The Corporation of the Town of Mississippi Mills...April 11, 2016 EAC Committee Agenda Page 1 The Corporation of the Town of Mississippi Mills Environmental Advisory Committee April

April 11, 2016 EAC Committee Agenda Page 1

The Corporation of the Town of Mississippi Mills

Environmental Advisory Committee

April 11, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Ramsay Room, Municipal Office

Members: Paul Frigon Peter Moller Theresa Peluso Councillor Val Wilkinson

Heidi Scott James Coupland

A. APPROVAL OF AGENDA:

Seeking approval of this agenda.

B. DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST: Standard statement for members to declare pecuniary interest.

C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

February 8, 2016

D. DELEGATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS: None

E. BUSINESS ARISING OUT OF MINUTES:

1. EAC Work Plan for 2016 - Additional Information regarding Environmental Action Plans from Theresa Peluso

2. Night Skies By-Law

- Verbal Update

3. Update on Natural Heritage Systems

- Val Wilkinson to provide update if any 4. Almonte Infrastructure Renewals Downtown Core

- Update by Peter Moller Attached

April 11, 2016 EAC Committee Agenda Page 2

5. Ride Share

- See attached information from Theresa Peluso

F. ACTION CORRESPONDENCE: None

G. OTHER/NEW BUSINESS:

1. Information Session regarding Wild Parsnip

H. MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Environmental Advisory Meeting Monday May 9, 2016 6:30pm Municipal Centre, 3131 Old Perth Road

I. ADJOURNMENT:

ENVIRONMENTALProgress Action Plan

T O W N O F C A L E D O N

G R E E N E S T T O W N I N O N T A R I O

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T O W N O F C A L E D O N • E N V I R O N M E N T A L P R O G R E S S A C T I O N P L A N

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

1.0 PREFACE...........................................................................................................11.1 CALEDON'S GREEN LEGACY ....................................................................1

1.1.1 Municipal Achievements.........................................................................21.1.2 Community Achievements.......................................................................6

1.2 TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.....................................................91.2.1 Preparing the Plan .................................................................................9

1.3 KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND PLAN OVERVIEW ...................................122.0 AIR QUALITY................................................................................................132.1 GENERAL AIR QUALITY............................................................................13

2.1.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................132.1.2 What's Happening ................................................................................162.1.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................18

2.2 IDLING ............................................................................................................182.2.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................182.2.2 What's Happening ................................................................................182.2.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................20

2.3 FLEET ............................................................................................................202.3.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................202.3.2 What's Happening ................................................................................202.3.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................21

2.4 TRAFFIC VOLUME.......................................................................................212.4.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................212.4.2 What's Happening ................................................................................222.4.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................23

2.5 URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT......................................................232.5.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................232.5.2 What's Happening ................................................................................242.5.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................24

3.0 CLIMATE CHANGE ......................................................................................253.1 GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION ...........................................................25

3.1.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................253.1.2 What's Happening? ...............................................................................263.1.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................28

3.2 EMISSIONS TRADING................................................................................283.2.1 What's Happening ................................................................................29

4.0 ENERGY..........................................................................................................314.1 PROCUREMENT ...........................................................................................31

4.1.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................314.1.2 What's Happening? ...............................................................................31

4.2 EFFICIENCY AND RENEWAL....................................................................324.2.1 Baseline Dataning ................................................................................324.2.2 What's Happening ................................................................................32

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4.2.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................334.3 GREEN ENERGY...........................................................................................34

4.3.2 What's Happening ................................................................................344.3.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................35

5.0 A GREEN ECONOMY .................................................................................365.1 GREEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.....................................................36

5.1.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................365.1.2 What's Happening? ...............................................................................365.1.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................38

5.2 GREEN PROCUREMENT ............................................................................385.2.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................385.2.2 What's Happening? ...............................................................................385.2.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................39

6.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND EDUCATION ........................406.0.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................406.0.2 What's Happening? ...............................................................................416.0.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................42

7.0 SUSTAINABLE PLANNING ........................................................................437.0.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................437.0.2 What's Happening ................................................................................437.0.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................45

8.0 COMMUNITY CAPACITY ..........................................................................468.0.1 Baseline Data .......................................................................................468.0.2 What's Happening? ...............................................................................47

8.1 SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY CAPACITY............................................478.1.1 What's Happening? ...............................................................................478.1.2 Proposed Actions .................................................................................47

8.2 COLLABORATION .......................................................................................488.2.2 What's Happening? ...............................................................................488.2.3 Proposed Actions .................................................................................48

9.0 EXTERNAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES................................................489.1 Federal Programs.................................................................................499.2 Provincial.............................................................................................519.3 Other....................................................................................................519.4 Proposed Actions .................................................................................51

10.0 IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING ..............................................52APPENDIX A: SMOG SUMMIT COMMITMENTS .................................................................52APPENDIX B: INVENTORY OF WIND ENERGY PROJECTS IN ONTARIO ...............................54APPENDIX C: WIND SOLUTIONS BUSINESS CASE COMMITTEE, TERMS OF REFERENCE....59APPENDIX D: GRANT PROGRAMS IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ..........................................62APPENDIX E: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOURCES.........................................................65APPENDIX F: FEEDBACK FROM CONSULTATIONS...............................................................67

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1 . 0 P R E FA C E

To build on its many environmental successes, the Town created an Environmental ProgressOfficer (EPO) position in 2004. The EPO's major initial task is the preparation of anEnvironmental Progress Action Plan (the Plan). The purpose of the Plan is to identify andprioritize environmental initiatives the Town may consider pursuing to further enhance itscommitment to preserving and enhancing Caledon's environment. In addition, it identifiesimplementation models, methods of measuring progress and potential external fundingsources.

The Plan's emphasis is on corporate operations, although many of the proposed actions willpositively impact the community. To recognize the contribution and commitment of localenvironmental groups however, a section of the Plan is devoted to supporting andstrengthening community capacity. In addition, opportunities have been identified in theimplementation section for partnerships with such groups.

The Plan reflects consultations with staff, Council and local stakeholder groups. Extensiveresearch on municipal best practices and an environmental scan was also carried out toprovide a context for the proposed actions. It is important to note that this is the firstiteration of the Plan and as such, it is considered a living document which will continue toevolve. Work will resume on supplemental chapters (ex. Implementation & Monitoring) inorder to respond to municipal and community priorities.

1 . 1 C A L E D O N ' S G R E E N L E G A C Y

The Town of Caledon with a large geographic area and population of 55,000 people pridesitself on striving to maintain a sustainable balance of community, environmental, anddevelopment initiatives in the context of an extensive rural environment and substantialpressure for new growth.

Woven into this rural environment are three major natural features; the NiagaraEscarpment, Peel Plain and the Oak Ridges Moraine. The Niagara Escarpment is designateda World Biosphere Reserve, the Peel Plain consists of prime agricultural lands and the OakRidges Moraine provides an important ecological and hydrological functions. Both theNiagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine are protected by provincial legislation andPlans. The headwaters of a number of major river systems, including the Credit andHumber Rivers, also occur within Caledon.

In the midst of these natural features and systems is an extensive agricultural and ruralcommunity and 20 designated settlement areas, ranging in size from less than 100 to morethan 25,000 people.

Caledon's location, on the edge of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) presents significantchallenges to a predominantly rural Town. The majority of Caledon's residents andresidents of adjacent communities commute to other locations in the GTA for employmentby way of Caledon's roads. This creates significant traffic volume on Caledon's roads. Also,with projected population growth in the GTA and beyond, Caledon will continue to besubject to significant growth and resource use pressures.

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To respond to these pressures while protecting its natural environment, sustaining its ruraland agricultural communities and maintaining a balanced approach to resource utilization,Caledon has, over the past 10-15 years, implemented many progressive planning andstewardship initiatives. Community organizations and other stakeholders have also madekey contributions in these areas.

The following two sections highlight some of the key municipal and communityachievements of the past 10-15 years in the area of environmental and sustainable planning.This is not intended to be a comprehensive list, but rather an overview to provide contextfor the actions and strategies recommended later in this document. The achievements of allcommunity organizations are recognized and appreciated.

1 . 1 . 1 M U N I C I PA L A C H I E V E M E N T S

The Town of Caledon has a reputation for progressive community and countryside planningand environmental initiatives through its willingness to involve a diversity of communitybased perspectives in its decision making. This is reflected in the Town's planningachievements, its regulatory measures and other municipal initiatives. Some of the keyachievements highlighted below reflect Caledon's strong environmental values.

Planning Achievements:

GROWTH MANAGEMENTThe Town of Caledon's growth management strategy (Official Plan Amendment 114) wasapproved in 1997. This strategy established a number of key strategic directions whichform the underpinning for land use planning and decision making in Caledon. A "tri-nodal"urban development model was established whereby the majority of new urban growth wasto be directed to three Caledon communities: Bolton, Caledon East and Mayfield West.These three communities have full urban servicing, allowing for more compact forms ofdevelopment, thus reducing sprawl and deflecting major growth pressures away from morerural and environmentally sensitive areas. Modest growth was also planned for Caledon'sVillages. Comprehensive, integrated planning was required for the Rural Service Centresand Villages prior to significant new growth taking place.

Secondary Plans have been completed for Bolton, Caledon East and Inglewood, and areunderway for Mayfield West, Alton and Cheltenham. A Bolton-South Albion CommunityDevelopment Plan has also been initiated.

ECOSYSTEM PLANNING AND MANAGEMENTThe Town's Ecosystem Planning and Management policies (Official Plan Amendment 124)were fully approved in 2003. These policies require that the stewardship, maintenance andenhancement of ecosystem forms, functions and overall integrity form a primary basis forall land use planning and decisions in Caledon. The strategy includes detailed ecosystemintegrity and planning objectives, ecosystem performance measures and a protectiveEnvironmental Policy Area designation has been applied to all known significant ecologicalfeatures and systems.

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These policies are being implemented by the Town of Caledon in a comprehensive mannerthrough the growth management and secondary planning initiatives noted above, and mustbe met by all development proposals.

WELL HEAD PROTECTIONTo protect its municipal drinking water supply and related groundwater resources andimplement the results of extensive technical studies conducted by the Region of Peel,Caledon adopted wellhead protection policies into its Official Plan through Official PlanAmendment 165 and adopted a corresponding amendment to the Town's ComprehensiveZoning By-law in 2000.

AGGREGATE RESOURCE MANAGEMENTCaledon's new aggregate resource management policies (Official Plan Amendment 161)were approved in 2003. These policies establish a framework for the protection and use ofaggregate resources where this use can be balanced and integrated with the ecosystem,social and economic goals of the Town. Key ecological features and systems are precludedfrom extraction, and extraction in other areas must be supported by comprehensiveenvironmental studies.

AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL POLICIESThe Town adopted new policies for its agricultural and rural areas in 2003 through OfficialPlan Amendment 179. Although not yet approved, these policies strive to maintain Caledon'srural and agricultural areas as viable and vital parts of Caledon's long term land use fabric.Agricultural land and the agricultural economy are recognized as being of particularsignificance to Caledon and innovative strategies and policies are proposed to support andsustain agriculture in the Town.

REGULATORY MEASURES:To implement the environmental directions of the Official Plan and further the Town'sstewardship objects, Caledon has enacted a number of regulatory measures, including theFill By-law, the Woodlands Conservation By-law and, most recently, the Healthy HorticulturalLandscapes By-law.

FILL BY-LAWThe Town of Caledon first enacted a Fill By-law under a special piece of Provinciallegislation entitled The Town of Caledon Act, in 1992. The by-law has since undergone anumber of revisions and updates since 1992 and is now enabled under the Municipal Act.The by-law allows the Town to regulate the placing and removal of fill and the alteration ofgrades. Through the various revisions and updates since 1992, the by-law has taken on avery significant role with respect to the protection of environmentally significant lands withinCaledon, such as wetlands and valleylands.

WOODLANDS CONSERVATION BY-LAWThis By-law was enacted by the Town in 2000 under the Municipal Act. The by-lawregulates the destruction and removal of trees and is intended to promote good forestrymanagement practices within the Town. Applications for tree removal are reviewed toensure that tree cutting will maintain woodlot values, including ecosystem health, fish andwildlife habitat, water quality, and long term productivity.

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HEALTHY HORTICULTURAL LANDSCAPES BY-LAWCaledon was one of the first Ontario municipalities in the GTA to enact a "pesticides by-law."It became in effect in May, 2004 and it was developed in consultation with a PesticideAdvisory Group (PAG). The PAG was established by the Town and consisted of municipalstaff, industry and environmental group representation.

The by-law was enacted to "ensure the safe use of pesticides; promote alternative methodsfor the control of weeds and insects and to reduce the environmental impacts of its use."Caledon set the standard by maintaining municipal property without the use of pesticides forweed control for approximately 10 years. The by-law allows for the use of pesticides onresidential, commercial or industrial use land on a spot treatment basis, once each month.Notwithstanding this restriction, no pesticides may be applied during July and August exceptfor insect infestations. The use of pesticides is generally not permitted on public use lands.Golf courses are exempt from the provisions of the By-law provided they have completed anenvironmental plan and hold a certificate in Integrated Pest Management.

To coincide with this by-law, two public information sessions were held during the spring of2004. Also, sessions for Pesticide Applicators related to Integrated Pest Management andthe new by-law were held in co-operation with Landscape Ontario.

Other Municipal Initiatives:

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PURCHASING BY-LAW In the fall of 2004 a revised Purchasing By-law was created which included anEnvironmental Purchasing Policy. This policy was modeled after the City of Richmond inBritish Columbia. It states "staff will prepare contracts and tender specifications for goodsand services, bearing in mind that where economically feasible, specifications shouldconsider environmental characteristics." In addition, the Town may require suppliers toprove compliance with all environmental legislation. The Town may request anenvironmental policy statement or completion of an environmental practices questionnaire.

TREE SEEDLING PROGRAMA tree seedling program was coordinated by the Town of Caledon, Halton/Peel Woodlands,Wildlife Stewardship Council, Citizens for a Clean Caledon and other volunteers in 2002.The program is designed to "promote and encourage private reforestation and afforestationefforts." It achieves this by offering affordable native nursery stock accessible to Caledonresidents. Acreage or area restrictions do not apply.

In the past three years, almost 50,000 trees have been purchased and planted on privateproperties throughout the Town.

PARTNERS FOR CLIMATE PROTECTION (PCP)1

A council resolution was passed in February 2003 to support the Town's participation in thePartners for Climate Protection Program. There are five milestones associated with PCP andCaledon has completed two: completing a greenhouse gas emission inventory andcommitting to greenhouse gas reduction targets and has started work on milestone three:developing a local action plan. Further information can be found in Section 1.1.2:Community Achievements and Section 3.0: Climate Change.

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ENERGY RETROFITSRetrofits to improve energy efficiency were completed in several Town facilities. Theseinclude the Administration Building, Albion Bolton Union Community Center and the WorksYards. Efficient lighting, upgraded insulation were just some of the measures. Refer toSection 4.0: Energy for more details.

GTA- CLEAN AIR COUNCIL (CAC) AND SMOG SUMMITSSince 2002, the Town of Caledon has been a member of the GTA-Clean Air Council, "aninter-governmental working group that promotes the reduction of air pollution emissionsand increased awareness of regional air quality issues in the Greater Toronto Area throughthe collective efforts of all levels of government." 2

Annual smog summits are integral in encouraging GTA-CAC members to take action sinceeach summit concludes with the signing of an Inter-government Declaration on Clean Air.The declaration formally commits GTA-CAC members to develop solutions and reportprogress. A summary of Caledon's commitments can be found in Appendix A.

In terms of representation at the Smog Summits, former Mayor Carol Seglins participated in2003 and Mayor Marolyn Morrison took part in the 2004 municipal roundtablerepresenting both the Town of Caledon and the Region of Peel. In 2005, Councillor AnnetteGroves represented both the Town of Caledon and the Region of Peel.

ROAD SALT MANAGEMENTPublic Works and Engineering has developed a Salt Management Policy which will bepresented to council for their approval by June 30th, 2005. The policy statement is asfollows:The Town of Caledon will provide efficient and effective summer and winter maintenance toensure the safety of users of the road network in keeping with applicable ProvincialLegislation and accepted standards while striving to minimize adverse impacts to theenvironment. These commitments will be met by:■ adhering to the procedures contained within the Salt Management Plan;■ monitoring, reviewing and upgrading the Salt Management Plan on an annual basis to

incorporate new technologies and/or new developments and to ensure the effectivenessof the Plan; and

■ committing to ongoing winter maintenance staff training and education.

TRAIL DEVELOPMENTThe Town of Caledon is currently a leader in Canada in developing and integratingpedestrian ways into our urban and suburban infrastructure. To continue this, the Townbegan the development of a Master Plan with a mapping of the environmental features in2000. The master plan is specific to pedestrian ways on the Town of Caledon's publiclyowned land. The master plan's recommendations create a solid foundation and frameworkon which to build, and recognizes the existing groundwork that the Town and manycommunity groups have worked on up until this point.

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1 . 1 . 2 C O M M U N I T Y A C H I E V E M E N T S

Caledon is fortunate to have a solid base of community capacity through its manyenvironmental groups. These groups often consist of dedicated volunteers and staff that arepassionate about environmental issues. Caledon Countryside Alliance (CCA) and Windy HillsCaledon (WHC) are Caledon-based environmental not for profit organizations. In addition,Council established the Citizens for a Clean Caledon (CCC) in 1995, Caledon EnvironmentalAdvisory Committee (CEAC) in 1996, and struck the COOL Caledon Taskforce on ClimateChange in 2002. Citizens for a Clean Caledon, CEAC and Cool Caledon consist of communityvolunteers and Councillor representation. A brief description of all these groups and theirmajor achievements are provided below.

CALEDON COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE (CCA)3

The Caledon Countryside Alliance is a grassroots non-profit community-based organization.In 1998, the group formed with the mandate "Countryside is an Option". The CCA providesmembership and community programs primarily for residents in Caledon, but also forresidents in the Headwaters Region.

