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Mayors and delegates gather for agroup photo at Winter Cities 2000.
uleå and Kiruna, Sweden werehosts of Winter Cities 2000,
February 12 to 16, the first time theevent was hosted by two cities.Winter Cities 2000 comprised thebiennial International Conference ofMayors of Northern Cities, whichwas held in Luleå, and a WinterForum and Winter Expo in each ofthe two cities. The conferencetheme was ?SustainableDevelopment of Winter Cities.?Twenty-six cities from ten countriesparticipated in conference events.
Mayors ConferenceThe ninth Mayors Conferencefeatured an opening session on theconference theme by keynotespeaker Eva Smith, director of theSwedish National EnvironmentProtection Board. Other sessionsdealt with ?CountermeasuresAgainst Natural Disasters,?
The following were alsoannounced at the Mayorsconference—• a revised membership fee system
that will encourage broaderparticipation in the IAMNC;
Please see Winter Cities 2000 onpage 2.
he cities of Luleå and Kirunahave declared Winter Cities
2000 a success. Each of the hostsof Winter Cities 2000 already claimsnew ideas for more livable winters,new friends, and new businesspotential.
LuleåOne hundred and eighty-fivecompanies from Sweden, Norway,Finland, Japan, China, the UnitedStates, and Denmark participated inthe Winter Expo in Luleå. Visitors tothe showcase totaled 8,500persons. Exhibits ranged fromwinter technology and recyclingsystems to fish, handicrafts, andtourism. The Norwegian firm RyaProdukter had such an enthusiasticresponse to its exhibit of fishproducts that it is consideringopening a fish specialty shop inLuleå. The Winter Forum in Luleå
presented by the deputy mayor ofHarbin, and ?Snow Removal andCivil Cooperation,? by the mayors ofPrince George and Nuuk. Final subcommittee reports weremade on Recycling in Winter Cities,Winter Tourism, and EconomicExpansion in Northern Cities, andtwo new research subcommitteeswere announced. The secretariat ofthe new subcommittee onCountermeasures Against NaturalDisasters will be assumed by thecity of Sapporo, and the secretariatof the new subcommittee for SnowRemoval and Civil Cooperation willbe assumed by the city of PrinceGeorge.
offered 61 seminars on topicsranging from ?Planning andRealizing Playgrounds in WinterCities,? and ?Sub-Arctic Airports,? to?Cold Storage Applications,? and?Planning for Student Housing in aCold Climate.? Seminars wereattended by more than 1,800people. The city of Luleå provided anidyllic backdrop to Winter Cities2000. The port town of Luleå withits frozen rivers and pastoralsettings dotted with red and yellowhouses, provided a venue whereone could truly experience theambience of this Swedish city. Please see Concrete Results onpage 2.
NGO in Consultative Status (Roster) with the Economic and Social Council of the UnitedNations
The Northern Intercity Newsis published by the city of
Sapporo andis an official publicationof the Secretariat of the
City of Sapporo, Kita-1, Nishi-2,Chuo-ku,Sapporo 060-8611, Japantel: +81-11-211-2032Fax: +81-11-218-5168;[email protected]
International Association of
Mayors of NorthernCities
Northern Intercity News
2
Continued from page 1.
• a decision to allow the host city ofthe Mayors Conference to makethe Winter Cities Showcase andForum optional events;
• acceptance of new members:Taebaek, Republic of Korea, and
Continued from page 1. ?We were so happy to have hadthe chance to host the Winter Cities2000 Conference,? remarked Luleåmayor Ulla Ölvebro. Mayor Ölvebrohas extended invitations toeveryone to ?come and see us, andbring your friends!?
Maardu, Estonian Republic;• the selection of Anchorage, Alaskaas host of the eleventh MayorsConference in 2004.
Plans for the Coming YearThe general assembly meeting inLuleå made tentative plans for thecoming year. These include thepromotion of exchanges ofinformation on administration andurban technology among northerncities through WinterNet. EachIAMNC member city will establish aweb site linked with WinterNet toimprove information distribution. The general assembly alsoadvocated the establishment ofcooperative relations with variousrelated institutions andorganizations around the world,including local governments. TheIAMNC will participate inconferences organized by theUnited Nations as a UN-recognizedNGO, and the association will workon expanding membership bydeveloping activities and makingthe conference more widely knownamong winter cities around theworld. Another goal is to expand thefunction of researchsubcommittees. Researchsubcommittees will conduct studieson topics in which member citiesshow great interest.
Technical ToursFollowing the morning portions ofthe Mayors Conference in Luleå,daily technical tours were offered todelegates, providing opportunitiesto observe society, business,government, and applications oftechnology in Sweden.
KirunaAccording to Lars Törnman, mayorof Kiruna, his city•fs contribution toWinter Cities 2000 was a successon many levels—visits by importantdecision makers, the opportunity forbusinesses and the city to worktogether in planning andimplementing the events, numerousactivities for local residents, and thegreat media coverage for Kiruna. Atleast 200 newspaper articles havebeen published on Winter Cities2000, with great coverage of therole of Kiruna in the conference, aswell as many radio and televisionreports. Germany•fs largesttelevision station covered the wholeevent in Kiruna, and print andtelevision journalists from Japan,China, and other countries wererepresented too. ?Kiruna tried to make the WinterCities 2000 a meeting place for allpartners to the science businesshere,? said Mayor Törnman afterthe conference, ?and the result wasa tremendous success—and Kirunaworked very hard to make it so.? The Winter Forum in Kirunacomprised five symposia, whichoffered a smorgasbord of seminarsranging from ?Cold Physiology inHumans,? and ?Women in ColdClimates,? to ?Mountain Rescue,?and ?Regulation of the Climate: theRole of the Arctic.? More than athousand registered participantsattended sessions of the forum.
Successes in KirunaKiruna•fs Winter Expo offereddelegates a chance to examinedisplays that complemented the forum
technology in Sweden. One of the highlights of thesetechnical tours was a visit to therecently opened Sunderby Hospitalin Luleå. Supporting its claim as themost modern hospital in Europe,Sunderby Hospital represents astunningly innovative approach tomedical care, focusing onarchitecture, state-of-the-arttechnology, and emphasizing notonly better patient care but alsogreater concern for the environment.
