Tools

PCP participates in the MC3 project, which brings together academics and municipalities in British Columbia to identify emerging best practices and share knowledge gained through community-based climate change initiatives. Read more about the project.

Learn from Environment Canada's science-based, objective and user-friendly document on the various aspects of Municipal Solid Waste organic waste management processing.

The purpose of this protocol template is to provide Municipalities with a tool to develop customized protocols for the siting of Antenna Systems within their Municipality.

This guide provides helpful information for municipalities that seek to promote the role of women in municipal politics through the Protégé Program.

This document offers useful insight for young women who have entered into the Protégé program, to help them to get the most out of their experience.

A time reporting system will help you to keep track of the number of hours spent with your protégé, and the number of hours she is spending doing other activities

List of suggested activities you can do with your protégé, as well as possible learning opportunities the protégés can do as a group

We ask that you have the protégés sign self-identification sheets so they may choose to identify as members of designated groups for the purposes of employment equity

Example of a resolution to a municipal council on creating a Protégé Program that you can modify for your community.

A press release can help to convey a clear message about the program to the public

Sample rejection letter

Sample letter of acceptance

Your thoughts on the experience will help inform similar programs across Canada

An activity plan will be helpful for you both to determine what sort of meetings and events you and your protégé can attend together

Sample application form, which can be tailored to the needs of your municipality

We recommend that all participants sign a release, allowing both you and FCM to use photographs taken during the program for its activities, at its events and in its promotional material

An in-kind contribution is any item or service that is donated to the program without an exchange of cash

Sample confidentiality agreement for computer use

Additional information regarding women in politics and municipal elections

Sample confidentiality agreement

(Available in original language) Vous préparez un projet municipal de valorisation de la biomasse? Le Réseau d'expertise et de valorisation en biomasse forestière vous présente des projets de leaders municipaux.

Discover the Montréal Urban Ecology Centre's  Green, Active and Healthy Neighbourhoods. This program to encourage active transportation was implemented in five Montréal neighbourhoods. Learn from inspirational ideas from Canada and elsewhere.

(Available in original language) Avec le soutien du FMV, l'AQME offre un service aux municipalités du Québec gratuit, objectif et multisource afin de faciliter la prise de décision pour l'implantation de mesures d'efficacité énergétique et de réduction des GES. 

(Available in original language) L'Ordre des urbanistes du Québec assure la protection du public en contrôlant l'exercice de la profession grâce à des lois constitutives et met la profession et ses professionnels au service des collectivités québécoises.

Find out how communities across Canada are making the most of their brownfields and discover sustainable options for remediation and redevelopment.

This interactive energy management tool helps building managers track and assess energy and water consumption in a secure online environment. 

This table outlines what costs can be partially reimbursed by FCM for capital projects.

This table outlines what costs can be partially reimbursed by FCM for field tests.

This table outlines what costs can be partially reimbursed by FCM for feasibility studies.

This table outlines what costs can be partially reimbursed by FCM for plans.

All applicants for GMF funding must submit letters confirming the funding contributions of each confirmed contributing organization, including the lead municipality, for the initiative for which GMF funding is requested.

This sample letter provides sufficient evidence of consultation with your provincial or territorial government, a prerequisite for GMF funding for feasibilty studies, field tests and capital projects. This requirement does not apply to municipal governments in Quebec.

The sample wording in this resolution can be used to meet the GMF requirement for a municipal council resolution to undertake a plan.

Find out what prerequisites you need to meet and which documents you will be asked to submit to support your application for GMF funding for a capital project in the water sector.

Find out what prerequisites you need to meet and which documents you will be asked to submit to support your application for GMF funding for a capital project in the waste sector.

Find out what prerequisites you need to meet and which documents you will be asked to submit to support your application for GMF funding for a capital project in the transportation sector.

Find out what prerequisites you need to meet and which documents you will be asked to submit to support your application for GMF funding for a capital project in the energy sector.

Find out what prerequisites you need to meet and which documents you will be asked to submit to support your application for GMF funding for a capital project in the brownfields sector.