The CCA offers a number of community programs: membership program, ecologicalfootprint, Weedgee Kidz, Caledon Dufferin Residential Energy Efficiency Project (REEP), BuyLocal, Building a Local Food System, Well Aware, Idle Free School Zones, and Step Up toKyoto and Clean Air/Clean Energy.The following summarizes some of their major accomplishments:■ 400 members.■ Produced an Ecological Footprint for the Caledon area.■ By means of the Weedgee Kidz Program, 700 home visits, focusing on pesticide free

education, were delivered to local residents.■ Since 2003, CCA has coordinated an annual Dandelion Festival and Organic Lawn and

Garden Tour.■ Delivered 150 EnerGuide for Houses assessments which result in on average 26% in

annual energy costs.■ Produced a Buy Local Guide for the Headwaters Region in 2002.■ Organized two major local food events for the Toronto Food Policy Council in 2003 and

2004. In 2004 the Farmers Market Event was co-sponsored by the CCA.■ Coordinated Well Aware community information forums in 2003 and 2004.■ Partnered with 12 local schools to deliver idle free programming and education.■ Actively promotes the Federal Government's One Tonne Challenge Program.

CITIZENS FOR A CLEAN CALEDON (CCC)4

Citizens for a Clean Caledon is an environmental action group of volunteers that wasestablished by the Town of Caledon in 1995. The CCC has a number of programs designedto enhance and protect Caledon's environment. These programs include battery recycling,clean air-clean energy, education, green directory, green forum, healthy lawns-healthypeople and water efficiency. The following provides highlights of their achievements.

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■ Since 1995, over 12,000 kilograms or 4 tons of batteries have been recycled.■ In 1998, CCC started selling rain barrels and 200 are sold annually. The rain barrels

can collect 1000 litres of rainwater per season.■ One student in each of the public and Catholic high schools in Caledon are chosen

annually to receive an education bursary worth $250.■ The CCC was selected by the Recycling Council of Ontario for the Waste Minimization

Award in the not for profit category.■ Has partnered with Caledon Countryside Alliance so that almost twenty articles, on

practical ways to reduce energy consumption, have been published in the local papers,and the CCA website.

Healthy Lawns Healthy People is a subcommittee of CCC. They are a volunteer, non-profitgroup of concerned citizens committed to public education on the health and environmentalconsequences of indiscriminate cosmetic pesticide use. They also are committed to thepromotion and implementation of natural alternative lawn care products and procedures.Their major achievements are highlighted below.■ Recipient of CEAC's Environmentalist of the Year Award in 2000.■ Instrumental in the implementation of an annual "Pesticide-free Week" from 2000-2002.■ Participated on the Pesticide Advisory Group which contributed to the development of

the Healthy Horticultural Landscapes By-Law.■ Circulated over 10,000 information pesticide education packages.■ Sits on the Board of an Ontario-wide group called Pesticide Free Ontario.■ Relying on experience, HLHP also assists other Ontario environmental community

groups with pesticide education programs.

WINDY HILLS CALEDON5 (WHC)Windy Hills Caledon Renewable Energy is a community organization (not-for-profit) formedwith the objective to discover the feasibility of a wind-based renewable energy installationfor Caledon. Through the model of community ownership and a modestly scaled proposal,WHC additionally aims to foster environmental awareness, community spirit andinvolvement. Windy Hills Caledon currently sits on the Town's Wind Solutions Business CaseCommittee. Further details can be found in Section 4.3.2: Green Energy.

CALEDON ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CEAC)6

The Caledon Environmental Advisory Committee was established by Council resolution inMarch 1996. Its mandate is "to advise and assist the Council and the citizens of the Town ofCaledon in the protection, enhancement, restoration, management and appreciation of ourcommon natural heritage and in ensuring that our communities are planned forenvironmental sustainability, health and respect for all life."7

CEAC has been instrumental in promoting progressive environmental approaches such asthe Woodlands By-Law, the Village Studies and the Healthy Horticultural By-law. Othercurrent projects include involvement on the Mayfield West, Alton, Cheltenham and BoltonCommunity Development Plans, the Greenbelt legislation, Watershed Planning, Source WaterProtection, Air Quality and approaches to controlling the West Nile Virus.

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COOL CALEDON8

In May 2002, a CEAC report entitled, Climate Change: What Caledon can do about it,precipitated the formation of COOL Caledon. The report provided ten recommendationsfor the Town: 1. Passing a resolution that would endorse ratification of the Kyoto Accord.2. Assigning a staff member to manage climate change initiatives.3. Investigating options for funding.4. Taking adaptive measures to prepare for climate change.5. Joining the Partners for Climate Protection Program.6. Looking for co-benefit opportunities.7. Taking action on the daily Air Quality Index (AQI).8. Partnering with the Region of Peel on select initiatives.9. Partnering with Toronto Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Credit Valley

Conservation (CVC).10. Providing Education and publicity about climate change.

COOL Caledon was formally established by means of a Council resolution in October 2002to address many of the report recommendations. It is a Town sponsored taskforce who arecommitted to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, smog, other harmful air pollutants andclimate change. The program's mission is to give residents, business owners and municipaloperations managers, easy ways to achieve cleaner air, a healthier environment and betterway of life.

Former Mayor Carol Seglins chaired the committee which consisted of municipal staff,Councillors and local residents. COOL Caledon recommended the Town's participation inthe Partners for Climate Protection Program. As a result, in February 2003, a Councilresolution passed to support Caledon's membership in the program. This resolution alsocommitted the Town to greenhouse gas reduction targets (Milestone 2 of PCP).

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets:■ 20% Reduction for Municipal Operations (below 1990 levels).■ 6% Reduction for the Community (below 1990 levels).COOL Caledon was also influential in advocating for a greenhouse gas emissions inventory(Milestone 1 of PCP). Information from this inventory is provided in Section 3.1.1. Theinventory enabled COOL Caledon to begin preliminary work on a local action plan(Milestone 3 of PCP) which included recommendations for greenhouse gas reduction.These recommendations were presented to Council in October 2004 and have beenincorporated into the Environmental Progress Action Plan.

COOL Caledon Recommendations:■ Install solar assisted hot water heating for pools and recommend limits on shower use.■ Conduct energy assessments and follow up with retrofits on municipal buildings.■ Convert the Work Yards from propane to natural gas.■ Complete an efficiency review on street lighting.■ Conduct a requirements review for vehicles and implement an internal anti-idling policy.■ Implement behaviour change programs for electrical use.■ Research the opportunities for wind power.

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COOL Caledon is also working on a multitude of community projects which include'Electricity Doctor' home visits, tree stewardship, transportation alternatives, alternativeenergy and public awareness. As part of their alternative energy work and public awarenessand outreach activities, COOL Caledon in partnership with the Town coordinated a verysuccessful Caledon Energy Show in the fall of 2004. Over 1000 visitors attended to learnmore about the sustainable living products and services of 30 exhibitors. Their website(www.coolcaledon.org) has and continues to be an effective delivery mechanism forpromoting these projects to the public.

From this overview, it is apparent that COOL Caledon has been instrumental in bringingKyoto and greenhouse gas reduction to the forefront of Caledon's Council and community.As such, COOL Caledon was featured as a municipal success story at the Association ofMunicipalities of Ontario Conference in August 2004 and by HydroOne in their 2005'Ontario Communities' Caledon (March- Caledon Proves it's COOL to be Power Smart).

GREENEST TOWN IN ONTARIO AWARD9

All of these municipal and community achievements were formally recognized in 2003 whenthe Town of Caledon tied with Orillia for first place in TVO's Studio 2's province-wideGreenest Town contest. Caledon was chosen because of its good planning, its growthmanagement initiatives and the introduction of its pesticide by-law. In 2004, the competitionwas informally revisited and one of the original judges proclaimed Caledon as the winnerprimarily due to the new Environmental Progress Officer position.

It is important to note that there are many other community based and regional orprovincial volunteer organizations that are active in Caledon but who are not mentionedhere. These groups contribute significantly to the health and quality of Caledon'senvironment and communities.

1 . 2 T O WA R D S A S U S TA I N A B L E F U T U R E

As demonstrated above, Caledon has a progressive approach on "green" matters. Thiscoupled with its many local environmental groups creates a strong foundation for evenfurther environmental action. The Environmental Progress Action Plan builds on the Town'senvironmental commitment while leveraging existing corporate and community capacity tohelp Caledon to continue to move towards a more sustainable future.

1 . 2 . 1 P R E PA R I N G T H E P L A N

Stakeholder consultations, involvement in regional and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)committees, participation in conferences and extensive research on municipal best practiceswere critical to the development of the Plan. Each will be elaborated on below.

CONSULTATIONS:The Environmental Progress Officer initially met with Mayor Morrison and Councillors toobtain input regarding general environmental issues and concerns. A backgrounder wasprovided to Council prior to the meetings and notes were taken by the EPO. After allmeetings were held, common themes emerged.

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Common themes from discussions with Council■ Community Environmental Groups.■ Transportation.■ Green Energy.■ Greenest Town in Ontario Award.After discussions with Council, meetings were scheduled with municipal staff to learn aboutpast and current environmental initiatives. In addition, it was imperative to understand theworkings of the Town's departments and existing capacity for proposed actions.Discussions were held with the Directors of Public Works and Engineering, Recreation andProperty Services, and Building and Enforcement. Meetings with the Managers of EconomicDevelopment and By-Law and Property Standards also occurred. Informal discussions wereheld with the Human Resources Director, Health and Safety Coordinator, and severalplanners in the Policy Section under Planning and Development.

In terms of regional staff, a meeting was arranged with the Environmental HealthDepartment. They include Paul Callanan, Paula Dall'Osto, Louise Aubin and Kiran Ghai.Ongoing discussions have also occurred with Kevin Henderson and Steve Saric fromCorporate Energy Management and Judy Yack and Wayne Chan from TransportationPlanning.

Key environmental groups were also consulted. They include Caledon Countryside Alliance,Citizens for a Clean Caledon, Healthy Lawns Healthy People, Peel Environmental Network,Windy Hills Caledon, Caledon Environmental Advisory Committee and COOL Caledon. Lastly,two other external non-environmental organizations were consulted; the Hills of HeadwatersTourism Association and the Caledon Chamber of Commerce.

Once the Plan was in a draft stage, the EPO coordinated formal sessions to provide anoverview of the Plan and to seek feedback.■ On March 21st, a meeting for senior staff was held. An electronic copy of the Plan was

distributed to staff a week prior.■ On April 27th, a formal presentation was made to CEAC. It was decided that a subgroup

should be formed to review the Plan in more detail. On May 16th, the EPO met with thesubgroup and written and verbal comments were provided.

■ On May 19th, environmental groups were invited to a morning session and copies of thePlan were distributed. Representatives from Caledon Countryside Alliance, Citizens for aClean Caledon, Windy Hills Caledon and Healthy Lawns- Healthy People attended. OnMay 31st, a second session, specifically for general members of environmental groups,was held and copies of the Plan were provided in advance. Environmental groups wereasked to submit any comments by June 8th.

Written comments were received from Barb Emrie (Palgrave citizen who is advocating foran anti-idling by-law), David Beaton (Community Stewardship Specialist from Credit ValleyConservation), Karen Hutchinson and Kasey Livingston (Caledon Countryside Alliance)Lorraine Symmes (Coalition of Concerned Citizens and Credit River Alliance), RichardElrich (Citizens for a Clean Caledon) and Roger Taylor (former Executive Director forCaledon Countryside Alliance and concerned environmentalist).

All of the feedback has been compiled into Appendix F for consideration.

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COMMITTEE MEETINGS:Participation at relevant committee meetings was also necessary to learn about currentinitiatives and how Caledon could benefit from becoming involved. The EnvironmentalProgress Officer attended the monthly meetings of the GTA- Clean Air Council (CAC), theRegional Air Quality Working Group and the Safe and Active Routes to School Committee.Furthermore, the EPO participated in the first gathering of the GTA EnvironmentalCoordinators Network and then hosted the April meeting in Caledon.

CONFERENCES:The EPO has attended several conferences, all with varying themes. The Energy andEnvironment Innovations Conference dealt with municipal best practices and highlightedexternal funding opportunities. Ontario's Conservation Summit10 focused on how theenvironmental non-governmental sector can play a role in delivering conservation solutionsto the public. The EPO also attended two conferences that brought together internationaland local wind experts to provide information on wind energy and offered guidance on howcommunities can embrace it as an energy source. The most recent conference was entitledthe Energy Matters Summit11 which the Region of Peel coordinated. It highlightedemerging issues such as energy procurement, demand side management, facility assetrenewal, energy management systems and incorporating energy efficiency into thepurchasing process.

RESEARCH ON MUNICIPAL BEST PRACTICES:Extensive research was carried out to determine municipal best practices in terms ofenvironmental initiatives. The first step involved assembling municipal environmental plans.Burlington, Calgary, Edmonton, Guelph, Oakville, Sudbury, Toronto, Waterloo and Winnipegwere just some of the plans that were reviewed. From this, it quickly became apparent thatenvironmental or sustainability plans vary significantly according to each municipality.Some focus exclusively on corporate operations whereas others have a significantcommunity component which was developed through public consultation. In addition,some plans were developed in part, to fulfill the Partners for Climate Protectionrequirements for a local action plan.

Due to the importance and prevalence of municipal environmental plans, the GTAEnvironmental Coordinator's Network agreed to devote part of the April meeting agenda todiscuss this topic. Municipal representatives from Burlington, Durham Region, Mississauga,Oakville, Region of Peel and Richmond Hill attended and a roundtable discussion occurredto discuss the development and implementation of environmental plans as well as associatedchallenges.

The second step was to obtain guidance documents for writing environmental plans.Although an abundance of information was found only some of the key documents arementioned. The National Guide to Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure developed a BestPractice entitled, Strategic Commitment to the Environment by Municipal Corporations.The Federation of Canadian Municipalities wrote A Municipal Sustainability Plan: AGuidance Document for the Development of a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan.A Guide to Local Agenda 21 stemmed from the United Nations "groundbreaking action planfor sustainable development". The Guide was created by the Commonwealth of Australiaand Environs Australia.

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1 . 3 K E Y O P P O R T U N I T I E S A N D P L A N O V E R V I E W

As mentioned in the previous section, consultations, participation at conferences andcommittees in addition to extensive research of municipal best practices led to thedevelopment of seven priority areas. It is important to note that although water and wastemanagement were common to many other environmental plans, they were omitted from thisPlan since the Town of Caledon does not have jurisdiction over these services.

Priority Areas1. Air Quality2. Climate Change3. Energy4. A Green Economy5. Environmental Awareness6. Sustainable Planning7. Community CapacityMany of these priority areas have numerous sub sections. For example, air qualityaddresses idling, fleet, traffic volume and urban forestry management.The Plan is structured such that the chapter for each of the seven priority areas has threemain sections:

Main Sections of each Chapter1. Municipal baseline data2. What's happening to address the priority area3. Proposed ActionsMunicipal baseline data is presented to provide a context for the remainder of the section.Then an overview of what has happened in the recent past and what is currently happeningto address the priority area on a federal, provincial, regional and local scale is provided.Following this, immediate, short, mid and long term actions are proposed.

Actions are classified as immediate if they do not require any additional resources (otherthan a summer student). Therefore, these actions will form the basis of the EPO's workplan for the remainder of the 2005 year. Short term actions are for completion in 2006,mid term actions will be implemented during 2007 and long term actions will requireimplementation in 2008 and beyond.

A summary document entitled an "action matrix" has been created for all the proposedactions. The matrix identifies whether a business case is required, indicates supportingresources, pinpoints external funding opportunities, demonstrates goal alignment with theTown of Caledon's Community Work Plan and highlights other relevant information.Although not complete at this time, the final Plan will have a concluding chapter onimplementation and monitoring. Also, from consultations, it is felt that although the Town ofCaledon does not have jurisdiction over waste management and water, these sections shouldbe addressed in the Plan.

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2 . 0 A I R Q U A L I T Y

2 . 1 G E N E R A L A I R Q U A L I T Y

2 . 1 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

There is no Provincial Air Quality Monitoring Station in Caledon which makes it difficult toassess Caledon's air. In an attempt to determine local air quality, two key documents havebeen examined; Air Quality in Ontario 200314 Report and the State of the Environment-Atmosphere Technical Report 200215. Also, historical data from nearby monitoringstations has been examined.

The Ministry of Environment produces an annual Air Quality in Ontario Report tosummarize the data recorded by the 40 Air Quality Monitoring Stations. Information onground level ozone, fine particulate matter, other air contaminants, the general Air QualityIndex and smog alerts are provided. For information purposes, some relevant highlightsfrom the 2003 Report are listed below:■ In 2004, there were 8 smog advisories lasting 20 days in Ontario. In the Region of Peel,

there were 6 smog advisories lasting 14 days.■ As in previous years, ozone and fine particulate matter, the main components of smog

continue to exceed ambient criteria levels and reference levels.■ Data analysis strongly indicates that neighbouring U.S. states- namely Ohio, Illinois and

Michigan- continue to be significant contributors to elevated ozone and fine particulatematter (PM2.5) in southern Ontario during the smog season.

■ A comparison of air quality in 34 cities world-wide was conducted for year 2003.Overall, the air quality of Ontario cities, Toronto and Ottawa, was generally better thanthe other cities used in this analysis for the parameters measured.

The Region of Peel has compiled several State of the Environment Reports addressing land,water and atmosphere. The most recent State of the Environment- Atmosphere Report wasreleased in 2002. The Technical Report examines air quality in the Peel Region from 1990-2000 and provides the following statistics:■ Air quality in Peel was considered to be very good or good 94.8% of the time.■ During the other 5.2% of the time, moderate readings were recorded approximately

4.8% of the time and poor readings less than half a percent (.43%) of the time.■ No very poor air quality readings have ever been recorded in Peel Region.■ One contaminant (ozone) was responsible for approximately 93.5% of all moderate or

poor readings.

The State of the Environment Atmosphere Report also mentions that "modelling completedby the Region's Transportation Demand Modelling Software indicates elevated emissions onarterial roads in Caledon, including Heart Lake Road, Highway 10, Mount Wolfe Road andAirport Road". These emissions include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbon.

Historical data from nearby air quality monitoring stations has also been assessed. Theclosest station is in Brampton and there are also stations in Guelph, Newmarket andMississauga. After reviewing data for 2004, it is common to see the following scenarioduring the summer.

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AIR QUALITY DATA FROM NEARBY MONITORING STATIONS(SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 @ 3PM)

Station MeasurementsDowntown Toronto 33Newmarket 37Guelph 49Brampton 52

This table indicates the air quality in downtown Toronto was actually better than in Guelphand Brampton which most closely reflect Caledon's air. This trend is further emphasized inthe following table which indicates the number of moderate and poor air quality days inBrampton versus Toronto during 2004.