Winter Expo in Luleå.
IAMNC OfficialsPresident: mayor of SapporoVice Presidents: mayors of Tromsø,Shenyang, and Prince George
Standing Directors: mayors ofLuleå, Kiruna, and Aomori
Nonstanding Director: mayor ofStockholm Auditor: mayor of Anchorage
and themes of Winter Cities 2000; andthe Expo in Kiruna offeredopportunities for companies to initiatebusiness partnerships as well as salesof products and services. One of the exhibitors there was thesmall Bjorkis Company, whichproduces equipment for dog sledding.By the last day of the Expo, Bjorkishad succeeded in signing contractswith a Finnish company and a Germancompany. Bjorkis also participated inthe Anchorage conference in 1994,and that event resulted in a contractfor the company as the main dealer inSweden for the American dog foodproducer Eagle Pack. Mayor Törnmanpointed to this activity as a goodexample of how the Kirunamunicipality has worked in the IAMNC. For Winter Cities 2000, the Kirunamunicipality coordinated theparticipation of all interested partiesin Kiruna. All organizations active inKiruna received an invitation toparticipate in the Kiruna booth, andthey were required only to preparetheir own part of the Expo and paytheir own travel expenses. Thismethod, claims Mayor Törnman,where the city provides preparatorywork and all basic costs, has beenvery successful. Bjorkis, the mayorpoints out, is not the only example ofhow it works. Mayor Törnman reported that theorganizers have heard nothing butpraise from visitors who traveled toKiruna, and the comments from thepeople of Kiruna have also beenfavorable. One of those who praisedKiruna•fs part in the event was BertilCarlstedt of the Swedish Ministry forTrade and Industry. Mr. Carlstedt saidthat this cooperation betweenbusiness and the municipality hasbeen an example to others.
Luleå web site - www.lulea.seKiruna web site -www.kiruna.se/english
Northern Intercity News 3
Seizo Sasaki, mayor ofAomori, Japan, invitedconference delegates inLule? to Aomori for thetenth MayorsConference in 2002.Mayor Sasakiannounced that heexpected to develop atheme related to thecompact city inconnection withsustainable
development. The theme will include revitalizingcity centers, avoiding urban sprawl, keepingurban functions concentrated in existing areas,more efficient snow removal, and issues relatedto the welfare of the elderly.
Mayor Sasaki alsoindicated that he expectsto provide exchangeopportunities for sports,arts, and culture, and tooffer meetingopportunities for localartists. The mayorstressed the importanceof art in culturalexchange and expressedthe desire to seeparticipating membersbring art and artists fromtheir cities to Aomori in2002.
Aomori City web sitewww.city.aomori.aomori.jp
Aomori Mayor Seizo Sasaki invites delegates to his city for the Mayors Conference in 2002.
of the Ninth Northern IntercityConference of Mayors
Lule? and Kiruna, February 12 ? 16,2000
Bosnia Zenica
Canada Prince George
China
Changchun,Harbin, Jamusi,Jixi, Shenyang
Greenland (Denmark) Nuuk
Finland Kemi, Oulu
Japan Aomori, Sapporo
Korea Taebaek
Norway
In order to revitalizethe development of theIAMNC as we enter the21st century, we mustreconfirm the basicprinciples upon whichour Association wasfounded, in conjunctionwith strong groupefforts and an aim ofexpanding the numberof members.
The role of the
Winter City-relatedinformation/homepagesof member cities are tobe linked with thenewly establishedWinterNet to enhanceefficient exchange ofinformation.
The 11th InternationalNorthern IntercityConference of Mayorswill be hosted by thecity of Anchorage.
Troms?, Bardu,M?lselv
Sweden
Kiruna, Lule?,Stockholm,?lvsbyn, Boden,Haparanda, Pajala,Pite?
USA
Anchorage,Minneapolis
Boldface indicatesIAMNC member.
Secretariat of thesubcommittee forCountermeasuresAgainst NaturalDisasters to be newlyassumed by the city ofSapporo. The role ofthe Secretariat of thesubcommittee for SnowRemoval and CivilCooperation to benewly assumed by thecity of Prince George.Research period toextend up to fouryears. Overall increasein activity withinsubcommittees to be ageneral Associationgoal.
Mr. Kjell Mickelsson,former Mayor of Lule?,having madesignificantcontributions to thedevelopment of theIAMNC, shall begranted honorarymembership.
Ms Ulla ?lvebro,mayor of Lule?, andMr. Lars T?rnman,mayor of Kiruna, whohosted the ninthNorthern IntercityConference of Mayors,and the citizens ofLule? and Kiruna, whosupported theconference shall begreatly honored.
The IAMNC has reduced fees for membership in the association in orderto encourage broader participation. The reduced fees will be in effectJanuary 1, 2001.
Current Membership Fees Per City Per Annum GDP Per Capita $0 ? 4,999 $5,000 ? 14,999$15,000 or more
City Population Fee Fee Fee 0 ? 99,999 $500 $1,000 $3,000 100,000 ? 299,999 1,000 2,000 6,000 300,000 ? 499,999 1,500 3,000 9,000 500,000 ? 999,999 2,000 4,000 12,000 1,000,000 or more2,500 5,000 15,000
Revised Membership Fees Per City Per Annum GDP Per Capita $0 ? 9,999 $10,000 or more
City Population 0 ? 499,999 $1,000 $2,000 500,000 ? 999,999 1,500 4,000
1,000,000 or more 2,000 6,000
Dollar figures are U.S. currency.
Population and GDP: UN Demographic Yearbook, UN StatisticalYearbook.
