie Burns outlines the town's Green Print for the future.

Halifax's Julian Boyle discusses the city's plan to install over 1,000 solar hot water systems.

Mayor Mike Bernier explains how the city's Carbon Fund can reduce its  ecological footprint.

Communications Manager Andrea Ravensdale describes the Green Legacy's tree-planting program — the largest in North America.

(Available in original language) Le maire Martin Damphousse discute de la bibliothèque municipale primée nette zéro.

Berry Vrbanovic, FCM's president, brings greetings to SUMA delegates from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, at the SUMA Convention January 30, 2012    

The Canada-Haiti Municipal Cooperation Project (MCP) aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Haitian local authorities affected by the 2010 earthquake, thus enabling them to play a leading role in the reconstruction of Haiti.

Residents of the small seaside community of Victoria, P.E.I., had always relied on private holding tanks and septic systems to handle sewage but, by the 21st century, failing septic systems were discharging effluent not only into the soil, but also into the groundwater and into Victoria Harbour.

(Available in original language) Report describing how a number of Haitian local governments, with the help of FCM and local government associations from France and the Netherlands, have decided to put together the little resources they had to better respond to the challenges of reconstruction.

In 2005, the City of Montréal committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 20 per cent by 2012 (compared to 2002 levels), and in 2007, adopted a corporate action plan entitled Climate Protection.

The initial architectural plans for Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 1963 conceived of a dense residential community surrounding the new university.

Starting in 2005, 18,000 citizens of Calgary worked together to envision their future well into the next century. The process that established the city's long-term vision was called imagineCALGARY.

Yellowknife's northern geography, coupled with complex historical, political and resource-related issues, presents unique challenges for community development.

Join the panel of private-sector brownfield experts and their municipal partners as we discuss the details

Thousands of elected officials in all orders of government are using social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, to reach out to and engage with citizens.

A growing number of communities are faced with impacts attributable to climate change causing flood damage, the invasion of new insect pests and in coastal area loss of land.

(Available in Original Language) Municipalities can remediate their abandoned industrial sites and benefit from their prime locations to implement new initiatives.

(Available in original language) Municipalities can remediate their abandoned industrial sites and benefit from their prime locations to implement new initiatives.

Climate change and extreme weather events are placing stressors on municipal services, infrastructure and codes/standards.

Climate change and extreme weather events are placing stressors on municipal services, infrastructure and codes/standards.

Three municipalities will share with you their uses of social media to help them further their sustainability objectives.

This video from Virage Simulation demonstrates how different driving techniques can save a lot of fuel.

About eight years ago, when the Town of the Blue Mountains found itself with too little space to meet its administrative needs, Council examined its options and made a bold choice: to build a new town hall on a brownfield site.

The 79-year-old Calgary Public Building required extensive renovation to continue as a home for the performing arts and a healthy workplace for City of Calgary staff.

In 2008, the City of Medicine Hat developed a community environmental roadmap that set two targets: to reduce residential energy consumption by 20 per cent by 2020 and to obtain 25 per cent of residential energy from renewable sources by 2025.

The City of Victoria has a long history of permitting secondary suites in older and larger homes.

The City of Toronto has adopted a strategy to become a city where people choose to walk more and drive less.

The Regional District of Nanaimo owns and operates the Regional Landfill and the Church Road Transfer Station, and provides residential garbage collection and recycling service to more than 25,000 households in the region.

The Town of Olds' wastewater treatment plant was almost 30 years old and serving a population of 7,500 when trouble began - the facility was at capacity and posed an environmental hazard to receiving waters.

How will we get around in our cities in the future? What transit options fit the size and form of my community today? How do I improve service to increase active and mobile transit tomorrow?

How will we get around in our cities in the future? What transit options fit the size and form of my community today? How do I improve service to increase active and mobile transit tomorrow?

Keynote speech of the Hon. Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, at FCM's Board of Directors luncheon; as part of Advocacy Days on Parliament Hill.

FCM President and Director, Central Kootenay, British Columbia, Hans Cunningham, along with FCM Third Vice-President and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the City of Montréal, Claude Dauphin, host a press conference on November 17, 2010 - the first day of FCM´s annual Advocacy Days. 

FCM CEO Brock Carlton's interview with CBC The House, discussing the national challenges facing all Mayors and municipal leaders, at a critical juncture in the federal government's partnership with cities.

The Environmental Defense Fund has also produced What Fleet Efficiency Can Do for Your Company and the Planet, a video for fleet managers showing how simple steps add up to big results. 

An excellent example of early 20th century industrial architecture, the Wychwood Car Barns site in midtown Toronto was used for many years by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to repair and maintain its streetcar fleet.

An excellent example of early 20th century industrial architecture, the Wychwood Car Barns site in midtown Toronto was used for many years by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to repair and maintain its streetcar fleet.