COMPARISON AIR QUALITY DATA FROM THE BRAMPTON &DOWNTOWN TORONTO MONITORING STATIONS (2004)

Number of days with Number of daysmoderate air quality with poor air quality

Brampton 51 days (44 ozone and 7 fine 1particulate matter)

Downtown 44 days (35 ozone and 9 NoneToronto find particulate matter

Further evidence to support the notion that air quality levels are sometimes better inToronto than in Brampton or Guelph is from the Ministry of Environment's 2003 Ontario AirQuality Report. Figure 2.1 in the report suggests there are more one-hour exceedances ofozone (a major smog component) in the Brampton and Caledon area than in Toronto. Thiscould be largely contributed to trans boundary flow from southwestern Ontario and thenortheastern United States. According to Municipal Affairs16, as much as 50% of SouthernOntario's local air pollution is blown in from the Ohio Valley and other heavilyindustrialized areas in the U.S.

After assessing the Air Quality in Ontario 2003 Report17 , the State of the Environment-Atmosphere Technical Report 2002 and from reviewing historical data, it is difficult to drawa conclusion regarding Caledon's air quality. However, three key points should behighlighted:■ It is not unusual to see that communities adjacent to Caledon experience worse air

quality than downtown Toronto.■ Caledon experiences elevated emissions on various transportation arteries which could

be attributable to the large number of commuters and a lack of public transit.■ Figure 2.1 in the Ministry of Environment's 2003 Air Quality in Ontario18 suggest there

are more one-hour exceedances of ozone (a major smog component) in the Caledonarea than in Toronto.

The next step is to determine the source of Caledon's emissions. Industry, transportation,landfill, aggregate operations and the Town's corporate operations are the majorcontributors. The effect of transportation will be addressed in Section 2.4. The remainingcontributors will be explored below.

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In terms of industrial emissions, the federal government through the National PollutantRelease Inventory (NPRI) requires reporting of the transfer or release of pollutants. In2002, there were three industries that reported to the NPRI program. They are Bolton SteelTube Company, Coventry Forest Products and Husky Injection Molding Systems. Accordingto the 2000 database, there were no toxic or carcinogenic substances reported from thesefacilities.

Provincially, the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sector is mandated to reportcontaminants and greenhouse emissions according to the Airborne Contaminant Discharge -Monitoring and Reporting regulation.

There are five inactive landfill sites (Albion, Bolton, Chinguacousy, Palgrave 7020 and 7021)and 1 active landfill site in Caledon19. Landfills usually emit methane, carbon dioxide andother minor amounts of gases. To monitor and mitigate the effects of these gases, theRegion conducts monthly landfill gas monitoring. To determine the environmental andhealth effects of waste disposal facilities, an Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE)conducted a study in 199920. The major findings are provided below:■ Air emissions of landfill chemicals are unlikely to impair surface water quality.■ Most chemical emissions from incinerators and landfills should not adversely affect

surface water quality.■ No evidence was found of adverse terrestrial effects from landfills or incinerators that

were well built and operated.■ Direct or indirect effects on the terrestrial environment, vegetation or wildlife resulting

from incinerator or landfill emissions are not expected to be significant.■ Adverse effects were found at facilities with design faults like lack of gas collection and

venting systems, and with failures in treatment systems and poor drainage.■ Incinerators and landfills designed and operated as state of the art facilities have

negligible effects on human health.Aggregate operations can also contribute to poor air quality due to the dust from blastingand emissions from machinery and trucks. In 1997, there were 25 licensed and 4 activequarries. As mentioned in Section 1.1.1. Municipal Achievements, the Town has developednew aggregate resource management policies.

For the Town of Caledon's corporate operations, air pollutant emissions stem almostexclusively from fuel and electricity consumption. For fuel, the emissions depend on thetype of fuel (gasoline or diesel), its quality (sulphur content), combustion technology,vehicle type and emission reduction technology. In regards to electricity, air emissionsdepend on the source and whether its coal, gas, nuclear or hydroelectricity21.

Air quality seriously affects human health. According to the Ontario Medical Association,900 premature deaths and 18,560 emergency room visits were estimated, as a result ofpoor air quality, in the GTA during 200422.

The Region of Peel has also examined the health impact of air quality.23 As the followingstatistics suggest, their focus has been on the correlation between asthma and air pollution.

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■ In 2001, an estimated 58 hospitalizations for asthma were attributed to air pollution.This is equivalent to nearly 5% of all asthma hospitalizations.

■ In addition, an estimated 172,000 "asthma symptom days" were attributed to airpollution in 2001.

As a result of the above statistics, the Region of Peel estimated over $2.5 million for healthcare costs related to asthma.24 The Ontario Medical Association estimated $283.2 million indirect health care hospital costs and $255.2 in lost productivity costs.

The bottom line is that there are compelling health and economic drivers to take seriousaction towards improving air quality. The poor air quality contributors which will befocused on in this Section are idling, fleet and traffic volume. Measures to improve energyefficiency, curb energy use and embrace green energy, which will ultimately improve airquality, are addressed in Section 4.0: Energy.

2 . 1 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT■ Environment Canada is leading an initiative to improve the Canadian Air Quality Index.

The new and improved index will be more of a health based index rather than focusingsolely on air quality management standards.

■ The National Pollution Release Inventory was mentioned in Section 2.1.1.

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT■ Ministry of Environment (MOE)

• The #127/01: Airborne Contaminant Discharge - Monitoring and Reporting Regulationwhich was referred to in Section 2.1.1.

• Operates 36 Air Quality Index (AQI) monitoring stations in Ontario. Each station measures the concentration of some or all of six common pollutants: sulphur dioxide,ozone, nitrogen dioxide, total reduced sulphur compounds, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5). The pollutants are measured hourly and the lower the AQI reading, the better the air.

• Published an updated Smog Alert Response: A Municipal Guide to Action• MOE has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care to produce

educational materials for people who are especially sensitive to smog ■ Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing published Building Strong Communities:

Municipal Strategies for Cleaner Air.

OTHER MUNICIPALITIES■ Mississauga has developed a Clean Air Strategy■ Region of Halton: air quality is a priority in 2004-2006 Strategic Plan, working to

establish more air monitoring stations in Halton, Halton Partners for Clean Air, 20/20■ Region of York: Clean Air Task Force, 20/20,■ According to the MOE’s Smog Alert Response: A Municipal Guide to Action, 2

counties, 6 regions, 3 single tier municipalities and 20 lower tier and separatemunicipalities have developed a smog response strategy.

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CLEAN AIR PARTNERSHIP & GTA-CLEAN AIR COUNCIL (CAC)■ Smog Summit: This annual event brings together community, industry and all levels of

government. An Inter-governmental Declaration on Clean Air29 is signed at eachsummit. The declaration commits government to a number of clean air initiatives.

■ Air Quality Modelling: This project will allow member municipalities to provide local airquality data to the Clean Air Partnership so that a regional AQ picture can be developed.The model will be effective in estimating health impacts.

■ Emissions Modelling (Clean Air Plan): The intent of this is to create a decision makingmatrix to assist municipalities in prioritizing municipal emissions reduction measures,considering climate change and smog-causing pollutants.

■ With support of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the Government ofCanada, the Clean Air Partnership developed a "Model Clean Air Plan for the Living City."

PEEL REGION ■ State of the Atmosphere Report (2002)■ Improving air quality is considered a priority in the Region's Strategic Plan which led to

the following actions:■ In 2002, the Regional Air Quality Working Group was formed which is chaired by Public

Health: "It seeks to provide an integrated, coordinated approach to corporate air qualityissues and concerns in the Region.30"

■ In 2003, the Region developed a Smog Response Plan and is currently working on aClean Air Plan which will prioritize actions for greenhouse gas reduction.

CALEDON ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE■ In 2004, the CEAC Air Quality Sub-Committee collected and reviewed air quality

literature and statistics relevant to Caledon. In 2005, CEAC proposes to work with EPOon identified AQ initiatives.

TOWN OF CALEDON■ The Environmental Progress Officer attends GTA Clean Air Council and Regional Air

Quality Working Group Meetings.■ As mentioned in Section 1.1.1, the Town has participated in the annual Smog Summit.

In 2005, Councillor Annette Groves represented both the Town and Region. CouncillorGroves participated in the municipal roundtable discussion by providing an update onCaledon's environmental initiatives as they pertained to this year's transportation andhealth theme.

■ A drive-thru study is currently being undertaken to determine where future drive-thruscan and can not exist and to recommend design guidelines for those permitted. Theeffect of a drive-thru on air quality is being taken into consideration.

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2 . 1 . 3 P R O P O S E D A C T I O N S

Immediate 1. Develop a corporate "smog response plan." Work with the Caledon Environmental

Advisory Committee and other environmental groups on the community aspect of theplan.

2. Participate in the Clean Air Partnership's Air Quality Modelling Project as a first step inthe collection of data and monitoring of local AQ.

Short Term1. Investigate other options to monitor local air quality (community stewardship or

monitoring, research opportunities with universities).2. Investigate process required to have provincial AQ monitoring station established in

Caledon and begin lobbying efforts.

Long Term1. Depending on the availability of air quality data, annual air quality reports should be

considered.

2 . 2 I D L I N G

2 . 2 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

The Town's Public Works and Engineering Department has implemented anti-idling policiesto reduce fuel costs and emissions as a standard operating procedure.

From data collected during the Repair our Air Challenges, fleet idling can range from20%-60% of the time.31 This results in 2.5-4 litres of wasted fuel per hour for gas enginesand 1-4 litres for diesel.32 In terms of costs, idling for 10 minutes a day uses on average100 litres of gas annually which accounts for $90 with the current gas prices.33 For dieselvehicles, it has been estimated that 2500 hours of idling per year equates to 20,000 extramiles of engine wear, which can account to $4000 - $7000 of maintenance costs per vehicleper year.34

In terms of idling at local schools, the Caledon Countryside Alliance (CCA) launched an IdleFree School Zones Project in February 2005. The project includes school presentations,curriculum related activities, parent education in dropoff zones and additional education forbus transportation providers.

According to the CCA's Environmental Issues in Caledon Survey (2004), there is significantsupport for an idling by-law, especially in school zones.

2 . 2 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G

FEDERAL■ Natural Resources Canada has established, “Canada’s first website dedicated to helping

Canadians stop unnecessary engine idling in their comunities.”

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■ Has provided funding to the Repair Our Air Fleet challenge. “the goal of the challenge isto provide participants with accurate data on the extent and pattern of idling incidence... and tools to assist with its reduction.”

CLEAN AIR PARTNERSHIP■ They are currently doing an idle-free project with Natural Resources Canada and Lura

Consulting. There are 6 components to the project.1. Research exploring regulatory (by-law) and voluntary (education and outreach)

approaches across the country. 2. Development of a model municipal anti-idling by-law.3. A by-law enforcement plan.4. An anti-idling campaign with a focus on enforcement for June 13-17, 2005.5. A municipal pilot project with one education community (Ajax) and one by-law

community (Markham).6. Focus group research.

OTHER MUNICIPALITIES■ 15 Ontario municipalities have anti-idling by-laws. They include Burlington, Guelph,

Huntsville, Kingston, London, Niagara Falls, Oakville, Ottawa, Pickering and Toronto. 7Ontario municipalities have anti-idling provisions in other by-laws (ex. Noise).35

■ Toronto's "Turn It Off" Project determined that the combination of commitment andsigns resulted in the highest reduction of idling incidence and duration.

REGION OF PEEL■ In November, 2004, a Council Report was submitted to report on municipalities that

have anti-idling by-laws and enforcement mechanisms.■ There is only one anti-idling by-law in Peel which is on Holtby Avenue in the City of

Brampton. ■ Anti-Idling signs have been placed at all regional buildings and child care centers■ An internal Anti-Idling Policy exists which limits fleet and equipment to 1 minute■ The Region initiated the formation of the Peel Safe and Active Routes to School

Committee which coordinates annual International Walk to School Day. Two Caledonschools will be participating in the pilot "Walking to School Program".

CALEDON COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE■ As mentioned, the Caledon Countryside Alliance received climate change funding for an

Idle Free School Zones Project.

TOWN OF CALEDON■ The Public Works & Engineering Department has an internal anti-idling policy which is

reinforced on a frequent basis. Signage has been installed at all Work Yards and the EPOgave an anti-idling presentation at the April 11th Tailgate Meeting.

■ Although there are anti-idling provisions in the Town's Noise By-Law (#86-110), ifsupport for an anti-idling by-law was garnered, a new and distinct anti-idling by-lawwould be necessary.

■ The Town is participating in the GTA- Anti Idling Campaign (June 13-17th, 2005). ■ The EPO sits on the Peel Safe and Active Routes to School Program.

20



Immediate 1. Participate in the Clean Air Partnership's anti-idling blitz (June 13-17).2. Build on momentum of the blitz by continuing an Idle Free Campaign for the remainder

of the summer.a) Monitor idling at municipally owned or controlled facilities.b) Use this data for setting a reduction target and for monitoring progress.c) Educate staff on anti-idling and encourage all departments to adopt AI policy.d) Establish idle free zones with signage at Town Hall and other town facilities.e) Public education and awareness: website information, press release, school campaign.f) Work with businesses and municipally regulated vehicles (taxis, tow trucks) to get signs

posted and encourage employee awareness.3. Present to Council the results from the Clean Air Partnership's research study on the

effectiveness of Anti-Idling By-Laws versus public education (EPO).

Long Term1. Investigate options and implications related to adopting an anti-idling by-law.

2 . 3 F L E E T

2 . 3 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

Town of Caledon Fleet InformationNumber of Fleet 77 units, (31 trucks, 1 car and the remainder consist of

graders, mowers, chippers, loaders, plows and sanders) Fuel Type 33 unleaded gas, 48 dieselAnnual Litres of Fuel 478,433 litresAnnual Fuel Costs 2003/2004: Gas: $114,661 Diesel: $166,746

2005: Gas$143,326 Diesel: $208,495Current C02 emissions 1330 tonnes■ Diesel exhaust is classified as a known or probable human carcinogen by the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization36

■ For every litre of gas used, the average car produces about 2.4 kilograms of carbondioxide which is the principle greenhouse gas.37

2 . 3 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G

PROVINCE OF ONTARIO■ Exempts biodiesel and ethanol from provincial fuel tax.

OTHER MUNICIPALITIES■ After completing a successful pilot project, the City of Brampton converted its 240 city

fleet to a 50/50 blend of biodiesel petroleum diesel (B50). Brampton experienced noadditional capital costs for the switch since biodiesel works interchangeably with

21


traditional diesel in combustion-ignition engines. ■ Ajax is considering purchasing 2 hybrid trucks.■ Region of Waterloo will purchase 3 hybrid gasoline/electric trucks as a demonstration

project.■ Region of York to purchase 4 hybrid buses for York Region Transit.

REGION OF PEEL■ Purchase of a fleet of Hybrid vehicles; five pick-up trucks and two cars.■ In-house testing of fleet vehicles for the Drive Clean Program.■ Pilot testing the use of bio-diesel in some waste collection vehicles.

TOWN OF CALEDON ■ Right Sizing : Drive Smart Initiative with the Federal Government ■ Public Works and Engineering Department submitted a Report to Council on June 7th,

2005 entitled, Fleet, Greenhouse Gas and other Pollutants Emission ReductionInitiatives. Key recommendations include:1. Implement use of biodiesel blend for turf mowers in 2005 for warm weather months2. Purchase gasoline with ethanol additives.3. Require all future Requests for Proposal for fleet to address issue of warranty for

biodiesel blends up to B20 and to allow alternative models or drive trains that reduces greenhouse gases.

4. Implement further greenhouse gas reduction initiatives when funding permits.


Immediate1. Explore external funding to support initiatives outlined in the Public Works and

Engineering Department's Council Report on green fleet. 2. Consider life cycle costing for new fleet to allow reflection of long term savings which

will offset the initial up front cost of vehicle.

Short Term1. Determine viability of alternate strategies for staff that use their personal vehicles for

work purposes.

Long Term1. Conversion of fleet to hybrids or natural gas.2. Purchase of hybrid or other low emissions vehicle for Building and Enforcement

Department.

2 . 4 T R A F F I C V O L U M E

2 . 4 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

■ The majority of Caledon's workforce commutes to employment in other areas.38 (Townof Caledon’s Official Plan)

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■ From 1995-2001, there has been a 44% increase in vehicular traffic (entering or exitingCaledon) between the peak travel hours of 7am and 7pm. As expected, 80% of the traveloccurring in the morning peak period is via an automobile.39

■ There is concern about the impact of traffic on the local environment within Caledon'ssettlements.41

■ Vehicle emissions' modeling has been completed by the Region's TransportationDemand Modelling Software. The data indicates elevated emissions (HC, CO, NOx) for anumber of large arteries. This could contribute to cumulative levels of these substancesresulting in poor air quality.42

■ The automobile is the single largest emitter of pollutants that degrade quality of air.43

■ Building and maintaining roads costs 3-6 more times than public transit. 44

2 . 4 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G

SMART COMMUTE ASSOCIATION■ This Association was launched in June and stemmed from a grant from Transport

Canada's Urban Transportation Program and support from GTA municipalities andRegions. Their mandate is to foster the development of Local Smart Commutes (LSC),develop and test Transportation Demand Management programs and promote anddeliver Ride Share and Guaranteed Ride Home programs. Two Local Smart Commuteshave been established in Mississauga and Brampton and are being hosted by the localBoard of Trades.

REGION OF PEEL■ Transportation demand management (TDM) was identified in the Region of Peel Official

Plan as one of the strategies to reduce congestion and manage traffic growth. Todetermine TDM strategies, a Transportation Demand Management Study was completedand supported by Regional Council in July 2004.

■ The Region of Peel has played and is continuing to play an active role in the Smart CommuteAssociation (SCA) and the formation of the Local Smart Commutes (LSC) in Mississaugaand Brampton. To assist in these efforts and to implement an Employee Trip ReductionProgram, a Transportation Demand Management Coordinator has been hired.

TOWN OF CALEDON■ A Caledon Transportation Needs Study (CATS) was undertaken as a joint project by the

Town of Caledon and the Region of Peel which identified a number of recommendationsincluding a travel demand management strategy, consideration of a transit service withinBolton and a strategy to deal with the excess volumes of traffic on the rural collectorroadways.

■ A Council Resolution was passed on March 8, 2005 which "directed Public Works andEngineering Staff to investigate the feasibility of permitting a private bus company to usepublic roads for local transit and make recommendations towards potential stops, turns,roads, and traffic flow impact so that Council could proceed with further decisions anddirection towards a private transit service in the Village of Bolton."