Find out what prerequisites you need to meet and which documents you will be asked to submit to support your application for GMF funding for a feasibility study or field test.

Find out what prerequisites you need to meet and which documents you will be asked to submit to support your application for GMF funding for a plan.

This table  explains each evaluation criterion and its value for feasibility study and field test applications.

This table explains each evaluation criterion and its value for plans: sustainable neighbourhood plans, greenhouse gas emissions reduction plans, and brownfield action plans.

(Available in original language) Découvrez, à l'aide de ce répertoire du MAMROT, une gamme d'outils  de développement durable réalisés à l'intention des organismes municipaux québécois. 

International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics is an interactive network of women in politics who share experiences, resources and advise, and collaborate on issues of interest.

CBC's Rachel Cave talks with Karen Leivovici, president, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, about women in politics.

Let our Roadmap be your guide through Prince Edward Island's brownfields remediation and redevelopment process.

Let our Roadmap be your guide through Yukon's brownfields remediation and redevelopment process.

Let our Roadmap be your guide through Saskatchewan's brownfields remediation and redevelopment process.

Let our Roadmap be your guide through Newfoundland and Labrador's brownfields remediation and redevelopment process.

Let our Roadmap be your guide through Nova Scotia's brownfields remediation and redevelopment process.

Let our Roadmap be your guide through Northwest Territories' brownfields remediation and redevelopment process.

Let our Roadmap be your guide through Nunavat's brownfields remediation and redevelopment process.

Let our Roadmap be your guide through New Brunswick's brownfields remediation and redevelopment process.

Let our Manitoba Brownfield Roadmap be your guide through the remediation and redevelopment process.

Let our Roadmap be your guide through Quebec's brownfields remediation and redevelopment process. 

Let our Roadmap be your guide through Ontario's brownfields remediation and redevelopment process. 

Let our Roadmap be your guide through B.C.'s brownfields remediation and redevelopment process.

Let our Roadmap be your guide through Alberta's brownfields remediation and redevelopment process. 

Several Ontario municipalities have implemented innovative policies to encourage brownfield redevelopment.

Check out this presentation to introduce your colleagues to five key strategies for successfully implementing your sustainable community plan. Customizable PowerPoint version available upon request at gmf@fcm.ca.  

Discover five strategies used by the City of Montréal, the City of Hamilton and the Resort Municipality of Whistler to successfully implement their award-winning sustainability plans.

This document will guide you through the development of your local climate change action plan, which we refer to as a local action plan. It includes examples of strategies that Partners for Climate Protection member municipalities have used successfully, and highlights model local action plans.

Climate change is having an impact in your community and across the country. Local governments are creating momentum for climate protection. PCP can help empower your community to decide where, when and how it will take action on climate change.

Developed by The Natural Step Canada in collaboration with Dr. Stephanie Bertels and the Network for Business Sustainability, this report helps municipal sustainability practitioners advance sustainability in their organizations and become role models for others in the community.

Delve into the first comprehensive review of leading Alberta municipal sustainability plans, conducted by Stratos Inc. in partnership with FCM and other municipal associations.

(Available in original language) Vous souhaitez entreprendre un projet d'efficacité énergétique au Québec? Consultez la trousse à outil de l'AQME intégrant les nouvelles tendances, des études de cas et les sources de financement pour réaliser votre projet. 

(Available in original language) Découvrez un règlement qui encadre l'aménagement des espaces de stationnement axés sur le développement durable. Apprenez comment les décideurs de l'Arrondissement Saint-Laurent pensent la ville autrement.

This resource aims to help transportation planners, urban practitioners and other professionals to improve urban and suburban bus services in smaller communities across Canada (© Transport Canada).

(Available in original language) Découvrez ce guide issu de la collection des bonnes pratiques sur la planification territoriale et le développement durable du Ministère des Affaires 

Guidelines and procedures for running for municipal election in the Yukon.

Apply now for GMF funding.

Find out what we are looking for in a strong capital project application with the new Project Scorecard.