In May 2009, the City of Campbell River became the first municipality in B.C. to install a green roof on an existing civic building.

In May 2009, the City of Campbell River became the first municipality in B.C. to install a green roof on an existing civic building.

Beyond LEED® Certified and far beyond R2000 and Energy Star, there is LEED Platinum - the highest rating for environmentally sound housing in the world.

Beyond LEED® Certified and far beyond R2000 and Energy Star, there is LEED Platinum - the highest rating for environmentally sound housing in the world.

The Town of Cobourg's Streetlight Renewal project began in 2008 with a review of new street lighting technologies.

The Town of Cobourg's Streetlight Renewal project began in 2008 with a review of new street lighting technologies.

With a population of 7,500 and an average household income of $15,500, Regent Park is Canada's oldest public housing community.

With a population of 7,500 and an average household income of $15,500, Regent Park is Canada's oldest public housing community.

Imagine Our Future is a joint initiative between the City of Williams Lake, its community partners, the Williams Lake Indian Band and Soda Creek Indian Band, and the community at large to envision a successful and sustainable Williams Lake in 2030 and create transition strategies to get there.

Imagine Our Future is a joint initiative between the City of Williams Lake, its community partners, the Williams Lake Indian Band and Soda Creek Indian Band, and the community at large to envision a successful and sustainable Williams Lake in 2030 and create transition strategies to get there.

Influencing supply to meet the range of housing needs is a huge challenge to every municipality.

Influencing supply to meet the range of housing needs is a huge challenge to every municipality.

Working together and with other community groups, the County of Haliburton and the district health unit ventured into new territory in the summer of 2009 by spearheading a project that applied transportation demand management (TDM) principles in a rural setting.

Working together and with other community groups, the County of Haliburton and the district health unit ventured into new territory in the summer of 2009 by spearheading a project that applied transportation demand management (TDM) principles in a rural setting.

This joint project undertaken by the Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) and the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) measured the effectiveness of green propulsion technology in reducing GHG emissions, and implemented a series of measures to enhance the speed, accessibility and comfort of public transit.

This joint project undertaken by the Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) and the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) measured the effectiveness of green propulsion technology in reducing GHG emissions, and implemented a series of measures to enhance the speed, accessibility and comfort of public transit.

With only one full-service waste management depot located in the north end of the regional municipality of York, many residents in the south had to drive long distances to dispose of their waste.

With only one full-service waste management depot located in the north end of the regional municipality of York, many residents in the south had to drive long distances to dispose of their waste.

End-of-pipe treatment wetlands are a relatively new, innovative and cost-effective way to treat stormwater runoff from older, built-out communities that would otherwise discharge street runoff directly to rivers.

End-of-pipe treatment wetlands are a relatively new, innovative and cost-effective way to treat stormwater runoff from older, built-out communities that would otherwise discharge street runoff directly to rivers.

View the exclusive interview with Lester Brown, President of the Earth Policy Institute

The Dockside Green development has served as a demonstration model for many innovative measures and has influenced Victoria's future land-use policies.

The City of Toronto used the Toronto Green Standard (TGS) and the Better Buildings Partnership - New Construction program (BBP-NC) as a two-pronged approach to encourage sustainable building design and address several of the city's environmental challenges.

The Township of South Stormont, encouraged and assisted by a small, dedicated group of volunteers, organized the Kilowatt Countdown Challenge, which offers 200 energy-saving tips to residents as a motivational tool to reduce electricity consumption.

The ISO 14001 standard represents the strongest possible commitment to environmental management, and few municipalities in the world have applied it as broadly to their operations as the City of Edmonton.

The City of Langford designed the Affordable Housing, Parks and Amenity Contribution (AHPAC) Policy to increase the availability of affordable housing, improve ecological health and enhance public amenities in the community.

In preparation for the 2010 Olympics, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) built a temporary athletes' village which will be converted into a sustainable, compact, pedestrian-oriented community after the Olympics.

On June 2, 2008, the Town of Banff became the first Canadian municipality to operate a public transit fleet composed only of diesel-electric hybrid buses.

Since 1998, the youth organization Groupe Solidarité Jeunesse and the City of Victoriaville have organized an annual environmental awareness campaign to raise funds for humanitarian missions. The campaign culminates each October in the Journée Normand-Maurice - a one-day door-to-door collection of household hazardous waste (HHW) by local youth volunteers.

The Well Aware program supports and encourages well stewardship among private well owners. Spearheaded by Green Communities Canada (GCC) and its non-profit member organizations, the program partners with municipal governments and groups in communities across Ontario.

The federal government must work closely with cities to keep its $12-billion infrastructure stimulus plan on track and strengthen the economy.

This short video highlights the achievements of five Canadian municipalities, and one extraordinary individual, as a result of their contribution to municipal capacity building overseas.