23


■ To determine how Caledon can become involved in the Smart Commute Association'sinitiatives, the EPO met with regional staff and attended the first meeting of theBrampton Local Smart Commute. Discussions with the Caledon Chamber of Commercewill occur to determine the feasibility of establishing a Caledon Local Smart Commute.

■ The EPO has also been invited to sit on the technical committee of the Smart CommuteAssociation. This committee has representatives from GTA municipalities and acts as anadvisory body.


Immediate1. EPO to represent the Town on the Technical Committee of the Smart Commute

Association. Determine and help implement applicable transportation demandprograms for Caledon's employers and residents.

2. Conduct internal survey to determine number of commuters, length of commutes, type ofvehicle, number of passengers, etc.

3. Prepare report that outlines what other municipalities and regions are doing in terms ofcar pooling and telecommuting.

4. Create a business case for a staff telecommuting policy and formal car poolinginitiatives.

5. Create a web-based carpooling tool for matching employees.

2 . 5 U R B A N F O R E S T RY M A N A G E M E N T

2 . 5 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

Town of Caledon■ From spring 2003 until fall 2004, the Town of Caledon's Public Works and Engineering

Department undertook a comprehensive roadside tree assessment45 . From this, it wasfound that Caledon had 7204 rural roadside trees and 4685 urban roadside trees.According to methods used by the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers, the urbanstreet trees are valued at $5,200,000.

■ In terms of hazard trees, the tree assessment identified 109 trees as high hazard(needing immediate attention) and 232 as medium hazard. Public Works andEngineering has addressed half of the high hazard trees.

■ Currently, the Town does not have a dedicated program relating to the maintenance andrenewal of the municipally owned urban forest.

Relevant statistics from the City of Windsor's One Million TreesProgram46

■ In 50 years, one tree can remove 30 tons of pollutants from the air. One hundred treescan remove five tons of carbon dioxide from the air.

■ A single row of trees can reduce street dust by as much as 25 percent.■ Two mature trees can produce enough oxygen for four people.

24


■ A barrier of mature trees will provide an adequate sound barrier betweenneighbourhoods and highly traveled roads.

■ In the summer months, trees strategically placed around a home or office building canreduce air conditioning costs by 30%.

■ The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-sized airconditioners operating 20 hours a day.

■ In the winter months, a tree wind break on the North West side of your property canslow strong winds and help to reduce heating costs by 20-40%.

2 . 5 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT■ In the Project Green: Moving Forward on Climate Change: A Plan for Honouring our

Kyoto Commitment, there is a section entitled, "Sustainable Agricultural and ForestSectors" which discusses the importance of relying on forests to sequester greenhousegas emissions.

OTHER MUNICIPALITIES■ City of Windsor has a One Million Trees initiative, which is a coalition of community

partners, whose goal is to plant one million trees over the next ten years.

TOWN OF CALEDON■ The Building and Enforcement Department coordinates the annual Tree Seedling

Program. In the past three years, almost 50,000 trees have been sold. Some of the treevarieties include white cedar, white pine, spruce, sliver maple, sugar maple, highbushcranberry, nannyberry and staghorn sumac.47 The date for the 2006 tree distribution isApril 22nd which coincides with Earth Day.

■ Public Works and Engineering submitted a report to Council on March 22, 2005 for aTree Management Program and an associated budget request. This reportrecommended 170 new trees each year and 150 trees per year for hedge rowenhancement which would result in .84 tonnes of annual carbon removal. A councilresolution was passed to consider a tree management program.


Immediate1. Trees are very effective in removing air pollutants and in sequestering carbon dioxide.

Therefore, it is imperative that the Town support the tree management program and itsassociated budget request proposed by Public Works and Engineering. To help offsetthe budgetary implications of a tree management program; consideration should begiven to a funding proposal for the Tree Canada Foundation.

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3 . 0 C L I M AT E C H A N G E

Climate change has been considered one of the most serious environmental, economic andsocial issues facing today's society. The Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement thatrecognizes the severity of this issue, has established a greenhouse gas reduction target forparticipating countries. It came into effect on February 16, 2005, in 141 nations accountingfor fifty-five percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions.48 In response to this, theFederal Government released Project Green: Moving Forward On Climate Change, A Planfor Honouring our Kyoto Commitment on April 13th.

Greenhouse gas (ghg) reduction and emissions trading will be the focus of this section. Inaddition, an attempt is made to highlight the greenhouse gas opportunities that exist foragriculture.

3 . 1 G R E E N H O U S E G A S R E D U C T I O N

3 . 1 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

■ A greenhouse gas emissions inventory was completed for the Town by WoodrisingConsulting and COOL Caledon. This was funded in part by the Federation of CanadianMunicipalities Green Municipal Funding and Husky Injection Molding. Some of the keyfindings from the inventory are found below.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions for the Town of Caledon(tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent)

2000 2003 2010DIRECT: 2.04 kt 3.21 kt 3.58 kt-Combustion of oil, natural gas and propane-Diesel and gasoline fuel for transportationINDIRECT: 2.09 kt 2.35 kt 1.62 kt-Imports of electricity for streetlights and facilitiesTOTAL 4.13 kt Co2e 5.56 kt Co2e 5.20 kt C02e

Largest Town Sources of Emissions2000 2003

DIRECT: 49% 55%Largest source Natural Gas 26% Natural Gas (29%)INDIRECT:Electricity for Buildings 33% 30%Electricity for Streetlights 17% 12%

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions for the Community(tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent)

2000 2003 2010DIRECT: 280.7 kt 274.3 kt 281.3 kt- Combustion of oil, natural gas and propane- Diesel and gasoline fuel for transportationINDIRECT: 50.5 kt 51.7 kt 40.4 kt- Imports of electricity for streetlights and facilitiesTOTAL 331.2 kt Co2e 326.0 kt Co2e 321.7 kt C02e

Largest Community Sources of Emissions 2000 2003

Direct Emissions 86% 86%Largest source Gasoline (33%) Gasoline (33%)2nd largest source Natural Gas (26%) Natural Gas (27%)Electricity for Residential 15% 16%

3 . 1 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G ?

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT■ In order to meet climate change objectives, the Federal Government's 2005 budget

announced a number of funding mechanisms (Clean Fund, Partnership Fund, WindPower Production Incentive, and Renewable Power Production Incentive) which arediscussed in Section 9: External Funding Opportunities.

■ As mentioned, the Federal Government released Project Green in April. Project Greenannounced very little new funding since Budget 2005 included climate change funding.Project Green has six components49 :1. Competitive and Sustainable Industries2. Harnessing Market forces: Purchasing emissions reductions throughout Canada and

internationally via the Climate Fund3. Stimulating Partnerships among Canada's Governments by means of the Partnership

Fund4. Engaging Citizens: Providing tools like the One Tonne Challenge so that citizens can

take appropriate action5. Sustainable Agriculture and Forest Sectors: Using these resources for sequestration of

greenhouse gas emissions6. Sustainable Cities and Communities: Fostering sustainability through the Federal

Governments New Deal for Cities and Communities

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GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION PROGRAM FOR CANADIANAGRICULTURE50

■ Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has made a substantial commitment to helping theagriculture sector reduce greenhouse gases. It has invested $21 million into theGreenhouse Gas Mitigation Program which is administered by four groups: SoilConservation Council of Canada, Canadian Cattleman's Association, Canadian PorkCouncil and the Dairy Farmers of Canada. The main goals of the Program areidentifying best practices for greenhouse gas reduction, raising awareness and assistingproducers in implementation.

PARTNERS FOR CLIMATE PROTECTION (PCP)51

■ As mentioned in Section 1.1.1, this program is a partnership between the Federation ofCanadian Municipalities and ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability. It is also partof the much larger and international Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) network whichhas 660 member municipalities. There are 121 Canadian municipalities who are PCPmembers. As stated, the Town of Caledon is a member of PCP.

■ To achieve greenhouse gas reduction and successfully complete the program, there arefive milestones.1. Creating a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and forecast2. Setting an emissions reduction target3. Developing a local action plan4. Implementing the local action plan5. Monitoring progress and reporting results.- Municipalities may work on these milestones in any order although all milestones

must be completed. The following table demonstrates the progress made by Canadian municipalities.

Table 1 Partners for Climate Protection milestone achievement statistics. Source: Partnersfor Climate Protection, 2005

Milestones achieved by Canadian MunicipalitiesMilestone COMPLETED IN PROGRESSMilestone 1 43 13Milestone 2 27 9Milestone 3 11 22Milestone 4 3 11Milestone 5 0 2

CANADIAN GHG CHALLENGE REGISTRY(formerly Voluntary Challenge Registry)■ This is "Canada's only publicly accessible national registry of greenhouse gas baselines,

targets and reductions based on individual entities or facilities."■ Nine municipal governments have registered which include the City of Edmonton,

Sudbury, Guelph, Ottawa, Regina, Whitehorse, Banff, Municipality of Whistler and theTown of Banff and Town of New Glasgow.

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OTHER MUNICIPALITIES■ As demonstrated above, many Canadian municipalities are working on climate change

or greenhouse gas reduction strategies. This strategy usually takes the form of anenvironmental plan or Local Action Plan .

PEEL REGION■ Peel Region is a member of Partners for Climate Protection and as such, has recently

completed a greenhouse gas emissions inventory.

TOWN OF CALEDON■ As stated in the Municipal Achievements Section (1.1.1) of this Plan, the Town of

Caledon, through the establishment of COOL Caledon, completed two of the fivemilestones for the Partners for Climate Protection Program.

■ This Environmental Progress Action Plan will propose actions to further reducegreenhouse gas emissions.


Immediate1. Although a greenhouse gas emissions inventory has been completed, some additional

changes are required. Therefore, the EPO needs to work with appropriate staff tofinalize the inventory.

2. Brief Council on Canada's Kyoto Plan and its' implications for municipal government.3. Work with appropriate community environmental groups to finalize community

greenhouse reduction initiatives, merging this with the corporate EnvironmentalProgress Action Plan to complete a Local Action Plan (Milestone 3 of the Partners forClimate Protection Program). The Local Action Plan could then be submitted for theFederation of Canadian Municipalities' Sustainable Community Awards.

Short, Mid, Long Term1. Continue working on Milestones 4 and 5 for PCP.

3 . 2 E M I S S I O N S T R A D I N G

Emissions' trading is defined by the National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy(NRTEE) as "a market where, for specified pollutants, parties can buy or sell allowances orpermits for emissions, or credits for reductions in emissions."52 A simplistic example todemonstrate its practicality is if a municipality decided to sell its emission credits from amethane recovery project at a local landfill. These credits would be sold by the municipalityto an industry, utility or other business who are seeking emissions reductions.

From this example, it is easy to understand why emission trading is considered a viable andnecessary option for meeting the Kyoto Protocol. The greenhouse gas emissions inventory,which was completed for the Town, is a critical first step if the Town is interested incapitalizing on Kyoto incentives or emissions trading.

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3 . 2 . 1 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT■ The federal government is currently developing an emissions trading system for

greenhouse gases, in consideration of the Kyoto Protocol. Municipal government couldparticipate in this system via 'offset credits.' "Individuals and organizations that reduceor sequester emissions will be able to apply to a body under the authority of theMinister of the Environment for offset credits….They can retire their credits, helpingCanada respect its Kyoto commitment, or they can sell them."53

■ Pilot Emission Removals and Reduction Learning Initiative (PERRL): "It is designed toprovide Canadian companies, organizations and individuals with an economic incentiveto take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As a pilot project, it isalso intended to help both Canadian governments and private sector organizations learnabout and better understand a number of important elements of emissions trading, akey policy measure which will be instrumental in helping Canada meet its climatechange objectives."54

■ The Cities of Guelph, London and Peterborough participated in PERRL's Round 1(landfill gas capture and combustion) auction process. They received on average $2.80per tonne of CO255 reduced. The deadline for the final auction round was February 3,2005. It is uncertain if funding for PERRL will be renewed.

■ PERRL has partnered with the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association and otherprovincial groups like the Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario to get farmersinvolved in carbon trading. Ontario producers are being offered $1.88 per acre peryear for carbon that is stored in no till soils. There are two stipulations with theprogram; no manure can be applied and straw should not be removed from the field.56

NATIONAL ROUNDTABLE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMY (NRTEE)57

■ NRTEE was created by Canadian Parliament in 1994 and is considered "an independentadvisory body reporting to governments and the Canadian public...[on] newopportunities to integrate environmental preservation and economic development, inorder to sustain Canada's prosperity and secure its future."58 Members of NRTEE areappointed by Canada's Prime Minister.

■ NRTEE is leading the research work on emissions trading and as such, has published 10documents on the subject.

■ Emissions' trading is defined by the NRTEE as "a market where, for specified pollutants,parties can buy or sell allowances or permits for emissions, or credits for reductions inemissions."59 It is considered as an option for meeting the Kyoto Protocol.

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT■ In 2001, an emissions trading system was set up by the Provincial government as part of

Ontario's initiative under Regulation 397/01.60 It applies to nitric oxide (NO) andsulphur oxide (SO2) that are emitted by electrical generators. In June 2005, a newregulation is going forward to expand this emissions trading system to include moresectors.

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GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION TRADING PILOT (GERT)64

■ Government, industry and non governmental organizations collaborated on a four yearpilot project to test emissions trading. The pilot project ended in 2002 and a finalreport was released to present lessons learned and future recommendations.

CLEAN AIR PARTNERSHIP■ CAP commissioned a paper entitled Update on Emissions Trading Policies and their

Implications for Municipalities65. Some of the key discussion points are summarizedbelow:

■ Local governments will be able to participate in emissions trading regimes by creatingemissions reduction credits to sell or as purchasers of credits to achieve their ownemission reduction targets.

■ Municipal governments will only find it worthwhile to sell credits if they can achieveemission reductions at a cost per tonne less than the market price. Landfill gas captureand combustion projects will likely be cost-effective, but it is not clear if they will be eligiblefor credit creation. Other projects will have to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

■ The key factors affecting local government participation in emissions trading regimesare ownership, environmental benefits, eligibility and cost.

REGION OF PEEL■ A staff person from Environmental Health is currently researching "emissions trading"

and its applicability for municipal and regional governments.

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4 . 0 E N E R G Y

As demonstrated below, energy is a significant cost for the Town and a large source ofgreenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants. As a result, procurement, efficiency andrenewal strategies are important for achieving cost savings. The viability of green energy isalso imperative since renewable energy can help offset the Town's energy requirementswhile reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Business cases for many of the proposed actionswill be required to determine the feasibility and practicality of each measure. Externalfunding potential has also been identified.

4 . 1 P R O C U R E M E N T

4 . 1 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

■ In general, municipal "facilities account for approximately 40% of the total energy usedin municipal operations and roughly 40% of its greenhouse gas emissions."70

■ "Municipalities can influence more than 50 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gasemissions through direct control (energy use in their own buildings) or throughindirect control and influence (energy use in residential and commercial buildings)."71

Energy Costs for the Town of CaledonENERGY TYPE 2003 2004 2005Hydro for Facilities $477,772 $485,400 $545,100Hydro for Streetlights $314,583 $440,400 $460,000Natural Gas $396,092 $397,800 $512,300Fuel: gas $114,661* $114,661 $143,326Fuel: diesel $166,746* $166,746 $208,495TOTAL $1,469,854 $1,605,007 $1,869,221*2003 fuel costs are estimated to be the same as 2004 due to a lack of information.

4 . 1 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G ?

PEEL REGION■ Corporate Energy Management: Currently developing an effective procurement strategy.

ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPALITIES OF ONTARIO■ The Association of Ontario Municipalities (AMO) is launching a Bulk Electricity

Procurement Program for all municipalities. It is planned that participatingmunicipalities will be provided with software for monitoring and managing energy.72

■ The AMO is also in the preliminary stages of developing a Conservation ManagementPilot. If selected, the Town would obtain assistance in determining a load profile andfacility audits may also be a component.

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TOWN OF CALEDON■ The Town has partnered with the Region for procurement of natural gas for its facilities.

A procurement strategy for electricity is being considered for sometime in 2005.

4 . 2 E F F I C I E N C Y A N D R E N E WA L

4 . 2 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

The Town of Caledon has over 20 facilities which are categorized as recreation and sport,community and administration or corporate. The average age of these facilities is 38 yearswith the exception of heritage buildings which include Belfountain Community Hall, MelvilleWhite Church, Rosehill School House and St. Andrew's Stone Church. The total squarefootage for all facilities is 431,206.

4 . 2 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G

OTHER MUNICIPALITIES■ Region of York: Received Green Municipal Funding to support building energy feasibility

studies. Phase 1 consists of a building energy analysis report (feasibility assessment,prioritized list of energy saving measures) and phase 2 is the development of aprocurement standard.73

■ Kingston: Has an energy reduction goal of 35% in energy consumption and greenhousegas emissions thru conventional and non-conventional renovations.

■ Sudbury: Received Green Municipal Funding to develop an energy plan and to conductan energy audit and retrofit plan for its 175 municipal facilities.74

■ Region of Durham: Received Green Municipal Funding to support an energy efficiencystudy.

■ Oshawa: Developed and implemented a "Strategic Renewal Plan" which resulted inannual energy savings of $500,000.

■ Township of Uxbridge: Received Green Municipal Funds for an energy conservationstudy to assess how to operate their arena and swimming pool in a more energy efficientmanner.

■ Windsor: Relied on energy performance contracting to implement energy efficiencyimprovements which resulted in $560,000 in annual energy savings.

REGION OF PEEL■ Corporate Energy Management was formed as a division under the Finance Department

in 2003. Its' mandate is to "manage the Region's energy portfolio in an economical andsustainable manner, while promoting the wise use of energy to maintain a healthyenvironment". 75 Their primary focus is to manage the organization's energyprocurement and payment needs. Another key focus is to support a full range ofdemand management strategies. As a result, some of their past activities have beenenergy efficiency audits, building retrofits, renewable energy, providing advisory servicesto internal department and the organization of the "Energy Matters Summit" in February,2005.

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■ In June 2005, it was announced by the Ontario Conservation Action Team that theRegion's Corporate Energy Management Division would be recognized as "OutstandingLeader in Sustainable Energy Practices".76

TOWN OF CALEDON■ FACILITIES: In the past, minimal money has been spent on capital with the exception of

maintenance work. Facility renewal will be the next stage which may involve somedecommissioning. An energy audit has never been completed on the facilities althougha technical audit has occurred.