Assess your eligibility for GMF funding before you apply.

The purpose of this guide, prepared by the Government of Nova Scotia is to help municipalities prepare Municipal Climate Change Action Plans . The guide aims to help municipalities reduce greenhouse gas emissions and identify priorities for climate change adaptation.

Engineers Canada, in partnership with Natural Resources Canada, has developed and tested the PIEVC Engineering Protocol. This protocol is a structured procedure using standard risk assessment methods to assess and document infrastructure's vulnerability to future climate change impacts.

Tool to complete a GHG inventory

This compendium contains a cross-section of project summaries of the most innovative ACT-funded solutions. It outlines the issues addressed, the changes implemented and the results. It is not intended to be an exhaustive review of all ACT-funded solutions. The objective, rather, is to highlight those projects which have the greatest potential to be widely replicated.

Fleet Challenge Ontario presents this manual to help fleet managers initiate, deploy, and maintain a green fleet.

Why should women enter municipal politics? With women at the table, their issues are more likely to be included in all political discussions. Women also take a different approach to the process and to policy content.

Find out how the Government of Ontario supports the remediation and redevelopment of brownfield sites in communities across the province.

The publication, written by the Clean Air Partnership, outlines the research and writing steps as well as the challenges and benefits associated with case study writing.

The purpose of the handbook, prepared by the Canadian Institute of Planners is to help small Canadian communities to prepare and implement a climate change adaptation plan. It can help community planners take the key steps required to plan for climate change adaptation and decision makers determine what strategic actions need to be taken. It is especially useful for small communities without "in house" planning resources.

This guide from ICLEI-Canada provides a milestone framework that leads local government practitioners through a process of initiation, research, planning, implementation and monitoring for climate adaptation planning. The workbook is filled with practical tools and exercises to support the milestone process, and the information annexes summarize a variety of policy and scientific resources that can be used to compliment your activities.

Learn more about the Government of Canada's ongoing negotiations on CETA

This guide summarizes the lessons  learned from integrating TDM initiatives into municipal transportation plans and operations (© Transport Canada).

Check out this information partnership portal on water issues and sustainability targeted to British Columbia communities.

Learn how you can plan and implement water-saving projects with this toolkit developed by the POLIS Water Sustainability Project.

Explore a multi-barrier approach to drinking water protection that builds on the experiences of Canadian jurisdictions and offers a template that integrates Canadian Water Quality Guidelines, best management practices, research and monitoring.

Tap into a collection of key publications from the Water Soft Path Project that address water management challenges and their soft path alternatives.

Learn how to involve your community in conserving and protecting water resources.

Tap into this initiative to better understand the structure and dynamics of urban water use, and to help reorient Canadian water management from supply to demand-side approaches.

Follow the Province of Alberta's roadmap to advance innovative waste management strategies.

Envision the role of public transit in Canada over the next 30 years.

Expand transportation options and reduce overall vehicle use in your community with this reader-friendly toolkit.

8-80 Cities is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to transforming cities into places where people can walk, bike, access public transit and visit vibrant parks, streets and other public places.

Discover best practices in sustainable transportation that benefit society and the environment while enhancing mobility.

Dig into dozens of transportation demand management (TDM) strategies, and find general information on TDM planning and evaluation techniques.

Promote the use of active and efficient transportation with the Green Council of Canada's Active & Safe Routes to School website, including resources, tools, information and links for schools and communities to create their own unique program.

Champion the development of healthy, sustainable and efficient communities where people choose to walk with tools and resources from Walk 21.

Plan streets for people and places and improve safety and mobility, sustainability and resilience with this leading project.

Learn about this international organization's global advocacy of public transport and sustainable mobility, and innovations in the sector.

Bring smart growth home with the Canada Green Building Council’s Sustainable Communities Toolkit.

Discover strategies, tips and tools that municipalities of all sizes can use to take immediate action on climate change through green buildings, green neighborhoods, and sustainable infrastructure.