Northern Intercity News
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Taebaek City islocated near the eastcoast of the Republicof Korea in theTaebaek MountainRange.Geographically,Taebaek is situated at38 degrees northlatitude and 129degrees east longitude. The city of Taebaekis an important culturaland historical center ofthe Republic of Koreaand is regarded as thehome of the nation andpeople. The city is alsopivotal geographicallyon the peninsula, asthe origins of thelargest rivers in Koreaoriginate in theTaebaek area, andTaebaek suppliesdrinking water toimportant parts of thecountry. Mt. Taebaek, from
Mt. Taebaek Snow FestivalThe Mt. Taebaek Snow Festival is held inJanuary or February every year at Mt. Taebaek,which is famous for its natural winter sceneryand winter climbing. Snow festival events arealso held throughout the entire city of Taebaekand Mt. Taebaek Provincial Park and include asnow sculpture contest, a snow sledge ridingcontest, a nationwide snow photography contest,an amateur singing contest, a Mt. Taebaekclimbing contest, and other winter events.
Taebaekje Festival Today, Taebaek isemphasizing the historicaland cultural importance ofthe city in an effort tobuild tourism and leisureindustries in harmony withthe city?fs beautifulnatural environment. Soon Il Hong, mayor ofTaebaek expects tobenefit from membershipin the IAMNC byexchanging ideas withother cities on these andother topics.
Taebaek web sitehttp://taebaek.kangwon.kr/english.htm
Taebaekje is a folkfestival held in Octoberevery year. Thefestival heralds thepast and present,culture and history,and involves Taebaekresidents in traditionalart, ritual, and sports.
Revitalizing a City In 1960, Taebaek?fsmain industry was coalmining, and thepopulation of the citywas 120 thousand. Asthe coal miningindustry declined, the
which the city takes itsname, bordersTaebaek and hasparticular nationalsignificance. In Korea,Mt. Taebaek isreferred to as thespiritual mountain ofthe nation. The snow-covered landscape ofMt. Taebaek is one ofthe most scenic in thenation and itcontinuously attractmany tourists. Thenation?fs only sacredmountain is also thesite of Dan-jong?fsTombstone, Yongjung,Mangkyong-Sa,Janggun Rock, andDankun Shrine. Mt.Taebaek can beclimbed by people ofall ages because of themountain?fs gentleinclination. Taebaek is alsoknown for Mt. TaebaekProvincial Park,Taebaek CoalMuseum, Mt. TaebaekSnow Festival,Taebaekje Festival,Mt. Taebaek Cool-Cinema Festival,Yongyeon Cave and itsliving fossils, and otherattractions.
population dropped,and today it stands ataround 60 thousand.
The city of Maardu in the Estonian Republic islocated on the Baltic Sea?fs Gulf of Finland. Thetown of 15 thousand residents is 22.7 kilometersin area, and is the site of the port of Muuga in thenorthern part of the town. Muuga, which wasconstructed in 1986, received the Euromarket-93Award and the modern port offers great potentialfor the town?fs role as a center for internationaltrade, which is expected to play an important rolein the economic development of the town. Maardu is conveniently located only 15kilometers from Tallinn, the capital of Estonia;only 80 kilometers from Helsinki; 320 kilometersfrom St. Petersburg, and only 300 kilometersfrom Riga, the capital of the Latvian Republic. Phosphorite mining played an important rolein the early development of Maardu; however,the mineral is no longer mined here because ithas lost its profitability, and today the town is inthe process of developing alternative industries. Maardu received its status as a town in 1980.The mayor of Maardu is Georgy Bystrov.
I am happy with the opportunity topass my greetings to all associatedmembers of IAMNC and to thepeoples of all the countriesrepresented in this association. The aim of every mayor is thedynamic development of the city he is the headof. Nowadays, we face big challenges in ourchanging world. The number of the problemswe face is also increasing. Fighting poverty,
As mayor of Taebaek,I am very impressedwith all the progressthe members of theIAMNC have made intheir winter cities. It isan honor for me tobring my city into theassociation, and we inTaebaek look forwardto active exchangeswith member cities.?Soon Il Hong, mayorof Taebaek
crime, pollution, and many other problems iseasier shoulder-by-shoulder with ourcolleagues. I think that membership in the InternationalAssociation of Mayors of Northern Cities willhelp the people of the city of Maardu standagainst the problems of the everyday life.?Georgy Bystrov, mayor of Maardu
Northern Intercity News
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From a presentation at Winter Cities 2000 by Yue Yuquan, Vice Mayor ofHarbin.
The Songhua River,one of the largestrivers in China, windsthroughout Harbin?fsjurisdictional area, andthe city hasexperienced severeflooding three timesduring the past tenyears?in 1991, 1994,and 1998. Floods ofconsiderable severityhave been experiencedin Harbin more than 30
arbin is thenorthernmost
megalopolis inChina, with ajurisdictional area of53,000 squarekilometers and apopulation of 9.6million residents,including an urbanpopulation of 3.3million. TheSonghua River, one
Take the flood of1998, for example.People from all walksof life took an activepart in flood-controlefforts; for a goodperiod of more than 30days when the floodwas threatening us, adaily number of morethan 200,000 peoplewere at work along the376 kilometers ofbanks along the river,
times in the 20thcentury, once everytwo or three years onthe average, eachcausing significanteconomic losses. The losses causedby the flooding of theSonghua have becomegreater with rapidurbanization andeconomic development.
CurrentPrecautionaryMeasures andProblemsThe city of Harbin hastaken seriously theissues of preventingthe occurrence offloods and of reducingtheir destructive force,and the standard ofantiflood projects in thecity?fs urban areas hasrisen considerably. Antiflood measureshave helped effectivelyreduce the number offlood occurrences andthe severity of thedestruction caused bythe floods. However,some problems remainin the city?fs efforts toreduce flooding and itsconsequences. Forexample, in some
of the largest riversin China, windsthrough threejurisdictional districtsand nine counties,covering a distanceof 466 kilometres. Inaddition, there are172 reservoirs ofvarious sizes in theHarbin area.
Measures toControl FloodingHarbin has obtainedthe following twoimportant experiencesfrom its flood-controlefforts.
? Non-constructionalmeasures againstfloodsThe decisive factor inprecautionary effortsagainst calamitiescaused by floods lies inthe human regulationof watercourses. Tosucceed with flood-control projects, jointefforts between thegovernment andpeople is anindispensable factor forminimizing losses.
checking for hiddendangers that mightthreaten the security ofthe embankment.Losses were reducedthanks to thegovernment?fspreparation prior to thearrival of the floods.