■ The Town has expressed interest in the Association of Municipalities of Ontario's(AMO) Conservation Management Pilot. If selected, the Town would obtain assistance indetermining a load profile, by means of energy software and meters. Facility audits mayalso be a component of the Pilot.

■ ENERGY RETROFITS:Administration Building: efficient lighting, computerized air conditioning controls,upgraded insulation, low voltage and timers for parking lot lighting.Albion Bolton Community Center: new air handling and cooling units, efficient lightingand upgraded insulation.Work Yards: new roofing, insulated bay doors, upgraded insulation and cladding,sprayed ceilings, efficient lighting, conversion to natural gas heat.Fire Stations: conversion to high efficiency natural gas furnaces and water heaters,installation of programmable thermostats.

■ STREET LIGHTING: Doug Murray is completing an inventory of street lighting (10,000units) with assistance from Hydro One. All mercury vapour, low pressure sodium, andfluorescent fixtures are being converted to high pressure sodium. The Town does notown any traffic lights- they are owned and maintained by the Region.


Immediate1. If the Town is not selected for the AMO's Conservation Management Pilot, it is proposed

that the Town work with the Region to "pilot" their energy management software orsubmit an application to the Green Municipal Funds or Natural Resource Canada'sEnergy Innovators Program to seek financial assistance for energy managementsoftware.

2. Coordinate an "energy awareness month" for the Town Hall. Work with the Region ofPeel so baseline energy use is collected and potential energy savings are measured.

Short Term1. Apply for external funding to support the cost of energy audit (s) on selected buildings.

From this information, develop a business case for retrofits.

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Mid Term1. Develop a "Strategic Renewal Plan" for municipal facilities

a) Explore feasibility of energy performance contracting.b)Commit to energy efficiency for new facilities (25% energy reduction target over the

Model National Energy Code for Buildings). The federal government's Commercial Building Incentive Program can help make this a reality.

Long Term1. LED conversion of all street lights.

4 . 3 G R E E N E N E R G Y

4 . 3 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT■ The Federal Government has a number of funding initiatives, which are outlined in

Section 9.1, to support green energy. They include the Green Municipal Funds,Renewable Energy Deployment Initiative, Renewable Power Production Incentive, WindPower Production Incentive and the newly announced Clean Fund. In addition, thereare a number of tax incentives for commercial and residential generation.

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT■ The Ministry of Energy is promoting a conservation culture. As such, they have set a

provincial target of 5% reduction in peak electricity demand and a 10% reduction targetfor its own operations by 2007.

■ Additional renewable targets have also been set: generating 5% (1350 MW) of Ontario'stotal energy capacity from renewable sources by 2007 and 10% (2700 MW) by 2010.To achieve this, two RFP's were issued for new electricity generation capacity, electricityconservation measures and renewable energy. Also, a new RFP is anticipated to supportsmall scale, community based projects in 2005.

■ Ministry of Natural Resources is accepting a second round of applications for the rightto test wind power resources on Crown land.

■ The Ontario Renewable Energy Task Team drafted a policy on Standard Offer Contractsas a new mechanism other than RFP's to encourage renewable energy.

■ At the Liberal Policy Convention in November 2004, a resolution was passed to supportadvanced renewable tariffs and renewable portfolio standards.

■ In December 2004, Bill 100 or the Electricity Restructuring Act was passed by theliberal government. This bill supports conservation and renewable energy.

■ A sales tax rebate was introduced for residential wind energy, micro hydro-electric andgeothermal energy systems. For solar, a rebate for RST on solar energy residentialsystems purchased on or after November 26, 2002 and on or before November 25,2007 has been introduced.

■ The new Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) that came into effect March 1, 2005 has anew section on Energy and Air Quality (Section 1.8) that provides overarching policy

35


direction that municipalities must be consistent with. Among other things, this sectionof the new PPS states that municipalities shall support energy efficiency and improvedair quality through land use and development patterns, and also that alternative energysystems and renewable energy systems shall be permitted in settlement areas, ruralareas and prime agricultural areas.

■ Section 4.6 of the report entitled Places to Grow: Draft Growth Plan for the GreaterGolden Horseshoe describes the Province's proposed vision for creating a "culture ofconservation" in Ontario. Policies are proposed in the subject areas of waterconservation, air quality, energy conservation and waste diversion.

OTHER MUNICIPALITIES■ Milton, North Bay, Kingston, Sudbury, Richmond Hill and York are initiating wind

projects. (Refer to Appendix B)

CALEDON ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE■ CEAC submitted a general wind report to Council on April 28, 2004 which provided two

major recommendations. The first dealt with the development of a wind tower protocoland the second recommended that CEAC review the draft protocol.

■ CEAC is an active member of the Wind Solutions Business Case Committee.

TOWN OF CALEDON■ Wind Solutions Business Case Committee: Council passed a resolution on December 7,

2004 which directed staff to lead an initiative that entailed the coordination of theCommittee. The broad purpose of the committee is to develop a business case andprovide recommendations for municipal investment in a wind tower. A Council Report05-32 entitled "Wind Solutions" was submitted on April 19th which provided a statusreport on the work of the Committee. A Terms of Reference has been approved andsubcommittee work plans have been drafted (Appendix C ). A key objective for theBusiness Subcommittee is to begin the initial process of developing a wind towerprotocol. It is anticipated that a wind data study will commence in the fall of 2005.


Immediate1. Commence wind data study in the fall of 2005.2. Submit a letter of intent in the fall of 2005 and a full proposal in late fall/early 2006 for

Green Municipal Funds to support a wind energy feasibility study.

Short1. Wind feasibility study to begin in April 2006.2. Explore opportunities for biogas.3. Research applicability of green roofs.4. Develop business case for solar for pools.

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5 . 0 A G R E E N E C O N O M Y

Green Economic Development (green economy) is a relatively new concept and as such, ithas many definitions and interpretations. A Canadian "green economics" website(www.greeneconomics.net) defines it as "the economics of the real world- the world ofwork, human needs, the Earth's materials and how they mesh together most harmoniously".The City of Toronto defines it as "initiatives that promote a healthy environment and a vitaleconomy while providing competitive advantages for business as well as improved socialequity." The Government of Canada alludes to a green economy in its "2005 BudgetDocument" by stating that a "healthy and sustainable environment is an integral part ofeconomic growth." The emerging theme from all these definitions is that a healthyenvironment is no longer viewed as a drain on the economy. Rather, a sustainableenvironment can actually catalyze economic development opportunities. Although this is thecurrent perception, many still question the application and benefits of green economicdevelopment. This section will attempt to provide an overview of green economicdevelopment and green procurement.

5 . 1 G R E E N E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T

5 . 1 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

■ Canada's environmental industry comprises approximately 6000 companies with $21billion of annual sales, representing 2.2% of national Gross Domestic Product. Almosthalf of this industry is located in Ontario.77

■ According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, each Tonne of C02 reducedcreates an average of $5-25 in health and environmental benefits.

■ For every million dollars invested, an average 36.3 jobs are created in the energyefficiency sector, 12.2 jobs in the renewable energy sector and only 7.3 jobs in thedevelopment of conventional energy78.

■ For every dollar spent on energy conservation, $2.32 is generated in local economicactivity. Purchases of natural gas and electricity are much lower. 79

■ There are more than 16 Eco Industrial Parks under development in North America.80

5 . 1 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G ?

NATIONAL ROUNDTABLE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMY(NRTEE)■ This roundtable was formed in 1994 by an Act of Parliament. Its mandate is to

"examine the environmental and economic implications of priority issues and offeradvice on how best to reconcile the sometimes-competing interests of economicprosperity and environmental preservation"81. The NRTEE's current projects are brownfields, ecofiscal reform and energy, green budgeting, conservation, indicators, capitalmarkets and urban sustainability.

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■ There are many other organizations working on green economic development. Some ofthese are Sustainable Communities Network, Canadian Society for Ecological Economics,Green Budgeting Coalition and Pembina Institute.

OTHER MUNICIPALITIES■ City of Toronto: The City of Toronto seems to be the most progressive municipality in

Ontario with respect to green economic development. A green economic workgroupwas established in 1999 and functioned much like a steering committee. It usedconsultants for research and coordination and coordinated an external stakeholderconsultation process. In October 1999, The Green Economy Plan82 was released andincorporated into The Environmental Plan83. The Green Economy Plan has three majorfocuses: Economic Competitiveness, Urban Form and Environmental Sustainability,Improving Energy Efficiency in Toronto's Industrial Sector and Supporting GreenBusiness Sectors.

■ Sudbury: The City of Sudbury has not explicitly used the term "green economicdevelopment" however; they have incorporated an "economy" section in their LocalAction Plan84. The goal of this section is to increase its economic competitiveness whileimproving sustainability which is essentially GED. To accomplish this, a number ofobjectives have been established. They are:

■ Fostering the expansion of business and the development of new enterprises within theenvironment, energy and food sectors via eco-industrial parks.

■ Promoting waste re-use as a business development strategy.■ Making "quality of place" (clean environment) a central feature of economic

development strategies.■ Developing an ecotourism strategy.In addition, the City's Economic Development Strategic Plan85 has included green economicdevelopment initiatives (pursuing green business and renewable energy).

CALEDON COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE■ In their five year strategic plan, local food initiatives are a priority. As such, they co-

sponsored the 2004 Local Food Event- Buy Local- Sell Local. This annual event hasbeen initiated by the Toronto Food Policy Council. The 2004 event attracted almost 100participants who represented universities, agricultural groups, municipal governmentofficials, community groups and local farmers and producers.

COOL CALEDON■ As part of a draft local action plan, COOL Caledon envisioned a "Live Locally Campaign"

which would encourage Caledon residents to spend more time, and ultimately money, inCaledon. To emphasize the environmental impact of travelling outside of Caledon, theynoted that if each Caledon resident made one trip to Toronto each week, it would resultin 1 tonne of C02 per year per resident.

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Immediate1. Make "quality of place" a key strategy for promoting Caledon.2. Explore a partnership with the Caledon Chamber of Commerce to create a new "green

category" for the Business Achievement Awards and investigate viability of an energyefficiency project.

3. Capitalize on "Greenest Town in Ontario Award"; add supplementary information underthe environment section of the Hills of Headwaters website.

Short Term1. Creation of a Caledon Green Map.2. Work with appropriate stakeholders or partners to create a buy local strategy for

Caledon restaurants.3. Conduct a feasibility study for a green/eco-industrial park. Prior to this, undertake

initial research and analysis to determine if a green industry is viable and sustainable inCaledon.

5 . 2 G R E E N P R O C U R E M E N T

5 . 2 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

■ The Town of Caledon has an Environmental Purchasing Policy which exists within theTown's Purchasing By-law (#2004-148). It states that "staff will prepare contracts andtender specifications for goods and services, bearing in mind that where economicallyfeasible, specifications should provide for consideration of environmentalcharacteristics."

■ The Town requires that suppliers prove compliance with all environmental legislation.In addition, the Town may ask a bidder to provide an environmental policy statement orcomplete a questionnaire regarding environmental practices.

5 . 2 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G ?

PUBLIC WORKS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES CANADA86 (PWGSC) ■ There is mandatory "green purchasing" training for all procurement officers. In

addition, a Green Procurement Network (intranet site) has been set up for PWGSCemployees. The website provides resources for how to purchase green.

NORTH AMERICAN GREEN PROCUREMENT INITIATIVE87 (NAGPI)■ This organization was launched in 2003 under the North American Council for

Environmental Cooperation in an effort to become the clearinghouse for information ongreen procurement and to provide resources. A steering committee governs NAGPI andrepresents federal and municipal governments, private industry, environment groupsand environmental certifiers from Mexico, USA and Canada.

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PROVINCE OF MANITOBA■ Has a guide called Sustainable Development Procurement Guidelines88.

OTHER MUNICIPALITIES■ City of Toronto: has an Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy90 that was

approved by City Council in 1999. The City of Toronto was also instrumental in thedevelopment of what is referred to as GIPPER: Governments Incorporating ProcurementPractices To Eliminate Refuse Guide to Environmental Purchasing.

■ City of Richmond: has an Environmental Purchasing Guide. ■ Pickering: A Green Procurement Policy has been drafted by the Finance Department.■ Cambridge: actively developing a Green Procurement Policy.

CLEAN AIR PARTNERSHIP■ In the fall of 2004, a survey entitled: Municipal Use of Energy Star Qualified Products

was circulated to ten GTA municipalities. Only one municipality has a procurementpolicy for Energy Star qualified products. Six municipalities stated that they hadprocurement policies which contained language pertaining to energy efficiency.

■ CAP is currently working on the development of an Energy Star Procurement Guide.

TOWN OF CALEDON■ As mentioned, the Town of Caledon does have environmental considerations in its

Purchasing By-law (#2004-148).


Mid Term1. Demonstrate the business case for green purchasing (case studies) and feasibility of a

pilot project.2. Expand Environmental Purchasing Policy of By-Law 2004-148.3. Prepare a briefing regarding green procurement for new employees.4. Coordinate future training sessions for purchasing staff and senior management.5. Work with vendors to educate them re: green procurement, purchasing by-law.

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6.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND EDUCATION

According to a recent Oracle Poll, commissioned by Caledon Countryside Alliance, Caledonresidents are very aware of environmental issues. This level of environmental awareness iscritical in ensuring sustainable behaviour change. It is expected that similar awarenessexists for municipal staff given the Town's environmental commitment, and its recognitionvia the "Greenest Town in Ontario" award. While appreciating this existing awareness, it isimportant to continue environmental education. As such, actions that target municipal staffand the general public are proposed. In addition, this section addresses the ongoing needfor pesticide education.

6 . 0 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

GlobeScan (formerly Environics) produces an annual International Environmental Monitor."This is the world's largest annual global public opinion study on key environmental andnatural resource concerns, attitudes and behaviours."91 The 2004 Canadian EnvironmentalMonitor suggests that "75% of Canadians feel that Canada should take major action onclimate change even if there is scientific uncertainty and economic costs."

OraclePoll conducted a survey entitled Environmental Issues in Caledon in January, 2004. Atotal of 500 randomly selected residents of the Town of Caledon were interviewed. Thesurvey was conducted using computer-assisted techniques of telephone interviewing andrandom number selection. A total of 20% of all interviews were monitored and themanagement of Oracle Poll Research supervised 100%. The margin of error for results is+/- 4.4%. Some of the key findings from the survey are below:■ Caledon residents place a high importance on the environment and environmental

issues.■ Specific programs that respondents are most aware of include the Healthy Horticultural

Landscapes By-Law, the Tree Stewardship Program and the Rain Barrel Initiative.■ A link is seen between a healthy environment and the health of individuals.■ Water quality is the most cited top of mind issue followed by sprawl and waste

management. Other areas of importance include air quality and protection ofagriculture lands.

■ Residents have a high participation rate in environmentally friendly activities such asrecycling, composting and taking energy efficiency into consideration.

■ Caledon residents want their community to be a leader in environmental issues anddoing what it takes to live up to Kyoto.

■ There is significant support for an idling by-law, especially in school zones and there isconsistent support (compared to November 2000) among a majority of residents for thecurrent pesticide by-law.

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6 . 0 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G ?

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:■ Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada are joining their efforts to promote

the One-Tonne Challenge 92. It asks Canadians to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by20% or one-tonne. According to Environment Canada, each Canadian produces onaverage five tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year. Canadians can order aguide from the Federal government which provides solutions and advice. Similarprograms include David Suzuki's Nature Challenge and the Pembina Institute's OneTonne Less.

REGION OF PEEL■ In June 2004, the Region partnered with the Clean Air Partnership in coordinating a

community outreach initiative, known as Peel Energy Efficiency Community Forum, inconjunction with the annual smog summit. The Peel Children's Water Festival also hoststhe Peel EcoFair, which is an opportunity for local students to show the environmentalaction projects they have undertaken each year.

CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Credit Valley Conservation, LakeSimcoe Region Conservation Authority and the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authorityare in the Town of Caledon. They are involved with significant education and awarenesscampaigns on a variety of environmental issues.

CALEDON COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE■ CCA hosts a monthly Caledon speaker series from October to May of each year. The

most recent series were on Sustained Forest Management, End of Suburbia and DoesUrbanization threaten Rural Values?

■ In 2003 and 2004, CCA held two Well Aware Community Forums.■ Since 2003, CCA has coordinated an annual Dandelion Festival and an Organic Lawn

and Garden Tour.

CALEDON ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE93

■ The Environmentalist of the Year Award was established in 1997 and recognizes a citizenor group who has made a significant contribution towards environmental sustainabilityin Caledon. The recipient is awarded at the Town's annual volunteer appreciation event.

■ CEAC's 2005 Work Plan identifies a number of related education and monitoringactivities. This includes reviewing the implementation progress and perceivedeffectiveness of the Healthy Horticultural Landscapes By-Law with Town Staff,participating in public education initiatives as appropriate, developing a compendium oflegal decisions in Canada regarding pesticide control by-laws and reviewing theIntegrated Pest Management (IPM) accreditation process as it impacts the enforcementof the by-law in the Town and develop recommendations for improvement ifappropriate.

42


TOWN OF CALEDONThe Town has and continues to host public information sessions on a number ofenvironmentally related issues. The following are just some examples.■ In 2001, GreenCASE (a former environmental group) partnered with the Town of

Caledon and CEAC to coordinate two Land Stewardship Workshops specifically forCaledon residents. A session for landowners on the Managed Forest Tax IncentiveProgram was also coordinated in April, 2001.

■ Prior to the Healthy Horticultural Landscapes By-Law (2001), a public informationsession and a Pesticide Symposium were coordinated. Annual Pesticide Free Weeksoccurred during 2000-2002. Once the by-law was enacted, the Town coordinated 2public information nights and sessions for industry in 2004.

Other information sessions regarding West Nile Virus, Oak Ridges Moraine ConservationPlan were held.


The following actions are meant to selectively complement the effectiveness and success ofall proposed actions. Community based social marketing will be relied on as appropriatebecause of its effectiveness.

Immediate1. Submit application for the 2006 Sustainable Community Awards under the Sustainable

Community Planning Category.2. Recognize Earth Day via a press release, internal e-mail, etc. 3. Create a "calendar of events" under the Environmental Progress Office section of the

town's website. This would include events that environmental groups and othercommunity organizations are coordinating as well as nationally recognized days such asClean Air Day or Earth Day.