Learn how your municipality can save energy, reduce costs and show leadership in developing successful energy management strategies and plans.

Pay a visit to EfficienCity and see how pioneering, real-world communities throughout the UK are using decentralized energy.

Gain access to relevant tools, training and solutions through this rich information source on brownfield remediation and redevelopment.

Learn about the benefits, risks and barriers to redeveloping brownfield sites.

Check out Canada's resource for contaminated property listings and community improvement plans.

Dig into a wealth of information about innovative treatment and site characterization technologies compiled by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Read about the City of Kingston’s experience redeveloping its brownfields, including the scientific, technological, socio-economic, political, legal and planning aspects.

Discover a powerful tool that is transforming stakeholder engagement for metropolitan areas, municipalities and regional districts.

Share the resources offered by this wiki website dedicated to putting sustainability plans at your fingertips.

Follow this step-by-step guide based on common elements and experiences of communities that have created long-term integrated sustainability plans.

Check out the Institute's wealth of publications and resources on planning issues.

This manual is a resource for transportation planners and other professionals to accommodate, promote and support active transportation in planning and development (© Transport Canada).

(Available in original language)

Nova Scotia Advisory Council members are women from across Nova Scotia who have demonstrated interest and involvement in women's issues in their communities.

(Available in original language)

The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) represents Alberta's 284 urban municipalities. AUMA´s Women in Municipal Government Committee works to raise awareness of the importance of women in governance and to strengthen the participation of women in the democratic process. Priorities for this Committee in 2009 included increasing communication of issues and initiatives related to women in municipal politics to the broader AUMA membership and identifying and providing input to the Board of Directors on any emerging issues. 

The Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women´s Clubs (BPW Canada) develops the professional and leadership potential of women in Canada through education, awareness, advocacy and mentoring within a supportive network. 

The Canadian Women Voters Congress is a non-partisan, grassroots charitable organization, dedicated to encouraging Canadian women to become strong, effective voices at all levels of government. They aim to educate women about political and organizational systems; encourage women of all backgrounds and political persuasions to participate in the political process; and inspire women to assume leadership roles. 

Equal voice is a multi-partisan organization dedicated to electing more women in Canada. The organization offers a wide range of networking and learning activities.

Getting to the Gate, an Equal Voice online tool for women interested in getting into politics.

The Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities has developed a specific Women in Local Government project. The project aims to identify the opportunities to better involve women as citizens and as politicians in municipal government; recommend measures to involve women in all their diversity in consultation and engagement activities of municipal government; recommend measures for recruiting and retaining women in municipal electoral politics; and have women represent at least 30 per cent of municipal elected officials across Nova Scotia.

Explore this list of information, tools and resources to help your community become more sustainable.

This best practices guide aims to help municipal fleet managers find cost-effective ways to reduce emissions from heavy-duty vehicles – Class 6 through Class 8 vehicles with gross-vehicle weight ratings of 3,856 kg (8,500 pounds) or more.

This best practices guide focuses on five key recommendations to help municipal fleet managers reduce greenhouse gas and criteria air contaminant emissions from heavy-duty vehicles

This national guide, written by Robert Black, James Bruce and Mark Egener, provides a process to help users identify and analyze risks due to climate change as well as communicate the findings of the analysis. It follows a standard risk management approach and uses Canadian risk management terminology. The guide provides the method and helpful hints on the risk assessment process.

Make clean, efficient and convenient transportation options a reality with these examples of innovative, integrated approaches in the urban transportation sector.

This guide is meant to assist municipal fleet managers, mayors, councillors and other municipal staff involved in fleet management to reduce emissions from heavy-duty diesel fleet vehicles.

This guide aims to help municipal fleet managers, mayors, councillors and other municipal staff involved in fleet management reduce emissions from HDD fleet vehicles

This guide aims to help transportation planners, TDM specialists, and program managers influence transportation choices (© Transport Canada).

This guide aims to help municipalities create appropriate and attractive bicycle parking and related facilities that will encourage bicycle use (© Transport Canada).