? Flood-control projectsHaving learned fromfloods of the past, thecity launched newantiflood projects afterthe great flood of 1998,and the standard ofembankment in urbanareas has greatlyincreased. In themeantime,comprehensiveprojects are beingimplemented withconstructional and non-constructional antifloodmeasures.
More to LearnThough Harbin hasmade considerableefforts, the city feelsinferior to theadvanced cities inother countries, andlooks forward tosharing experiencesand lessons.
areas along theSonghua River, thereis no effective floodcontrol. As flood-control projectsfrequently have tocover long distancesand large areas, it isalmost impossible, in arelatively short periodof time, to attain a fairlyhigh standard ofantiflood activity. Another obstacle isthat the hydrometricstations in theSonghua River Valleyare equipped withinsufficient floodmeasurement systems,and this hindersefficient floodprecautionary projects.Thus, when a greatflood comes, promptactions are not readilytaken. Finally, objectsin the floodways arealso a problem. Thehomes of fishermen,peasants, and othersthat have been built infloodways cannot beremoved and havebecome obstacles.
Street scene in Harbin.
Northern Intercity News
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From a presentation at Winter Cities 2000 by Agnethe Davidsen,
mayor of Nuuk Municipality, Greenland.
In Nuuk municipality,there areapproximately 59,800square kilometers ofasphalt roads, publicsquares, and paths. Studded tires areused approximately sixmonths a year, whichinvolves heavy wearon roads. It isestimated that all carsin Nuuk are equippedwith studded tiresduring this six-monthperiod. The use ofstudded tires ismotivated by safetyconsiderations. As a result of theuse of studded tires,the most heavilytrafficked roads lose 15to 25 millimeters oftheir surface material inone winter. This meansthat the use of studdedtires reduces pavementservice life byapproximately 20percent every year. Normally, wearingsurfaces of roads areconstructed usingcrushed stone. Oncertain test sections,we have tried toharden the wearingsurface by using steelslag instead of crushedstone, and this has
he municipality ofNuuk, capital of
Greenland, is abouttwice the size ofDenmark and with 13thousand residents isalmost a quarter of thepopulation ofGreenland.
Nuuk receivesconsiderablesnowfall?approximatelythree meters and manysevere snow storms.The averagetemperature in Nuuk inJanuary is -8??C and inJuly, the warmestmonth, the average is+7??C.
Nuuk is situated about257 kilometers southof the polar circle, andas a result, the sunrises at 10 A.M. andsets at 2:30 P.M. inDecember.
? preparation of duty rosters;? drawing up of snow
clearing districts;? getting instructions to staff;? preparation/supplementing/
replacement of equipment;? purchase of sand and
crushed stone.
Winter
OrganizationThe Technical andEnvironmentalAdministration isresponsible for winterstreet maintenance.Nuuk is divided into 15snow clearing districts,14 of which arecontracted out toprivate concerns. Thecity is in charge ofclearing the oneremaining district andareas surroundingpublic institutions.Nuuk is also in chargeof management, qualityassurance, clearingpublic mountainpassages, crosswalks,bus stops, andprevention of slipperyroads. Outside normalworking hours, Nuuk?fsroads are inspected bytwo engineers on dutyin one-week shifts frommid-October to thebeginning of May.Apart from using citystaff, Nuuk hasagreements with thepolice, cab companiesand others who informthe engineers on dutywhen deficiencies inthe maintenanceservice are detected. Ifthe supervisingauthority considers itnecessary to
resulted inapproximately 30percent less wearcompared to the areaswhere crushed stone isused. From aneconomic point of viewthis is not efficient,however, as steel slaghas to be imported.
Traffic safety,environment, andeconomicconsiderations aretaken into accountcomprehensively whendetermining the wintermaintenance level inNuuk. As it is difficult tocalculate in advancehow much moneywinter streetmaintenance will cost,the municipalitycalculates the budgetfor a ?normal winter?in its climaticconditions.
PrewinterPlanningBefore winter begins, itmust be ensured thatthe necessaryagreements have beenmade with city staffand with privatecontractors, and thatthe necessaryequipment is available
MaintenancePrioritiesWhen winter comes toNuuk, the municipalityis well prepared, andplans and equipmentare ready for use on 1October. For financial andenvironmentalconsiderations,Nuuk?fs network ofroads are divided intothree categoriesaccording to servicelevel.? Class A: primary
roads?those vital topublic transportationand rescue(approximately 32kilometers).
? Class B: main roads(approximately 32kilometers).
? Class C: other,including publicparking lots(approximately 24kilometers).
These roads mustbe passable between6:30 A.M. and 10 P.M.seven days a week.Snow clearing isnormally carried outbetween 5:30 A.M. and10 P.M. on weekdays.
implement measures toprevent slippery roadsor clear snow, thenecessary staff will bedispatched.
Machinery andEquipmentNuuk is situated in oneof the most exposedplaces regarding winterweather; however,smaller machinery andcars owned by the cityensure excellentinteraction with privatecontractors andprovide the requiredservice levels.
ConsultantsNuuk makes use ofprivate consultants fora wide range of tasks,including supervisionrelating to construction,local development, andenvironmental surveys,in addition to winterroad maintenance. Theuse of localconsultants guaranteesresidents reliableservice, and from aneconomic point of view,it has been workingvery well.
Nuuk web sitewww.nuuk.gl
and in working order.This work includes?? updating winter
maintenanceguidelines;
? obtaining agreementswith staff and otherauthorities;
? obtaining agreementswith privatecontractors;
Northern Intercity News
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From a presentation at Winter Cities 2000 by Colin Kinsley,mayor of Prince George, British Columbia.