4. Promote or customize the "One Tonne Challenge" so that it appeals to municipal staff.Offer solutions via a lunch and learn series and/or newsletter. Report progress andoffer incentives.

5. Distribute a survey for municipal staff re: current environmental initiatives, ideas for newinitiatives and to gauge interest in establishing a corporate "green team".

6. Coordinate a renewable house tour as a demonstration and education tool.

Short Term1. Leverage the "Greenest Town in Ontario Award" when promoting the Town.2. Create Caledon-oriented "information sheets" on the importance of Caledon's natural

features (Oak Ridges Moraine, Peel Plain, Niagara Escarpment, etc).3. Consider an environmental newsletter to be distributed to staff and community.

Continued Pesticide Education:1. Devote percentage of the EPO's student time to do pesticide education.2. Partner with Citizens for a Clean Caledon regarding a "Pesticide Exchange Event." 3. Promote the pesticide website once it is final.

43


7 . 0 S U S TA I N A B L E P L A N N I N G

7 . 0 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

■ Canada and Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC)94 states that changing buildingstandards to ensure compact communities will net a 16% reduction in capital andinfrastructure costs for a savings of $5300 per unit.

■ CMHC claims that it is cheaper to operate, maintain and replace infrastructure incompact communities. They estimate savings of $11,000 per unit over 75 years, a 9%reduction. A compact community of 7000 homes will save a municipality $77 millionover 75 years or $1 million per year.

7 . 0 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G

CANADA AND MORTGAGE HOUSING CORPORATION ■ Residential Intensification Studies: CMHC has compiled 12 successful examples of urban

intensification. Ontario municipalities that were part of this include Cambridge, Guelph,Ottawa and Toronto. Calgary (AB), Halifax (NS), Montreal (QC), Vancouver (BC),Winnipeg (MB) and Saskatoon (SK) also participated. These municipalities relied onfinancial incentives, flexible zoning, and marketing of vacant lands or mediation toachieve the desired intensification.

■ Implementing Sustainable Community Development, Charting a Federal Role for the 21stCentury: This research paper identifies 12 features common to sustainable communitiesand 40 barriers that exist which prevent sustainable communities from happening. Thefeatures are ecological protection, higher density and trans-supportive urban design,urban infill, village centres, healthy local economy, sustainable transportation, affordablehousing, liveable community, low impact sewage and storm water treatment, waterconservation, energy efficiency and waste reduction.

■ Residential Street Pattern Design: It analyzes recent subdivision street pattern designand historic street design. It then proposes alternative patterns that support sustainablecommunities.

■ Alternative Development Standards: CMHC has explored ADS and provided 2 casestudies for illustration.

PROVINCIAL POLICIES■ The new Provincial Policy Statement 2005 contains a range of policies directives aimed

at promoting more sustainable communities. Policies sections include Building StrongCommunities, Wise Use and Management of Resources and Protecting Public Health andSafety. The 2005 PPS contains a new emphasis on infill, intensification andredevelopment, energy and air quality, enhanced water resource policies and a"systems" approach to natural heritage and watershed planning.

■ The Niagara Escarpment Plan (NEP)95 and more recent Oak Ridges MoraineConservation Plan (ORMCP)96 establish comprehensive policy frameworks for theprotection of these major southern Ontario landforms and related ecological systemsand functions.

44


■ The Greenbelt Plan 200597 includes the NEP and ORMCP and identifies an additionalapproximately 1 million acres in a "Protected Countryside" area. The Greenbelt Plancontains policies regarding a Natural System, an Agricultural System, Settlement Areas,Infrastructure and Natural Resources.

Other Municipalities: Beyond the municipalities showcased above, many others arepursuing sustainable planning initiatives.■ Brantford: has developed a community improvement strategy to help revitalize the

downtown area.■ Kitchener: has passed a new development charges by-law which exempts charges for

development for the downtown area and reduces charges for residential development incentral neighbourhoods.

■ Markham: has devised a intensive, mixed use strategy to avoid having to grow into thecountryside.

■ Milton: has launched an "Eco Tech Village Concept which encompasses environmentalsustainability, ecological sensitivity, energy efficiency, financial accountability, economicviability and marketability, technological advancement and smart growth."

■ Oakville, Markham and Region of Ottawa-Carleton are experimenting with AlternativeDevelopment Standards (ADS)98 to reduce housing costs. Data from the City ofGloucester concluded that a development that used ADS led to units that were $8500less expensive than a unit in a traditional subdivision. Approximately half of this wasattributable to savings related to infrastructure and utility costs. Development costs werepassed on to the homebuyers.

■ Several communities in British Columbia are also proposing implementation of ADS.

Town of Caledon■ The Mayfield West Community Development Plan is currently underway which will

establish a land use policy framework for accommodating an expanded Mayfield Westcommunity of approximately 13,000 people. Design and evaluation criteria have beenadopted by the Town to guide the project and these include many criteria rooted in theprincipals of "smart growth" or "sustainable planning", such as compact, mixed usedevelopment, transit and pedestrian supportive neighbourhoods, live-work relationships,and the use of green technologies and infrastructure.

■ The Town is preparing an amendment to its Comprehensive Zoning By-law to implementthe ecosystem planning and management policies of the Official Plan (OPA 124).

■ The Town will be considering establishing appropriate municipal policies and protocolsregarding the review of wind energy proposals.

■ Village studies are underway for the communities of Alton and Cheltenham. Followingthe established Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) process, the Town ofCaledon, Region of Peel and Credit Valley Conservation are working in partnership toensure that interrelated planning, environmental and servicing are consideredconcurrently, and that planning and servicing solutions protect or enhance the naturalenvironment and respect local environmental carrying capacity.

45


■ The ongoing Bolton-South Albion Community Planning process will guided by the overallecosystem planning and management policy framework contained in the Official Planand will undertake additional studies, if necessary.


1. Continue progressive planning for communities including Mayfield West, Bolton/SouthAlbion and Villages.

2. Conduct research on community development design standards for sustainablecommunities.

3. Explore the potential for brownfield redevelopment in Caledon.4. Consider implications of Section 1.8 (Energy and Air Quality) of the Provincial Policy

Statement on Caledon's Official Plan.

46


8 . 0 C O M M U N I T Y C A PA C I T Y

Caledon is fortunate to have a solid base of community capacity through its many environmentalgroups. The core of these groups consist of extremely dedicated and knowledgeablevolunteers. It is important for the Town to continue to provide appropriate forms of support tothese groups since they are instrumental in fostering community sustainable behaviour.

8 . 0 . 1 B A S E L I N E D ATA

Prominent local environmental groups include Caledon Countryside Alliance (CCA), Citizensfor a Clean Caledon (CCC), Healthy Lawns - Healthy People and Windy Hills Caledon (WHC).In addition, Caledon Environmental Advisory Committee and COOL Caledon have beenestablished by Council. The following is a brief overview of each group. Major achievementsfor each group were previously highlighted in Section 1.12: Community Achievements.

Windy Hills Caledon Determine feasibilityon both the businessand resource sidesof a communityscale, communityowned wind turbinein Caledon

Two paid staff,volunteers, andgovernment funding.

Representation onWind Committeeand working withTown in pursuing awind resourceassessment.

CaledonEnvironmentalAdvisory Committee(CEAC).

Provide advice toCouncil regardingenvironmentalsustainability issues.

Committee ofCouncilVolunteers, 2council members,Town staff support.

24 activities areoutlined in their2005 work plan.

COOL Caledon This taskforce wasestablished toaddress Kyotocommitments.

Formed in October2002 as a result of aCouncil Resolution.

Electricity Doctor,Completion of twomilestones for PCPprogram.

Citizens for a CleanCaledon (CCC)

Waste diversion,chemical reduction,environmentaleducation.

Group formed bythe Town. Regionprovides financialsupport.Volunteers.

Battery recycling,rain barrels, greendirectory, greenforum, pesticidereduction.

*HLHP was notformed by Councilbut is included inthis section since itis a subcommitteeof CCC.

Educate Caledonresidents aboutpotential affects ofpesticides and offeralternatives.

Subcommittee ofCCC. CCA is also apartner. Volunteers.

Weedgee Kidz,Lobbying, andpublic education.

GROUPS THAT WERE FORMED BY COUNCIL

Caledon Countryside Alliance (CCA)

Promote countrysidevalues

Some paid staff,volunteers,government funding

EnerGuide forHouses, Local Food,Weedgee Kidz,Weekly hikes,Speaker series

COMMUNITY GROUP MANDATE STRUCTURE CURRENT PROJECTSCOMMUNITY NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

47


8 . 0 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G ?

For current projects of environmental groups, refer to the table on the previous page.

8 . 1 S U P P O R T F O R C O M M U N I T Y C A PA C I T Y

8 . 1 . 1 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G ?

THE TOWN OF CALEDON■ In terms of financial support for environmental groups, the only formal mechanism that

currently exists is an Agricultural and Community Grant Program. This was developedfrom a report by Regional Councillor Richard Whitehead and Area Councillor DavidHughes and as adopted by the 1994 Council. Organizations that request funds must fallinto three broad grant categories:

1. SustainingGrants to be given only to organizations that are community based and fairly representboth their own interest and those of the communities in which they serve. There arethree organizations that fit this criterion; Caledon Information and Community ServicesAssociation, Peel Federation of Agriculture and Canadian Blood Services.

2. Continuing SupportIt was determine that grants were to be given to two organizations who maintain ahistorical and community link between our agricultural, rural and urban communitiesthrough a variety of means. These are the Albion and Bolton Agricultural Society andthe Caledon Agricultural Society.

3. Special Activity SupportGrants are to be given as "Seed money".

- In the past environmental groups, in particular the Weedgee Kidz program, has receivedfunding support from the Town through individual departmental budgets for a numberof reasons. These include requests not considered as agriculture or community grants,requests for special promotional activities did not meet the criteria, the funding requestrelated to a departmental program that was being supported for only one budget cycleor the funding request was contingent on a number of external factors that could resultin no support required.


Immediate1. As reviewed above, there is essentially no formal municipal funding mechanism for

environmental groups. Many of these groups need to demonstrate support from othersources (in particular local government) in order to receive federal, provincial orTrillium funding. Therefore, it is proposed that an annual "green fund" be establishedin addition to standardized funding and reporting procedures. A funding committeecomprised of municipal staff, a member of the public and other relevant persons would

48


be required to make annual funding decisions and monitor fund accountability. A tableoutlining municipalities that have established similar funding is found in Appendix D.

2. Promote community environmental projects to municipal staff via "Lunch and Learns",pay stub inserts, etc.

3. Create an "environmental group directory" on the Town's website under theEnvironmental Progress Office link.

4. As mentioned in Section 3.3, the EPO should work with community groups to submit aLocal Action Plan as part of Milestone 3 for the PCP program.

5. As stated in Section 6.3, a "calendar of events" under the EPO section of the Town'swebsite is proposed which could promote events that environmental groups arecoordinating.

8 . 2 C O L L A B O R AT I O N

8 . 2 . 2 W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G ?

CALEDON COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE■ The CCA hosted a "Caledon Environmental Groups Planning Session" in June/04.

Participants identified areas for collaborative work amongst all the environmentalgroups and its perceived benefits. There is an interest on the part of the CCA to worktowards collaboration.


Short Term1. Coordinate "business planning" sessions for interested environmental groups.2. Initiate discussion with community environmental groups regarding collaboration.3. Work with CCA to host a round table discussion with environmental groups about

furthering collaboration.

Mid- Long Term1. If desired, work with community environmental groups to establish an umbrella group.2. Review effectiveness of the Caledon "Green Community Fund" and adjust or increase as

appropriate.

9 . 0 E X T E R N A L F U N D I N G O P P O R T U N I T I E S

The following are a list of funding opportunities that are applicable to municipalgovernments.

49


9 . 1 F E D E R A L P R O G R A M S

CANADA-ONTARIO MUNICIPAL RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE FUND99

■ There are priority areas for each application deadline. The next deadline is spring 2005and 2006. New priority areas associated with energy/environment may be announced.

■ Fund is exclusively for municipalities with populations less than 250,000. ■ The Council is required to pass a resolution to demonstrate its support for the funding

application.

CLEAN FUND■ Budget 2005100 has announced $1 billion for a clean fund in order to stimulate

greenhouse gas reduction projects.■ The fund will have three major components. First, it will purchase emissions reductions

from Canadian projects. Second, the fund will support large projects that havepartnered with the private sector to achieve large emission reductions. Third, it willallow the purchase of emission credits from international countries.

COMMERCIAL BUILDING INCENTIVE PROGRAM101

■ Municipal governments are eligible applicants.■ The major requirement is the new building must be a minimum of 25% more energy

efficient than the Model National Energy Code for Buildings.■ "CBIP is intended to help offset the additional costs associated with designing energy

efficient buildings." The incentive is calculated as either "twice the difference betweenthe estimated annual energy costs if the building were constructed to the Model NationalEnergy Code Building Standard to a maximum of $60,000 or the total design costs."

■ To begin the application process, an expression of interest must be submitted to NaturalResources Canada. The program is scheduled to terminate on March 31, 2007.

COMMERCIAL TRANSPORTATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATE102

■ This program is under the Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy EfficiencyTransportation Program.

■ The rebate is for pre-qualified heating or cooling equipment for class 6, 7 and 8 dieseltrucks. Municipal fleet that meet these criteria are eligible for the rebate.

ENERGY INNOVATORS INITIATIVE103

■ Funding assistance for planning and implementation. ■ Planning: $25,000 maximum, 50% of eligible costs or $1 per GJ (energy costs),

payment once project is complete, deadline for application is September 30, 2005.■ Implementation: $250,000 maximum, 25% of eligible costs or $7.50 per GJ (energy

savings), payment in three stages, encouragement of green energy. Eligible costsinclude project development and management, materials and labour, monitoring andtracking, staff training and awareness.

■ To access funding, applicant must join the Energy Innovators Initiative which requiressending a letter to Natural Resources Canada.

50


FEDERAL GAS TAX105

■ The Government of Canada has committed $5 billion in gas tax funding over five years.In the fifth year, the gas tax rebate will increase to $2 billion each year indefinitely. Thefunding will be used for environmentally sustainable municipal infrastructure andshould result in reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants.

GREEN MUNICIPAL FUNDS106

■ Submission of "Letter of Intent" is first step. ■ No specific deadline, 6 month to 1 year turn around time for application.■ Grants: planning initiative, feasibility study or field test, 50% of eligible costs, $350,000

maximum.■ Loans: implementation of capital installations, 15% of eligible costs.■ Applicant must provide a demonstration of commitment from public or private sector

source for remaining project costs.■ Budget 2005 has allocated and additional $300 million for this fund. Half of this

amount is targeted to the Brownfield cleanup.

MOVING ON SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION■ Municipal governments can not apply directly to this fund nor can they be a lead

proponent. Municipal governments are encouraged to partner with local environmentalorganizations.

■ This fund is designed to promote awareness of sustainable transportation issues and tofoster the development of new and creative approaches to encourage action.

■ It is essential that quantifiable results can be measured.

PARTNERSHIP FUND■ The Partnership Fund was announced in Budget 2005. It is not applicable to municipal

governments since it is geared towards partnerships with provinces and territories.

RENEWABLE ENERGY DEPLOYMENT INITIATIVE ■ Provide a refund of up to 25% for the purchase and installation costs of qualifying solar

and biomass systems. Maximum refund is $80,000.■ System is defined as active solar water heating system, active solar air heating system,

high efficiency/low emissions biomass combustion system.■ No specific deadline. Applications must be submitted by December 31, 2006 and

projects have to be complete by March 31, 2007.

RENEWABLE POWER PRODUCTION INCENTIVE108

Budget 2005 announced this new incentive program to encourage other forms of greenenergy such as small hydro, biomass and landfill gas. The incentive payment will besimilar to WPPI; 1 cent for the first ten years of operation.

TAX BENEFITSThese are geared towards a private sector partner in a municipal energy project.■ Canadian Renewable and Conservation Expense■ Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance

51


■ Federal excise tax exemption for ethanol, methanol and bio-diesel used in blended fuels.Ontario has a tax exemption for ethanol.

TECHNOLOGY EARLY ACTION MEASURES ■ Provides funding for green municipal energy projects.

WIND POWER PRODUCTION INCENTIVE This is a federal government program which provides between 0.8 to 1.2 cents per kilowatthour. Note that the WPPI does not apply to municipalities who want to generate greenenergy for their own use. Budget 2005 quadrupled the WPPI's funding.

9 . 2 P R O V I N C I A L

TAX INCENTIVES100% income tax write off for assets used to produce green energy, sales tax rebate onbuilding materials used for green energy buildings, ten year property tax holiday on greenenergy facilities.

9 . 3 O T H E R

GREEN STREETS CANADA"Green Streets Canada is a flagship program of the Tree Canada Foundation which is theonly nationally based municipal forestry innovation program." Funding applications areopen to all municipalities and First Nation communities and the maximum one time grant is$25,000. Regional teams of Tree Canada Advisors, Board Members and Urban ForestPractitioners evaluate the applications on a number of criteria which include innovation,community involvement and partnership, technical expertise, media exposure and programevaluation.

FOREST 2020This program was initiated by Natural Resources Canada but is a partnership with TreesOntario Foundation. It is open to municipalities and private landowners and subsidizes thecost of a tree plantation. As a result, the landowner or municipality would pay $550 perhectare (30 cents per tree) in return for site preparation, 1800 trees and planting and thefirst year of tending. Currently, the program is full and Natural Resources Canada has notindicated its intent to renew the funding.

9 . 4 P R O P O S E D A C T I O N S

The following provides a summary of external funding that would need to be accessed forimplementation of some of the proposed actions. Many of the identified funds will providea maximum of fifty percent of the proposed costs. As a result, the Town will be required tofinance the remaining costs. Discussions with appropriate staff from Corporate Services willhave to occur in the next few months.

52


Immediate1. Proposal to Green Municipal Funds for a wind feasibility study (Spring 2005).2. Explore applicable funding announced for the Federal "Kyoto Plan."

Short Term1. Proposal to Green Municipal Funds or Energy Innovators for an energy audit and retrofit

strategy for select municipal facilities (December 2005).2. Research applicability of Renewable Energy Deployment Initiative for solar for

community pools.

1 0 . 0 I M P L E M E N TAT I O N A N D M O N I T O R I N G

*This section is still to be completed.

A P P E N D I X A : S M O G S U M M I T C O M M I T M E N T S

The following is a list of commitments the Town of Caledon made for the annual SmogSummits.