(Available in French only) This tool, produced by Ouranos for Quebec communities, discusses the need for adaptation and provides an overview of the expected climatic changes and impacts for Quebec as they relate to municipalities.  The tool takes users through a process that results in the development of an adaptation plan.

You can download the customizable PowerPoint presentation below, complete with notes, to discuss the topic with your peers, elected officials and other stakeholders.

Strengthen your municipality's contribution to quality of life, the environment, health, mobility and economic development by improving the efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness of public transit.

Find concrete solutions to protect human health and the environment through transportation, agriculture, energy and climate change initiatives.

Connect with a national network that provides research, advocacy, and clarity on brownfield issues, and promotes brownfield property reuse as the preferred solution for developers.

Nominate a project, program or person for the CUI Brownie Awards.

This guide aims to help employers to encourage their employees to find more efficient and sustainable ways of commuting to work (© Transport Canada).

Guidance on completing milestone 5 of the PCP program

Discover how the Guidance and Orientation for the Selection of Technologies (GOST) approach can help brownfields project managers restore contaminated sites through technical assistance and practical information.

Learn how your municipal government can reduce waste and reap the economic, social and environmental benefits.

Use this planning tool to help your municipality meet its sustainability goals with energy efficiency projects.

The Submission Requirements for Milestone Recognition checklist outlines the information required from PCP members seeking recognition of their achievement of PCP milestones

Sample resolution to join PCP

This short reference guide includes tools for estimating transportation emissions and information on when and how they should be used (© Transport Canada).

This guide is intended to help planners and decision-makers determine whether and how to implement public bicycle sharing in their community (© Transport Canada).

This compendium lists current research and findings on the key attitudes and perceptions of Canadians on sustainable transportation (© Transport Canada).

These guidelines will help organizations working on TDM initiatives to measure their impacts and evaluate progress (© Transport Canada).

You can also download the customizable PowerPoint presentation below, complete with notes, to introduce alternative development standards to your peers, elected officials and other stakeholders.

ACT has completed a guide on Alternative Development Standards (ADS). Development standards are the rules that municipalities use to guide the planning, design and construction of residential communities. Development standards determine things such as the size and layout of lots, design of streets, amount of parking and stormwater management methods. Municipal initiatives using alternative development standards may be eligible for an ACT grant.

This guide offers municipal staff and officials strategies for gaining community acceptance of sound housing developments. The Guide highlights best practices in use by municipalities across Canada. Users will find practical tools for engaging their communities on housing options and gain support for housing developments.

Read inspiring stories of how Nova Scotia municipalities reduced GHGs and saved money through their dollars and sense projects.

This guide aims to help engineers, planners, health professionals, and others to improve travel options for residents of small and rural communities (© Transport Canada).

Detailed implementation strategy for the local action plan.

This publication features seven municipalities starting to think about adaptation in their communities

This booklet has been developed to support the implementation of tools and resources to promote strong, effective and accountable municipal government

The overall goal of the program is to make women feel inspired and familiar with the job of a municipal councillor so they may consider running for elected office and help increase women’s participation in municipal government.

Based on the experiences of municipal politicians across the country, the toolkit gives women considering running for municipal office an understanding of the job, provides tips and strategies for running a campaign and includes a comprehensive listing of other sources that can be consulted and a list of relevant legislation and provincial contacts.

Find out how the Government of Canada is responding to the potential risks of brownfield sites with the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP).

This guide has been developed to help build the knowledge management capacity of local government associations involved in FCM’s international programs, as well as to support knowledge sharing on local governance more broadly around the world.

This Guidebook is designed to assist local governments in incorporating climate change adaptation and mitigation into planning and operations. The users include local governments, planners, policy-makers and community leaders who aim to address local development issues in a sustainable way and are concerned about climate change. The approach outlined in this Guidebook advocates for creating partnerships with civil society members, researchers and other experts in the climate change impacts and responses field.

Learn how your municipal government can take action to integrate active transportation into your planning.

Discover how your municipal government can implement measures that influence whether, why, when, where and how people travel.