In 1976, an article titled?Don?ft Like IcyStreets? MoveSomewhere Else?appeared in a PrinceGeorge newspaper.The article quoted thedirector of public worksin Prince George. During the winter of1990?91, the massmedia heavily criticizedthe city of PrinceGeorge for the city?fsrelatively poorresponse to asnowstorm. Thecommunity perceivedcity snow-removalcrews as inefficientand ineffective. At thattime, snowmanagement
The Prince George PublicWorks Department hasresponsibility formaintaining over 629kilometers of roads withinthe municipality. PrinceGeorge has a population of80,250 (1998).Normal snowfall: 225 cmDaily high in January: -5.8??CDaily low in January: -14.1??CAnnual snow disposal:300,000 tonsPaved roads: 540 km (multi-lanes)Gravel roads: 90 km (twolanes)Paved sidewalks: 150 km
Mayor?fs SpecialCommittee forSnowManagement? two city councilors;
OperationalChanges Include? ? opening driveways;? faster cleanup in
residential areas;parking restrictionsand use of the massmedia;
? significant changes incity and rentalequipment;
? emphasis on operatoravailability andtraining;
? close river-front snowdisposal sites;
? experiment withalternative abrasivesand deicers;
? snow and ice controlbudget.
operations werebudget driven. Today, things aredifferent. Winter streetmaintenance policy inPrince George isservice driven, and thecommunity hasdemonstrated theirsupport for the deliveryof our current policies.This new attitude is theresult of a series ofchanges initiated bythe Prince George CityCouncil.
Mayor andCouncilCommitmentThe Prince Georgemayor and city councilwanted snowmanagement thatreflected theircommitment to thecommunity. Theprinciples of snowmanagement thatsupport the city?fsmission were identifiedas those which?? provide mobility for
people and goodsthroughout the city;
? maximize vehicularand pedestrian safety;
? improve the quality ofwinter life in thecommunity.
OperationalObjectives
? city manager;? director of publicworks;? operations manager;? streets divisionsupervisor;? financial officer;? bylaw officer;? two street foremen;? two equipmentoperators;? equipment trainer;? parks foreman;? auxiliary members.
Key Concepts ofPrinceGeorge Policy? snow policy isservice driven;? support and trust;? high crew morale;? excellentcommunications;? innovation andcontinuous improvement;? public satisfaction.
Snow RemovalPolicyStreets1st priority: plowedwhen snow is more than 75 mm;2nd priority: plowedwhen snow is more than 100 mm. SidewalksSidewalks are plowedwhen snow is morethan 50 mm in depth.
ResultsThe attitude of thepublic toward snowmaintenanceoperations in PrinceGeorge has changeddramatically in recentyears. Snowoperations areeffectively delivered,and the public?fs everchanging needs anddesires are beingaddressed. The citycouncil?fs mission to?provide an excellentquality of life? is beingsupported by our snowmaintenanceoperations.
CommunityReactionsThe following editorial
from the PrinceGeorge Citizenrepresents the kinds ofcomments PrinceGeorge has receivedon its present snowmaintenance policy,and the editorialsuggests that thecommunity is pleased.
Job Well DoneThe city?fs road crewsare to be commendedfor a great job ofclearing the big dumpof snow we receivedearly this week(45 cm). In many cities, the
? allow reasonableaccessibility forpedestrians to travelthroughout the city;
? allow a properlyequipped vehicle toeasily access anddrive on all city roads;
? meet publicexpectations inmanaging snow andice.
Off-street walkways arenot plowed.
Use EquipmentThatOffers BetterService
snow clearing crewswill clear the streets,leaving hugemountains of snow atthe end of yourdriveway. Not in PrinceGeorge, where theyclear the end of yourdriveway. The city workers areto be congratulated forthe work they do...onesenses they go theextra mile here.?? 6 January 2000
Prince George website www.city.pg.bc.ca
Northern Intercity News
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From a subcommittee report at Winter Cities 2000 by Rick Mystrom, mayorof Anchorage.
Rick Mystrom, mayorof Anchorage, Alaskaand chairman of theIAMNC ResearchSubcommittee onWinter Tourism andRecreation reported onthe work of thesubcommittee atWinter Cities 2000.
Promote WinterDeveloping andpromoting our wintertourism sector is arealistic goal, given the
KirunaKiruna, Sweden, isknown around theworld for its use ofwinter resources in theconstruction of the IceHotel, as well as forthe city?fs ability toinvolve corporations tosupport the hotel.Kiruna is also host ofthe largest snowfestival in Europe.
Anchorage
Ideas AboutWinter?Traditionalideas and conceptionsabout winter tourismmust be overcome.
SophisticatedVisitors?Wintertourists are often moreaffluent and bettereducated than summertourists, and we are,therefore, challengedto meet theirexpectations so theyreturn to our winter
abundance of wintertourism assets we inthe north collectivelyshare.These include?? landscape and
scenery ofunsurpassed naturalbeauty;
? access to vast openspaces andwilderness;
? an abundance ofnature?fs mostbeautiful and versatileelements: snow andice;
? spectacularphenomenon andquality of light uniqueto the north;
? a rich abundance ofwildlife;
? world-class winterrecreation and sportsopportunities;
? unique winterfestivals and eventsthat enliven even thedarkest days of theyear;
? a great diversity ofquality culturalactivities;
? an understanding ofhow to enjoy winter.
Unique IAMNCCitiesEach of our membercities has its ownunique assets to offertourists, and each citycelebrates winter in its
The residents ofAnchorage, Alaska,have established manywinter sports,recreational, andculturalevents?including theannual Iditarod dog-sled races, its onehundred kilometers ofcross-country ski trailswithin the city, and itsnew Native HeritageCenter.
Lule?Lule?, Sweden, offershistoric sites, culturalexcursions that allowvisitors to experiencethe Saami culture, andthe Lule? ArcticFestival.
HarbinThink of Harbin, China,and the world-famousIce Lantern Festivalcomes to mind, a 25-year tradition. Thisspectacular event hasencouraged thedevelopment of world-class ice and snowartists.
SapporoThe Sapporo SnowFestival is only one ofthe many winterfestivals in Hokkaido,Japan. The area alsooffers superb hotsprings and health
cities and encourageothers to come.
SolutionsExchangeInformation?Modelsof our success can beinstructive to allmembers of theIAMNC. For example,building heat inAnchorage is used tomelt snow onsidewalks. We need toimprove the quality oflife for resident andtourist alike.