2002116

1. Transportation: Investigate the use of soy-diesel for Caledon's diesel fleet. 2. Energy: The Town of Caledon will retrofit existing facilities to improve energy efficiency.3. Business, Industry and Government: Investigate joining the Partners for Climate

Protection program.4. Natural and Built Environment: Implementation of a Native Tree Seedling Distribution

Program, Responsible Pesticide Management Objectives.5. Education and Outreach: Air quality partnerships.

2003117

1. Transportation: Continue investigating soy diesel.2. Energy: Continued retrofitting to improve energy efficiency, Replacement of air handling

and cooling roof top units and ductwork at Albion Bolton Community Centre withmodern energy efficient units and systems, All lighting in renovated areas to be energyefficient, Roof replacement at Community Centre to include increased insulation (R20),Insulation to be added to Rosehill Schoolhouse roof as part of the re-shingling work onthis heritage home.

3. Business Industry and Government: Develop an Action Plan to meet Kyoto objectives,Community planning for land use in Mayfield West to encompass energy efficientbuildings and service design.

4. Natural and Built Environment: Expansion of Native Tree Seedling Distribution Program,Responsible Pesticide Management Objectives, Promotion of Healthy HorticulturalLandscapes By-Law, Test plots to monitor alternative soil and pesticide managementtechniques.

5. Education and Outreach: Pesticide Education Program.

53


2004118

1. Develop an Environmental Progress Action Plan which will take a "big picture" look atall aspects of environmental and community sustainability, conservation and greeneconomic development within a municipal context.

2. The Environmental Progress Officer Position will liaise with the many community-basedenvironmental organizations in Caledon.

54


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e re

gio

n.

Par

t o

f th

e st

ud

y w

ill

incl

ud

e th

e co

mp

leti

on

of

a w

ind

sp

eed

map

to

id

enti

fy a

reas

w

her

e w

ind

en

erg

y i

s fa

vo

ura

ble

. T

he

stu

dy

wil

l co

st $

66

,54

0 a

nd

has

a 6

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tim

e fr

ame.

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eiv

ed $

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fr

om

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en

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nic

ipal

Fu

nd

s-

un

sure

if

gra

nt

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l b

e u

sed

fo

r st

ud

y.

No

56


Ta

ble

2:

In

du

stry

Led

In

itia

tiv

es

Lo

cati

on

O

wn

ersh

ip

Wh

at’

s H

ap

pen

ing?

Oth

er I

nfo

rmati

on

Kin

card

en, B

ruce

Cou

nty

OP

G (

50

%)

and

Can

adia

n

Co

nso

rtiu

m (

50

%)

Co

nso

rtiu

m i

ncl

ud

es B

PC

G

ener

atio

n I

nfr

astr

uct

ure

Tru

st,

Cam

eco

Co

rpo

rati

on

an

d T

ran

s C

anad

a P

ipel

ines

Lim

ited

.

On

tari

o’s

fir

st c

om

mer

cial

win

d

farm

. -

May

or

Gle

n S

utt

on

no

w r

efer

s to

h

is c

om

mu

nit

y a

s “P

ow

erh

ou

se o

f O

nta

rio

”.

- It

has

hel

ped

wit

h t

he

To

wn

’s

tou

rism

eff

ort

s.

- E

con

om

ic D

evel

op

men

t C

om

mit

tee

is p

rop

osi

ng

a “

Cen

ter

of

En

erg

y E

xce

llen

ce”

for

rese

arch

an

d d

evel

op

men

t fo

r al

l ty

pes

of

alte

rnat

ive

ener

gy.

Po

rt A

lber

t, H

uro

n

Cou

nty

Sm

all

Pri

vat

e F

irm

: P

ort

Alb

ert

Win

d F

arm

s P

ort

Alb

ert

Win

d F

arm

s O

nta

rio

’s f

irst

pri

vat

e w

ind

tu

rbin

e g

ener

ato

r.

- S

up

po

rted

by

Co

un

ty.

*S

hel

bu

rne

Pro

ject

lea

d i

s C

alg

ary

-bas

ed

Can

adia

n H

yd

ro D

evel

op

ers

Inc.

Mel

anct

ho

n G

rey

Win

d P

roje

ct

Phas

e 1:

45 w

ind t

urb

ines

, 1

80

,00

0 M

Wh

(en

ou

gh

en

erg

y

for

25

,00

0 h

ou

seh

old

s)

- O

ne

of

5 s

ucc

essf

ul

win

d p

roje

cts

(lar

ge

scal

e) t

hat

aro

se f

rom

RF

P

issu

ed b

y O

nta

rio

Pro

vin

cial

G

ov

ern

men

t fo

r 3

00

meg

awat

ts o

f re

new

able

en

erg

y c

apac

ity

.

*P

ort

Bu

rwel

l P

artn

ersh

ip b

etw

een

AIM

P

ow

erG

en C

orp

ora

tio

n a

nd

C

lean

Po

wer

In

com

e F

un

d

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e S

ho

res

Win

d F

arm

-

Sam

e as

ab

ov

e

*G

od

eric

h

EP

CO

R P

ow

er D

evel

op

men

t C

orp

ora

tion

Kin

gsb

rid

ge

Win

d P

ow

er

Pro

ject

-

Sam

e as

ab

ov

e

*P

rin

ce T

ow

nsh

ip

Info

rmat

ion

un

kn

ow

n

Pri

nce

Win

d F

arm

-

Sam

e as

ab

ov

e

*B

lue

Mo

un

tain

s Jo

int

ven

ture

bet

wee

n B

rasc

an

Po

wer

Co

rpo

rati

on

an

d

Har

mo

ny

Win

d E

ner

gy

In

c.

Blu

e H

igh

lan

ds

Win

d F

arm

-

Sam

e as

ab

ov

e

57


Ta

ble

3:

Co

mm

un

ity

Base

d I

nit

iati

ves

Loca

tion

O

wn

ersh

ip

Wh

at’

s H

ap

pen

ing?

Oth

er I

nfo

rmati

on

T

oro

nto

T

oro

nto

Ren

ewab

le E

ner

gy

P

roje

ct (

TR

EC

) W

ind

Sh

are

Co

-op

erat

ive:

S

mal

l sc

ale

pro

ject

(1

MW

)

- O

ne

turb

ine

has

bee

n b

uil

t at

E

xh

ibit

ion

Pla

ce.

Th

e se

con

d

turb

ine

is i

n t

he

pre

-dev

elo

pm

ent

stag

e.

- W

ind

Sh

are

Co

-op

en

tere

d i

nto

Jo

int

Ven

ture

ag

reem

ent

wit

h

To

ron

to H

yd

ro E

ner

gy

Ser

vic

es

for

the

dev

elo

pm

ent,

ow

ner

ship

an

d m

ain

ten

ance

of

the

win

d

pro

ject

. -

Th

e g

reen

en

erg

y i

s so

ld t

o

To

ron

to H

yd

ro E

ner

gy

Ser

vic

es.

Tem

ag

am

i (N

ort

her

n

On

tari

o)

Th

e R

enew

able

En

erg

y

Cooper

ativ

e N

ort

h (

TR

EC

N

ort

h)

Rec

eiv

ed $

15

8,5

00

fro

m G

reen

M

un

icip

al F

un

ds

to c

on

du

ct

feas

ibil

ity

stu

dy

fo

r a

mo

der

ate

size

win

d f

arm

. T

hei

r in

ten

tio

n

is t

o s

tart

a l

oca

l fo

r-pro

fit

coo

per

ativ

e.

- T

RE

C N

ort

h h

as p

artn

ered

wit

h

Mu

nic

ipal

ity

to

fu

nd

rais

e fo

r fu

nds

to c

over

a 1

yea

r w

ind

reso

urc

e as

sess

men

t an

d b

usi

nes

s p

lan

dev

elo

pm

ent.

-

Th

ey a

re h

op

ing

to

bu

ild

5

com

mu

nit

y o

wn

ed w

ind

tu

rbin

es.

Fla

mb

oro

ug

h

(Ha

mil

ton

), L

ak

e E

rie

Po

siti

ve

Pow

er

2 s

mal

l sc

ale

win

d p

roje

cts

are

in p

rogre

ss.

Fla

mb

oro

ug

h:

1 M

W

Lak

e E

rie:

3M

W

- A

1 y

ear

win

d r

eso

urc

e as

sess

men

t fo

r F

lam

bo

rou

gh

is

com

ple

te.

Th

ey a

re n

ow

in

d

evel

op

men

t p

has

e.

Th

e w

ind

tu

rbin

e w

ill

be

com

mu

nit

y o

wn

ed.

- A

win

d r

eso

urc

es a

sses

smen

t is

occ

urr

ing f

or

Lak

e E

rie.

Du

ffer

in C

ou

nty

P

ow

er-u

p R

enew

able

En

erg

y

Co

-op

T

hey

are

in

pro

cess

of

inv

esti

gat

ing

win

d m

on

ito

rin

g

58


Loca

tion

O

wn

ersh

ip

Wh

at’

s H

ap

pen

ing?

Oth

er I

nfo

rmati

on

p

rog

ram

.

Du

rha

m C

ou

nty

E

co-e

ner

gy

Du

rham

A

dv

oca

tin

g w

ind

en

erg

y.

No

p

roje

cts

curr

entl

y p

rop

ose

d.

Sch

reib

er

(No

rth

wes

tern

On

tari

o)

Su

stai

nab

le E

ner

gy

Res

ou

rce

Gro

up

Co

-op

3

-5 M

W w

ind

pro

ject

on

no

rth

sh

ore

s o

f L

ake

Su

per

ior.

-

Su

pp

ort

ed b

y M

un

icip

alit

y o

f S

chre

iber

.

Th

un

der

Ba

y

Su

per

ior

Ren

ewab

le E

ner

gy

C

o-o

p

Go

al i

s to

est

abli

sh a

win

d

po

wer

co

-op f

or

area

. T

hey

are

dev

elo

pin

g b

usi

nes

s p

lan

.

Pri

nce

Ed

ward

Cou

nty

P

rin

ce E

dw

ard

Co

un

ty W

ind

C

o-o

per

ativ

e

59


APPENDIX C:WIND SOLUTIONS BUSINESS CASE COMMITTEE, TERMS OF REFERENCE

BACKGROUND NOTECouncil passed a resolution on December 7, 2004 which directed staff to lead an initiativethat entails the coordination of a Winds Solution Business Case Committee. This committeewill work with the Environmental Progress Officer (EPO) to undertake specific duties asoutlined in this Terms of Reference. Council is considering investing in a minimum of oneindustrial wind tower as a capital expenditure for budget 2006.

PURPOSEThe broad purpose of the Committee is to develop a business case and providerecommendations to Council for the investment of a wind tower.

DUTIESSpecifically, the Council Resolution (W-521-2004) outlined the Committee's duties whichare as follows:■ Investigate and identify all federal, provincial and municipal governmental procedures

required for the implementation of a wind tower solution in Caledon■ Outline the public process that should be followed prior to implementation■ Prepare a business case for review by October 2005 which addresses the economic

feasibility of implementing (an) industrial wind tower (s)■ Outline a sequence of events from initiation to implementation for staff to follow should

Council decide to pursue the implementation of wind energy as a viable solution forCaledon.

STRUCTURE1. The Committee shall be an ad hoc Committee of Council.2. The Committee shall consist of staff representation (Sara Peckford, Norm Lingard),

Council members (David Lyons, Garry Moore, Jim Wallace, Nick DeBoer, RichardPaterak) and a representative from CEAC, Cool Caledon, Windy Hills Caledon (WHC),Citizens for a Clean Caledon and Caledon Countryside Alliance.

3. The Committee shall meet on a regular basis.4. A chairperson shall be selected during the first Committee meeting.5. The Environmental Progress Officer will organize and integrate research, draft position

papers for discussion with the committee and prepare reports to Council based on thedeliberations of the Committee.

6. Sub-committees may be established to conduct specific research components.7. An administrative assistant within the Planning Department will coordinate meeting

dates, prepare minutes and set agendas.8. All Committee minutes must be submitted to the Clerk's office for inclusion in the

Council Agenda. When necessary, the chairperson or a Council representative shouldformally report back to Council.

60


DRAFT WORK PLAN

Stage 1: WHC Presentation to CommitteeTimeline: Committee Meeting, February 24, 2005During the past year, WHC has been extensively researching wind power and the feasibilityof a community wind project. They will share their findings at the February 24th CommitteeMeeting through a formal presentation. In particular, WHC will outline the process theyused to identify the wind data study site.

Stage 2: Background Report Timeline: April, 2005 The EPO will prepare a formal Background Report. WHC's research findings will beintegrated into the report as needed. The report will be presented to Council as part of aCommittee Status Report in April. The following aspects will be explored.1. The current regulatory environment and any proposed changes. 2. Economic development opportunities3. Potential joint venture partners4. An inventory of wind projects in Ontario5. External funding sources which support wind energy (Green Municipal Funds, Wind

Producer Production Incentive, Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund)

Stage 3: Wind Data StudyTimeline: One year study to commence in April, 2005 Windy Hills Caledon has submitted a proposal to Trillium to fund the costs of a Wind DataStudy.120 Trillium will announce the successful projects on March 3, 2005. Windy HillsCaledon "technical committee" have spent an enormous amount of time developingprofessional capacity to implement a data study at a suitable location. The site beingconsidered is in the northwest part of Caledon (Shaws Creek Road) and was chosen basedon topography, elevation, exposure, and grid/road access.

The data will be collected with an anemometer which is hooked up to a data logger. Thedata is then downloaded to a remote software program on a regular basis. Once 12 monthsof data is collected, it will be professionally analyzed by a wind engineer.

Stage 4: Subcommittee Work Two subcommittees are required to deal with outstanding issues. The objectives of eachsubcommittee are outlined below. (A specific timeline for all of the anticipated work isdifficult to predict given the evolving policy environment and possible regulatory changes.Preliminary background factors will be researched in the short term).

BUSINESS SUBCOMMITTEE:■ Identify Town sources of funding ■ Consider any economic development opportunities or spin-offs ■ Long Term Objective: Begin dialogue with Hydro One, consider timing, costs and

thresholds of a "grid impact assessment".

61


COMMUNICATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE:■ Determine the necessary public consultation process■ Identify public education and outreach tools the Town may want to consider and a

possible implementation plan

Stage 5: Submission of Proposal to Green Municipal Funds for aFeasibility StudyTimeline: June 2005If appropriate, the Town of Caledon may submit a joint proposal with Windy Hills Caledon tothe FCM's Green Municipal Funds. These funds would help offset the costs of a fullfeasibility study. The study would cover the economic (business case), technical andenvironmental assessment of a wind project in Caledon. The first step in applying for thesefunds is to write a letter of intent. Once this is approved, a proposal can be submittedwhich takes about 4-6 months for approval.

In terms of economics, the funds will ensure the development of a solid business case.This will require a thorough analysis of all the expenditures and cost savings to determinethe financial viability of investing in a wind tower. Indicators of financial viability includepayback, net present value, internal rate of return and return on investment. In addition,financing options for the project will be explored. The feasibility study will also identify thetechnical, environmental and societal considerations of a wind project.

(It is important to note that several other Ontario municipalities; Milton, North Bay,Kingston and Sudbury have received a green municipal grant to carry out a wind feasibilitystudy. Contact may be initiated with these during the development of the proposal).

Stage 6: Feasibility StudyTimeline: June -August 2006The green municipal funds will help offset the costs associated with a feasibility study.Appropriate consultants will be selected to complete the study. Once the feasibility study iscomplete, a business case will be finalized and prepared. This business case be animportant component of the final report to Council.

62


A P P E N D I X D : M U N I C I PA L G R A N T P R O G R A M S

Ta

ble

4.

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mp

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g o

f g

ran

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lity

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64


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A P P E N D I X E : A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M AT I O N S O U R C E S

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPSCaledon Chamber of Commerce www.caledonchamber.comCaledon Countryside Alliance. www.caledoncountryside.orgCitizens for a Clean Caledon www.citizensforacleancaledon.orgClean Air Council www.cleanairpartnership.org/gtacacCOOLCaledon www.coolcaledon.orgHealthy Lawns, Healthy People www.citizensforacleancaledon.org/

healthy_lawns.htmHills of Headwaters Tourism Association www.thehillsofheadwaters.comThe Clean Air Partnership www.cleanairpartnership.orgWindy Hills Caledon www.windyhillscaledon.org

INTERNATIONALInternational Council for Local Environmental Initiatives www.iclei.org(Local Governments for Sustainability)

NATIONALCanada and Mortgage Housing Corporation www.cmhc-schl.gc.caEnvironment Canada, Pilot Emissions Removals, Reductions and Learnings Initiative www.ec.gc.ca/perrlGovernment of Canada www.climatechange.gc.caGovernment of Canada, One-Tonne Challenge www.climatechange.gc.ca/onetonneNational Round Table on the Environment and Economy www.nrtee-trnee.caNatural Resources Canada. www.nrcan.gc.caNorth American Commission for Environmental Cooperation www.cec.orgSmart Communities Network www.sustainable.doe.gov

PROVINCIAL Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing www.mah.gov.on.ca

Oak Ridges Moraine Policy TeamGreenbelt Plan

Niagara Escarpment Commission www.escarpment.orgPesticide Free Ontario www.pesticidefree.ca The Conservation Council of Ontario www.greenontario.org

REGIONAL & MUNICIPALAssociation of Municipalities of Ontario www.amo.on.caCaledon Environmental Advisory Committee www.town.caledon.on.ca/ceac.html

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Cities for Climate Protection www.iclei.org/co2Credit Valley Conservation www.creditvalleycons.comFederation of Canadian Municipalities, Partners for Climate Protection http://kn.fcm.ca Peel Environmental Network www.peelenvironment.orgRegion of Peel www.region.peel.on.caToronto Regional Conservation Authority www.trca.on.caTown of Caledon www.town.caledon.on.ca

FUNDINGCanada-Ontario Rural Infrastructure Fund www.comrif.caEnergy Innovators Initiative: Commercial and Industrial Building Retrofits http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/commercialGreen Municipal Funds http://kn.fcm.caRenewable Energy Development Initiative www2.nrcan.gc.caThe Ontario Trillium Foundation www.trilliumfoundation.orgWind Power Production Incentive www.canren.gc.ca/programs

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A P P E N D I X F : F E E D B A C K F R O M C O N S U LTAT I O N S

The following are suggestions and comments from individuals and groups who wereconsulted in the editing phase of this plan.