Customize this presentation, complete with speaking notes, to introduce transportation demand management to your council, staff or peers.

Local action planning is the process of creating a strategic document that outlines specifically how your municipality will achieve a selected greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target. This document will guide you through the stakeholder engagement process, based on lessons learned from various municipalities.

An overview of the PCP five-milestone framework and a list of resources available to help you achieve each milestone

This handbook explains how to complete inventories and forecasts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that result in recognition of Milestone 1. The primary users of this handbook will be local government staff or consultants who have been asked to develop an emissions inventory. The handbook will also be useful to senior staff and council members who are planning budgets to complete Milestone One. The value of inventories of GHG emissions becomes apparent when local governments begin to set reduction targets for local government operations and the community (Milestone Two).

This publication aims to present the special characteristics of Canadian municipal institutions and to describe the similarities between the various types of municipal government, such as cities, districts, towns or townships.

See examples of transportation-related environmental indicators and sample methodologies to help you measure your project's success.

This Local Government Participatory Practices Manual is designed to contribute to the ability of municipal officials and staff to initiate or strengthen participatory practices in their own communities.

A helpful resource describing the benefits and constraints on municipalities with respect to international trade agreements.

Find out how Canada's water quality guidelines compare with corresponding frameworks in the U.S., the European Union, and Australia, and with guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization.

This guide was designed by local government stakeholders to provide a practical tool to assess where your municipality currently stands and to suggest steps that Local Government Authorities (LGAs) and stakeholders can take to promote gender equality in LGA operations and interactions in collaboration with citizens.

Useful when hiring a climate change coordinator

Judge your city's performance – and what you still need to do...

In Nova Scotia, women are under-represented in municipal government. Women make up more than 50 per cent of Nova Scotia’s population yet only 21.7 per cent of municipal councillors (the third lowest in Canada), seven per cent of wardens and mayors and only 14.5 per cent of chief administrators (the lowest in Canada).

Stay informed of the latest in infrastructure developments with Canada's infrastructure renewal magazine.

Presented here are lists of the top ten corporate and community activities implemented by municipalities in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

This resource kit is a companion document to the Final Report of the FCM Increasing Women's Participation in Municipal Consultation Processes project. The resources and tools in this kit are based upon the findings of this one-year research project conducted by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities with funding from Status of Women Canada (June 2003-2004).

Learn about the economic, social, fiscal and environmental benefits of cooperative planning and development in this summary.

Find out more about the economic, social, fiscal and environmental benefits of cooperative planning and development in this full report.

Design a waste system tailored to your community with this comprehensive, step-by-step, do-it-yourself process.

Check out these innovative resource management ideas and decision-making process for designing an integrated resource and waste management system.

Learn how municipal governments across Canada are making solid waste management a policy and regulatory priority.

See this overview of proven and emerging solid waste management technologies suitable for Canadian municipalities.

Use this practical introduction to water soft path (WSP) implementation to explore the steps in WSP planning for municipalities.

Check out the quality tools, resources, services, networking and professional development opportunities offered by ACT Canada.

This document demonstrates how municipal governments can, and often do, serve as the cornerstone for building peace and managing conflict.

This document is designed to guide you through the development of a climate change action plan

Check out the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy's National Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy — a realistic, practical, and innovative blueprint for action.

Most municipal governments in Canada are struggling with how to maintain, fix or replace aging infrastructure. This guide outlines the practical steps that help answer some fundamental questions in relatively short order - what do we have in the way of infrastructure assets, what are they worth, and what should we be budgeting this year and over the next decade to properly sustain these assets?

Help your community become more livable through the U.S. National Center for Bicycling and Walking's publications, events and other resources.

The Estimated Inventory estimates the distribution of emissions among sectors like buildings, transportation, and industry, and guides you to where your greatest opportunities for reductions are. You can use the Estimated Inventory to pursue projects immediately in areas where the greatest reduction benefits are, and to guide you in completing the detailed corporate and community inventories.

Introduction to green infrastructure design