CleverMarketing?Compensateor entice tourists.Wakkanai, Japan,entices tourists with afree crab dinner foreach air traveler to thetown. Specialties, suchas the extreme skiingopportunities in Aomori,attract niche travelers.We can overcome travelcosts by emphasizingthe unique experienceof a northern visit.
Pool MarketingResources?SomeScandinavian IAMNCcities work together todevelop brochures andother marketing tools.Internet links betweenwinter cities may be aneconomical way to getout the word about
own distinctive manner.
AomoriAomori?fs four-dayWinter Festival attracts28 thousand visitors tothe city. The city hasalso developed a nichemarket for extremeskiing. Aomori providesopportunities forrecreational andcultural tourism andhas the largestprehistoryarchaeological site inJapan.
Troms?Troms?, Norway, hasbeen successful inmarketing unusualvacations. It offersexcursions for viewingthe aurora borealis,and winter safaris havealso become popularfor adventuresometourists.
spas that areparticularly inviting inwinter.
Winter CityChallengesWinterSafety?Making wintertourist destinationssafe and accessible forvisitors, particularlypedestrians, is one ofthe most formidablechallenges. Thisincludes safe roadsand publictransportation to winterfestival sites.
High Costs?One trendindicates that peopleare choosingdestinations closer tohome. One of thereasons may be thelack of direct andeconomical travel linksto winter cities.
MarketingResources?Wintercity destinations oftenhave smallpopulations, meaningthat budgets formarketing tourism arenot great.
winter destinations.
ChangePerceptions?Weought to focusattention on the uniqueopportunities for funand recreation and thebeauty of the north.We also should takegreater advantage ofthe Internet.
Please Visitors?Wemust meet visitors?fexpectations so thatthey come back. Goodplanning, unique eventsand activities, andquality accommodationsand facilities combine tomake a visitor?fs stayboth comfortable andexciting.
Anchorage web sitewww.ci.anchorage.ak.us
Northern Intercity News
9
? Become anIAMNC member? Trade WinterCity Information? Learn About Member Cities? Get Conference Information? Check Out theWinter Cities Link
he new, official website of the
InternationalAssociation of Mayorsof Northern Citieswelcomes visitors andencourages opinions,information exchanges,and participation in anon-line forum. The goal of theIAMNC is to providethe world?fs wintercities with anopportunity to shareideas and concerns,and the IAMNCWinterNet web site hasbeen established to
From a report at Winter Cities 2000 byNils Tiberg, professor, Lule? University
of Technology.
The subcommittee forWaste Reduction andRecycling wasestablished by aresolution at the sixthNorthern IntercityConference of Mayorsin Anchorage in 1994in response to aquestionnaire that hadindicated a stronginterest in this topic bymember cities. Lule?has served as thesecretariat of thesubcommittee. Nils Tibergpresented the work ofthe subcommittee atthe MayorsConference in Lule?.He reported thatalthough IAMNC citieshave variousdefinitions of wastetreatment and differenttreatment systems, allcities face thechallenge ofdeveloping moreefficient systems forsustainable wastereduction andrecycling, and all canlearn from each other.
Why So MuchWaste?
The subcommitteeinvestigated three foodsystems for generationof waste and use ofenergy.? business as usual:
the system thattypifies industrialcountries?economicgrowth is necessaryto fund environmentalprotection;
? producerresponsibility:producers,consumers, andlegislators cooperateto reduce waste andencourage recycling;
? local food chain:individuals are moreor less self-sufficientin food production.
The local food chainsystem has beendeveloped in Lule?over a period of fouryears. The systemrequires 2000 kWh toprovide food for oneperson for oneyear?one-fifth of theenergy of the usualfood system. Thewaste generated ispractically nil. Returnpacking is used andunpolluted food wasteis composted locally.
enhance the efficientexchanges ofinformation. In addition toinformation about theIAMNC, the web site isa source for a varietyof information aboutwinter cities, includingmunicipal policies andtechnology, and withlinks to other wintercities, the site is ameans to search forsolutions and todiscuss winter cityissues. The IAMNCwelcomes comments,ideas, and winter citynews. Submit itemsdirectly on-line at(www.iamnc. org), orwrite to the Secretariat,IAMNC, City ofSapporo, Kita-1, Nishi-2, Chuo-ku, Sapporo060-8611 Japan. E-mail contact:([email protected]).
At one time there wererelatively goodrecycling systems inplace in Europe. Metal,glass, rags, bones, andorganic wastes werecollected and sorted forreuse. However, asproduction expandedrapidly after World WarII, more purchasingpower was created andthe amount of wasteincreased drastically asthe cost of laborincreased faster thanthe cost of energy,making it inefficient torecycle. The Lule?subcommittee foundthat if wastemanagement isregarded as aspecialized activity atthe ?backyard ofsociety,? then thepossibilities of solvingwaste problems arevery limited. If insteadwe regard waste as anindicator of a need forrestructuring society inthe direction ofsustainability, then thepossibilities are great.This means gettingeveryone in societyinvolved?producers,residents, politicians,and administratorsalike. When we regardwaste as an indicatorof a need for new
The Lule?subcommittee foundthat only the localsystem met thedemands ofsustainability, andconcluded that moreattention should begiven to the efficiencythat the local foodchain can provide?thatit is worthy of moreevaluation and supportfrom the establishment.Local food chainsappear in many formsaround the world, andthe special conditionsthat relate to climatewill be studied at thenew Eco-Arena inLule?. The challenge ofsustainabledevelopment calls fornew system solutions.Solid waste must bereduced at the sametime that energy use isreduced. To change asystem in an orderlymanner calls for opendialogue and forexchanges ofexperiences withdifferent systems. Thespecial challenge ofsustainabledevelopment innorthern climates canbe the focus ofcontinued exchangesof knowledge andexperience amongwinter cities, using the
systems and for arestructuring of society,then exchanges ofinformation amongcities with experiencewith different systemsbecomes of realinterest.
Food SystemWasteThe food systemgenerates the mainpart of householdwaste as packagingand organic foodwaste. It accounts forthe main part of waterpollution and aconsiderable part ofheavy roadtransportation.
Internet and the toolsfor information systemsintroduced in thisreport.
Waste Reduction andRecycling web sitewww.grogrund.net/wintercities1
/main.html
Northern Intercity News
10
From a subcommittee report at Winter Cities 2000 by Alvhild Ytterg?rd.
lvhild Ytterg?rd,former mayor of
Troms?, Norway, andchairperson of theResearchSubcommittee onEconomic Expansion inNorthern Cities,concluded the work ofthe subcommittee witha presentation at theIAMNC board meetingin Lule? on February
Alvhild Ytterg?rd discusses the work of thesubcommittee.
The project, by Hanne Andersen from the
15. The subcommitteeon EconomicExpansion wasestablished by aresolution at theseventh NorthernIntercity Conference ofMayors in Winnipeg,Canada on February12, 1996 with thepurpose to catalogueand map existingbusiness developmentresources and tocollect, collate, anddevelop means toevaluate developmentplans for member cities. At an IAMNCmeeting in Sapporo onOctober 1996, thesubcommitteeenumerated thefollowing goals:? to establish strong
networks amongbusinesses in wintercities;
? to establish apermanent secretariatfor the developmentof industry andcommerce in wintercities; and
? to establish financialand administrativeschemes forincreasing creativityin winter cities.
The subcommitteecomprised the wintercities of Sapporo,Changchun,.Anchorage, Winnipeg,
University of Troms?, examined businessdevelopment strategies at local levels ofgovernment in Kiruna and Takikawa. The projectgoal was to learn what business developmentstrategies are used by the two cities and todiscover the impact winter has on thedevelopment strategies. A second study has been proposed by AnnG?ril Kvalheim, who wishes to do a comparativestudy on government assistance programs in thesix cities of the subcommittee. The goal of thisproject is to learn what kinds of export assistanceprograms the various cities and countries on thesubcommittee offer. The student wants to look athow the government can help businesses thatwant to join the process of globalization.
SubcommitteeAssessmentOn the achievementsof the subcommittee onEconomic Expansion inNorthern Cities, MsYtterg?rd made thefollowing observations. ?It has in generalbeen quite a challengeto fulfill the mandateand goals of thesubcommittee. Wehave found the topic,?eeconomic expansionin northern regions,?frather difficult in itself.In my opinion themandate was notconcrete enough andthe ambitions of thecity of Troms? havebeen too high.Unfortunately, we didnot meet enoughinterest andenthusiasm in the
Successe StoryOne of thesubcommittee successstories is that of KjellMagne Maelen,executive director ofthe Troms? PerformingArts Centre, who wasawarded a grant fromthe Scandinavian-Japan SasakawaFoundation in order toconduct a study tour ofSapporo in October1999. The tourobjective was to furtherdevelop relationsbetween the wintercities of Troms? andSapporo by exploringopportunities forexchanges andcooperation in the fieldof the arts and todeepen insight into theexpectations thatJapanese visitors havefor their visits to
Kiruna, Lule?, andTroms?.
Status of the WorkThe subcommittee metin Troms? in June1997 with six membersin attendance, and areport was made at theeighth MayorsConference in 1998 inHarbin, China. Ameeting of thesubcommittee wasplanned for 1999, butthe full membershipwas not able to gettogether. Troms?,Lule?, and Kiruna metin Copenhagen, and inOctober 1999,Sapporo, Lule?,Kiruna, and Troms?met in Anchorage,Alaska.
SubcommitteeStudent ProjectsMs Ytterg?rd reviewedthe student project thatwas established aspart of the originalmandate to mapexisting businessdevelopment resourcesin member cities and tofind means to evaluatedevelop ment plans inthe cities.
business and researchenvironment inTroms?.? Ms Ytterg?rd alsoreported that thesubcommittee did notsucceed in receivingoutlines of the activitiesto promote economicexpansion from manymember cities of thesubcommittee. Shealso reported thatWinterPartnership andits Business-to-Business concept, aproject introduced atthe MayorsConference in Harbin,had not gotten theparticipation thatenthusiasm for the ideasuggested. Ms Ytterg?rdannounced that the cityof Troms? wasconcluding the work ofthe subcommittee.
Troms? and northernNorway. In Sapporo,Mr. Maelen met withenormous interest forScandinavia and fordeveloping relations. At Winter Cities2000, Ms Ytterg?rdalso stressed thatNordkalotten, Norway,profited frommembership in WinterCities. ?In northernSweden, Finland, andNorway, we havelearned to make use ofsnow as a raw materialand to create newproducts to promotewinter tourism. Snowfestivals, icesculptures, and the likeare ?eproducts?f thathave been developedwith inspiration fromthe winter citiesmovement,? she said.
Northern Intercity News
11
Special report to the Northern lntercity News by Ding Naijin, mayor of JixiCity, Hei Longjiang
n China, the cultureof ice and snow has
been shaped over along period of time bythose who use theresources of ice andsnow in their naturalwinter environment. Historically, theculture of ice and snowhas involved theactivities ? an exampleof which is skiing ? ofthe peoples living inthe northern part ofChina. Skiing wasoriginally adopted forhunting in about 200
B.C., and it hasevolved into the sportof skiing as we know ittoday. Evidenceindicates that sports onice in China originatedin the Song Dynasty,when they were called?ice-fun.? In thebeginning of the QingDynasty, ice skatingwas the favorite wintersport of the Manpeople who lived innorthern China, whereskating was called?skating-fun-race.?The authorities of theQing Dynasty attachedgreat importance to
The resources ofice and snow are theoutcomes of light, heat,water, air, and climaticconditions. As materialenergy for use in theagricultural industryand in culture, ice andsnow are veryimportant naturalresources that can bereprocessed. Thedistribution of theseresources is limited,however, and if theyare not treatedproperly, they may beexhausted or pollutedand cause anecological imbalanceand seriousconsequences toindustrial andagricultural productionand to life on earth.Mismanagement of ourice and snowresources will beaccompanied byincreasing costs. The development ofice and snowresources greatlyinfluences industrialand agriculturalproduction and culturaland economicdevelopment. We must
the resources of iceand snow and manyare adopting measuresto protect these naturalresources and developthem carefully. In thefrigid zones of China,the governments of HeiLongjiang Provinceand Harbin City inparticular have madegreat contributions tothe development oflocal resources of iceand snow.Nevertheless, there isinefficient use of theseresources. Forexample, the utilizationof the ice and snowresources of theSonghua River and YaBuli is far from enough.We should fullydevelop these ice andsnow resources anddeeply expand ice andsnow tourism as wellas economies basedon a culture of ice andsnow.
Benefits of Ice andSnowWith regard to ourecologicalenvironment, freezingrivers and streams are
skating and regarded itas an important activityin palace exhibitionsand in the training oftroops. ?Skating-fun-race? graduallydeveloped into thepopular winter sport ofice-skating. Although thehistorical and socialphenomena of theculture of ice and snowhave existed for a longtime, the moretheoretical study of iceand snow has begunonly recently. What isneeded now is acomprehensive studyencompassing thehistoric, geographic,anthropological,ecological,sociological, andeconomic features ofthe culture of ice andsnow, including thedevelopment of theresources of ice andsnow.
Management of Iceand SnowThe evolution of theculture of ice and snowin China continues;there is an increasinginterest in ice andsnow by both touristsand by companies hereand from overseas. Natural resources,as universal matter in
fully understand theimportant roles of theresources of ice andsnow and theireconomic benefits sothat the resources maybe put to rational useand increase ourstandard of living.
We must fullyunderstand theimportant roles of theresources of ice andsnow and theireconomic benefits sothat the resourcesmay be put torational use andincrease ourstandard ofliving.?Ding Naijin,mayor of Jixi City
Developing theResourcesThe resources of iceand snow are thematerial bases for thedevelopment of theculture of ice andsnow. In the northernpart of China, there aregreat ice and snowresources and a richlabor force, and weneed to treasure thenatural resources anddevelop themthoughtfully. With ashortage of technologyand capital, we need tocombine our rich laborforce with ice and
important to ice-transport services.Land covered with iceand snow is a naturalsports playground.Snow cover maintainsground temperatureand is beneficial tobacterial propagationin the ground and tothe decomposition oforganic matter, and itincreases soil fertility.Snowmelt moistensgrasslands and fields,irrigates farmlands,and supplies the urbanice-manufacturingindustry with rawmaterials. Effectivedevelopment of theresources of ice andsnow may hasten thedevelopment of localtourism and promoteculture. In addition, iceand snow resourcesare advantageous toour health, and ice andsnow may providepeople living in thenorth with effectiveways to improve theirhealth. The economicdevelopment of theculture of ice and snowmay help increase thestandard of living inurban and ruralcommunities in thenorth. In spite of theunpleasant disasters
the shape of energy,are of course limitless,but as matter for use,they are limited.
snow resources so wecan gain the besteconomic benefits. At present, manycountries in frigidzones are aggressivelytrying to develop
that are sometimes theresult of ice and snow,these two resourcesoffer many benefits.Developing theseresources andpreventing disastersare two of ourchallenges.
Northern Intercity News
12 The Culture of Iceand Snow in ChinaIn recent years, thedevelopment of theculture of ice and snowhas made considerableprogress in northernChina, where peopleare attaching agrowing importance toice and snow as atourism resource. As aresult, governmententerprises andindividuals have begunto develop and use iceand snow resources ina variety of ways, andthis is good in myopinion. Thegovernment shouldencourage, support,and offer guidance forthe proper and orderlydevelopment of theresources of ice andsnow.
BroadDevelopment of
from ice festivals andsnow sculpturingexhibitions to wintersports and studies ofice and snow andwinter tourism. Regarding art in iceand snow, we shouldbegin with ice andsnow landscapes andsculptures inexhibitions andproceed tocompetitions for theentire community. Weshould make allmembers of thecommunity feel thatthey are part of theculture of ice and snow. Large winterexhibitions and ice andsnow events thatrequire largeinvestments must earna financial return;those events whichrequire only a smallinvestment should notbe expected to beprofitable. We must
Much more can andshould be done. In myopinion, Harbin is thecenter of ice and snowculture in our province,and the governmentought to construct anexhibition center todisplay fine works ofice and snow culture.The function of thecenter would be todisplay the history ofice and snow cultureand fine works of art sopeople can understandand appreciate thedevelopment of theculture of ice and snow. Hei Longjiang is inthe frigid zone ofnorthern China. Onlyby making full use ofthe ice and snowresources and bypromoting and studyingthe culture of ice andsnow can we create abetter culturalatmosphere andpromote the economic
the Culture of Iceand SnowAll persons in thecommunity should beencouraged to getinvolved in developingthe culture of ice andsnow, and everyoneneeds to understandthat ice and snow arenatural wealth that canbe exploited for thegood of the community.We should alsoencourage opendiscussions of viewson how the culture ofice and snow can bedeveloped.
Steps Toward theDevelopment andUseof Ice and SnowIn developing theculture and resourcesof ice and snow, weshould move from onelevel to the next?forexample,
start by increasing theartistic quality of winterevents and bystressing thedevelopment of ice andsnow exhibitions whichare not for profit andlimit ice and snowexhibitions for profit.
Increasing theBenefits of Iceand Snow CultureIn recent years, therehave been economicgains obtained thoughthe development of theculture of ice andsnow. The economicgains have not beengreat, however,because we have onlybegun to exploit iceand snow in this way.
and cultural standing ofHei Longjiang innortheast Asia.Through internationalexchanges thataccompany many iceand snow events, wewill help standardizethe meaning of theculture of ice and snowand propel the cultureof ice and snowforward. These activities areof practicalsignificance. Thetheoretical significanceis to guide us to studythe relations betweenhuman beings andnature and tocoordinate thedevelopment andcoexistence of natureand society and makesustained developmentpossible.
Everyone needs to understand that iceand snow are natural wealth that can beexploited for the good of the community.?Ding Naijin, mayor of Jixi City