ADMINISTRATION AND CONSULTATION■ Improving the Town's environmental performance will require broad-based consultation

with stakeholders including residents, citizen groups, other levels of government, etc.Consultation needs to be integrated into the decision-making process to achieve thedesired result. The corporate governance structure and culture need to be well-integrated and designed to support the Town's environmental (and other) goals andinoculated with an environmental ethos. (Caledon Environmental Adivsory Committee)

■ Consider earmarking part of the "Green Fund" for projects promised such as thePesticide Bylaw education. (Richard Ehrlich, Citizens for a Clean Caledon)

■ Consider town funding for Citizens for a Clean Caledon. (Citizens for a Clean Caledon)

WATER AND WASTE■ Although water and waste management are not within the Town's jurisdiction, they are

still priorities since Caledon could be selected as a Regional landfill site, so waste is aconcern to us. While Peel is on target with residential diversion away from landfill it hasno responsibility for ICI waste despite estimates that ICI waste constitutes two-thirds oftotal waste. Is there a role for Caledon to advance the discussions with the province andthe Region in enforcing ICI waste diversion? (Reference: May 25, 2005 memo from BillWilson to CEAC) (CEAC)

■ Illegal dumping of garbage within Caledon - a Town responsibility to enforce? Somereasons cited: apathy, ignorance and the cost recovery approach by the Region at thetwo Caledon recycling centres. Could the Town initiate discussions with the Region tofind a solution to this? Has there been an increase in illegal dumping since the pay-to-recycle programme started? Do we have any data on this? (CEAC)

■ Drinking water is managed by the Region, but the Town is involved in protecting naturalwater systems. Could the Town, for instance, target an educational programme forriparian tree plantings through its seedling programme and through its close ties with itspartner Conservation Authorities? (CEAC)

■ In the section where you have indicated that Water issues and Waste Management havenot been included, I respectfully ask that you indicate that this will be in the next stageof the report, with an approximate date as to when they will be brought forward. Bydoing this the public will be assured that this will not just be forgotten in the flurry ofmoving forward with the present issues. Certainly, water and waste management are twovery high profile issues of great concern to citizens of Caledon. (Lorraine Symmes,Coalition of Concerned Citizens)

■ I notice Caledon residents felt water quality was a top issue. Perhaps the town planshould address this, maybe by funding pesticide education such as Weedgee Kidz.(Richard Ehrlich, Citizens for a Clean Caledon)

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TRANSIT■ Province of Ontario - Need to consult with GO Transit to promote the development of

bus routes and schedules that will be feasible for Caledon's commuters. Consider whatthe Town can do to assist and provide leadership, e.g. offering to provide commuterparking areas, carrying out transit demand surveys, etc. (CEAC)

■ I have heard Caledon described as having a transit system Bulgaria would be ashamedof. Commuters have extremely few options, and the bus that runs through there is slowand indirect, covering both Bolton and Nobleton. Unless it takes comparable time todriving, transit is unattractive to commuters. A transit parking lot with an express busservice subsidized at GO rates would eliminate considerable traffic. I suggest all councilmembers should take transit to Toronto once in rush hour to experience it. (RichardEhrlich)

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES■ Section 7 - Discuss potential for rezoning brownfield (industrial), greyfield (mall) for

high intensity residential development. One course of action is to prepare an municipalinventory of 'underutilized' lands which would include those listed above. (CEAC)

■ Promote the "Live Locally" campaign that was part of COOL Caledon's initial action plan.(CEAC)

■ Some issues I'd hope are addressed at the very least are stewardship opportunities onTown owned properties. This is the best place to lead…by example. I have identifiedthe following Town of Caledon lands as priorities for stewardship activities. I'd need abit more time to dig into them further.• Village of Caledon - Caledon Creek stream sections, Redside Dace recovery, additional

planting, potential wetland projects. • Rosehill Schoolhouse property - Potential additional buffering for the Middle Caledon

Tributary on the south side of the property. • Potential restoration of the Caledon Creek stream section on Caledon's property off

St. Andrew's Rd. (between Escarpment and Charleston) I don't know much about thisproperty and was quite surprised to see that the Town owned it when scanning through our GIS.

■ Other potential areas of intersection with Conservation Authorities interests includeEnvironmental Education and Environmental Awareness. (David Beaton, Credit ValleyConservation)

COMMUNITY SYNERGY■ There have been several past events to promote collaboration amongst environmental

groups and there is some excellent documentation on these gatherings. (CCA in 2004,Caledon Green Forums in 1997 and 1999, the Caledon Community Conference inFebruary 1997) There is the potential and desire for synergy between groups, but therehasn't been anyone able to step into that role of coordinating the cooperation betweengroups. Volunteers are busy enough within their own groups. This would be awonderful way for Sara to help us! (CEAC)

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ENERGY■ I believe a really good way to keep all of this front and centre in the community is to

prioritize a small portion of the proposed Green Budget to a planner for an annual"COOL Caledon" energy show. It could feature all of our community groups workingtogether, along with the Municipal, Regional, utilities, energy-proactive businesses... etc.It would theoretically keep COOL alive, as well as reinforce and open windows ofopportunity for green businesses. An enviro/energy/green fair.... a bit of an expansion onCOOL's strictest earlier mandate... (Monica Duncan, Windy Hills Caledon RenewableEnergy)

■ 150 Energuide visits are very good, but this is a program with huge energy savings. 150homes is a tiny portion of the 18,000 households in Caledon. The Town should work toincrease this number greatly- perhaps greater education, perhaps subsidizing the costfurther. (Richard Ehrlich, Citizens for a Clean Caledon)

■ Husky purchases Green Electricity from Hydro One's Evergreen program. Could thetown consider doing that until they get their turbines erected? (Richard Ehrlich, Citizensfor a Clean Caledon)

AIR QUALITY■ Air Quality. I would like to see a serious message sent to the residents of Caledon about

the dangers of smog and air pollution. I would like to see warnings posted on the signsby the Albion Bolton Community Centre, and school sports programs should alter theirplans to lighter exercise on smog days, especially after school. High intensity trackmeets etc are quite unhealthy for the kids on these days, and someone is going to getseriously hurt. I personally have to alter my training regimen depending on smog levels. (Richard Ehrlich, Citizens for a Clean Caledon)

■ Anti Idling- make anti idling posters available to the public, or post them by request inareas other than schools and regionally owned buildings. (Richard Ehrlich, Citizens fora Clean Caledon)

■ Traffic Volume. The poor planning of Bolton makes it mandatory for anyone living inthe North end to make a short trip to the "big box mall" on McEwan Drive at this point.A transit shuttle could save hundreds of thousands of short-haul car trips (the types thatcause the most emissions). I suspect it would be cheaper to offer this service for freerather than support the infrastructure required for the multitude of short-haul trips.Incidentally, pedestrian and bicycle access to this area has been eliminated totally by thenew car-only bridge over the railway, a particularly short-sighted action. I would reallylike to see some pedestrian-friendly design, instead of the current focus of car-only access.

■ I have heard from many residents of the North Hill of Bolton that a grocery food retailerin that area would eliminate many, many trips through the congested Bolton valleydowntown. I would encourage study of that possibility. (Richard Ehrlich, Citizens for aClean Caledon)

■ Greenhouse Gas Reduction- I understand that a large amount of Methane is beingcaptured at the old Caledon landfill. It is simply being flared off at this time. Considersetting up a Biomass generator, as many areas in the GTA have done. Perhaps the$80,000 funding for biomass generators could apply here. (Richard Ehrlich, Citizens fora Clean Caledon)

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Once again, we congratulate the Town of Caledon for having the foresight to createthe Environmental Progress Office and for hiring Sara Peckford as the EnvironmentalProgress Officer. We believe she brings a unique set of skills and experience to theposition, which will be to the benefit of all of Caledon.

As requested, we have the following comments on the Draft Environmental ProgressAction Plan. Overall, we believe it is an excellent plan and we look forward toworking on the implementation of the Plan in the short, medium and long term.

1.0 PRIORITY AREASIt is recommended consideration be given to adding the following to the priority areas.

1.1 NATURAL HERITAGE INCLUDING WATERSHEDSThe plan needs to address Caledon's natural heritage and watersheds as a priorityarea. The Niagara Escarpment, the Oak Ridges Moraine, the Peel Plain and the fourWatersheds have always been at the root of all environmental activity in Caledon. Inmany cases, they are the reason why Caledon is environmentally minded. While othergroups have primary responsibility for the governance of these areas, Caledon'sEnvironmental Plan cannot exclude these unique natural features. Just like somemunicipalities have the benefit of location, transportation, flat land, etc, Caledon'sadvantage is natural heritage. It needs to be front and centre in the Environmental Plan.

1.2 WATER AND WASTEWATERWater and Wastewater should be a priority area, even though they are a Regionalresponsibility for service delivery and approvals. If included as an environmentalpriority area, it could add a further tie between the two levels of government. Itwould also provide valuable resources for the implementation of the Plan. Theseareas have a deep impact on the Town and it will be crucial to work with the Region.Further, Peel Health has would be able to assist with the resident health aspect for allareas of the plan.

1.3 MONITORING - WATER AND ECOLOGICALWater and Ecological Monitoring of Town natural heritage needs to be addressed as apriority area. Working with the Niagara Escarpment Commission, Oak RidgesMoraine Foundation, Conservation Authorities, and NGO's like the Credit RiverAlliance to collect baseline data, complete water and resource mapping and establisha monitoring program is crucial to the environmental plan. Many of the agenciesalready have this work underway, but it will be important for the Town of Caledon tounderstand, use and support this work.

2.0 GENERAL COMMENTS

2.1 AIR QUALITY

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2.1.1 SECTION 2.2.4 - TRAFFIC VOLUMEAs part of the Plan, the idea of additional bike trails and/or bike lanes should beexplored. This could be especially beneficial in the Greenbelt, on the NEC and theORM. This might even provide a traffic calming measure. It could also be aneconomic generator since many out of town bike clubs use the roads on the PeelPlain and in the hills for training.

All new communities and subdivision should be planned with walking and bike trails.

2.1.2 SECTION 2.1.5 - URBAN FORESTRYUrban Forestry initiatives should include expanding the current Tree Stewardshipprogram to include creating a tree nursery on municipal lands (or contracted toprivate lands). Again this is an economic generator as part of the new greeneconomy. It may also be a valuable industry as the implementation of Kyoto comeson stream.

2.2 SECTION 3 OF THE PLAN - GREEN ECONOMYThe Green Economy should consider local food as an agricultural economicdevelopment component. Urban influenced or near urban agriculture is becomingthe buzz of local food in many cities around the world. Caledon has the perfectcountryside location to make this a strong sector of the new green economy.Working with the GTA Agricultural Action Plan and the Committee and otherprogressive municipalities in Ontario, Caledon could lead the way to a working ondeveloping a sustainable local economy with a strong agricultural component.

Caledon should consider implementing a Buy Local Plan for the Town to encourageresidents to shop in Caledon as part of the Green Economy. This could include astrategy to develop local farmer's markets, promotion of local businesses, institutionalbuying innovative plans programs and many.

2.3 SECTION 4.2.3 - GREEN ENERGYMany farmers throughout the world are looking at energy production as part of thefarm income stream. Again, the economic development aspect of the plan, shouldinclude incentives for Caledon farmer's to embrace new technologies. There is aVillage in Germany which is going off the grid with the help of local farmers providedenergy from manure biogesters. There are also some innovative programs to helpfarmers reduce the energy consumed by operations. The Town can help farmers toreduce and create energy as part of the green energy scheme.

2.4 SECTION 6.3 - PESTICIDE EDUCATIONThe Town should conduct additional research on existing and planned educationplans for other municipalities that have Pesticide By-Laws. A Local Action Plan as aneducation initiative could be taken on by the Town.

2.5 SECTION 7.2 - SUSTAINABLE PLANNINGThe City of Victoria in British Columbia has development some innovative by-laws toaddress sustainability and stewardship. The implementations should includeadditional time to investigate how some of the innovative work other cities havecompleted can be incorporated into the Town of Caledon's Plans.

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46 City of Windsor. “One Million Trees”, 2004. *One Million Trees is a coalition of community partners whose goal is to plant 1 million trees over ten years. 47 Campbell, C. 2005. 48 “Kyoto Protocol comes into force”, BBC News, February 16, 2005, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4267245.stm 49 Government of Canada. Project Green- Moving Forward on Climate Change. 2005. http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/kyoto_commitments/ 50 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Program for Canadian Agriculture. Available: www.agr.gc.ca 51 Partners for Climate Protection, 2005 52 National Round Table on the Environment and Economy. “Glossary: Selected Climate Change Terms and Acronyms” May 13, 2005. Available: http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca 53 Government of Canada. “What is an offset credit?” April 13, 2005. Available: http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/english/offsets/offset_credit.asp 54 Environment Canada. “About PERRL” February 11, 2004. Available: http://www.ec.gc.ca/perrl/about_e.html 55 Environment Canada. “PERLL Registry” January 21, 2005. Available: http://www.ec.gc.ca/perrl/reductions2_e.html 56 Peter Reschke, “Carbon Credit Plan Tough to Sell”, Green Expectations, April 2005. 57 National Round Table on the Environment and Economy. 2005. Available: http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca 58 58 National Round Table on the Environment and Economy. “About us” May 13, 2005. Available: http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca 59 NRTEE, “Glossary” 2005 60Ontario Emissions Trading Registry. 2003. “About the Registry” Ministry of the Environment. Available: http://www.oetr.on.ca/oetr/about_registry.jsp 64 “Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Trading Pilot” , 2002. GERT. Available: http://www.gert.org/ 65 Clean Air Partnership. 2004. “Update on Emissions Trading Policies and their Implications for Municipalities. Available: http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/gtacac/pdf/trading_update_final.pdf 70 Clean Air Partnership. “Enhancing Energy Efficiency in New Construction” March 2005. Available: http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/gtacac/pdf/eenc_0305.pdf, p.2 71 Clean Air Partnership. “Enhancing Energy Efficiency in New Construction”, March 2005. Available: http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/gtacac/pdf/eenc_0305.pdf, p.1 72 Association of Municipalities of Ontario. “Bulk Electricity Procurement Program” 2005. Available: http://www.amo.on.ca/ 73 York Region. “York Regional Council enters into two grant agreements for Building Energy Feasibility Studies (BEFS)” March 25, 2004. Available: www.region.york.on.ca 74 City of Greater Sudbury. “City of Greater Sudbury wins FCM-CH2M HILL Sustainable Community Award.” May 24, 2004 Available: http://www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca/pubapps/newsreleases 75 Region of Peel, Department of Finance, Corporate Energy Management, 2005. Available: http://www.region.peel.on.ca/finance/corp-energy/index.htm 76 Steve Hall. “Peel’s Corporate Energy Management Divison to receive Certificate of Recognition from Province”. June 7, 2005. Available: http://www.region.peel.on.ca/news/archiveitem.asp?year=2005&month=5&day=7&file=200557d.xml 77 City of Greater Sudbury, Becoming a Sustainable Community, The EarthCare Sudbury Local Action Plan, 2003 78 Pembina Institute, Pembina.piad.ab.ca/news/pres/2001/2001-02-19 79 Smart Communities Network, Creating Energy Smart Communities http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/success/osage_muni.shtml 80 City of Toronto’s Environmental Strategic Plan (green economic development chapter) 81 National Round Table on the Environment and Economy. 2005. Available: http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca 82 City of Toronto. “The Green Economy Plan” Oct 20, 1999. Available: http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/council/oct213.pdf 83 The Environmental Task Force. 2000. “Clean, Green and Healthy: A Plan for an Environmentally Sustainable Toronto”, City of Toronto. Available: http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/council/pdf/etfepfin.pdf 84 City of Greater Sudbury. 2003. “The EarthCare Sudbury Local Action Plan” Available: http://www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca

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85 Greater Sudbury Development Corporation. 2003. “Coming of Age in the 21st Century: An Economic Strategic Development Plan for Greater Sudbury 2015” Available: http://www.sudbury.ca/content/gsdc/documents/GSDCStrategicPlanJune2003.pdf 86 Public Works and Government Services Canada. May 12, 2005 Available: http://www.pwgsc.gc.ca/text/index-e.html 87 North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation. 2005. “Who we are” Available: http://www.cec.org 88 Province of Manitoba. December 6, 2000. “Manitoba’s Sustainable Development Procurement Guide” Available: http://www.gov.mb.ca/gs/psb/sustainable_development_procurement_guidelines.pdf 90 City of Toronto. 2005. “Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy” Available: http://www.toronto.ca/tenders/environment.htm 91 GlobeScan. 2004. “International Environmental Monitor”. Available: http://www.globescan.com 92 Government of Canada. “One-Tonne Challenge” May 30, 2005. Available: http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/onetonne 93 CEAC. “Planning & Development Dept, CEAC” Available: http://www.town.caledon.on.ca/ceac.html 94 CMHC. 2005. “Welcome to Canada and Mortgage Housing Corporation”. Available: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca 95 Niagara Escarpment Commission. 2005. “Niagara Escarpment Plan” Available: http://www.escarpment.org/Publications/plan_intro.htm 96 Oak Ridges Moraine Policy Team. 2002. “Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan”. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Available: http://www.mah.gov.on.ca 97 Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. 2005. “The Greenbelt Plan” Government of Ontario. Available: http://www.mah.gov.on.ca 98 CMHC. 2005. “Alternative Development Standards ”. Available: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca 99 Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund”. November 15, 2004. Province of Ontario. Available: http://www.mah.gov.on.ca 100 Ministry of Finance. “Budget 2005: Chapter 5: Moving Toward a Sustainable Environment and Sustainable Communities”, February 23, 2005 Available: http://www.fin.gc.ca/budget05 101 Natural Resources Canada. “Incentives and Rebates”. February 12, 2004. Available: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/incentives.cfm?attr=0 102 Natural Resources Canada. “Commercial Trasnportation Energy Efficiency Rebate”, January 13, 2004. Available: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/business/fleetsmart/rebate-application-form.cfm?attr=16 104 Natural Resources Canada. “Energy Innovators Initiative (EII): Commercial and Institutional Building Retrofits”, March 29, 2005 Available: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca 105 Infrastructure Canada “Frequently Asked Questions on the New Deal for Cities and Communities and the Gas Tax Funding”, 2005. Available: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/faq/ndcc_e.shtml#2g 106 Federation of Canadian Municipalities. 2005. “Green Municipal Fund”. Available: http://kn.fcm.ca 107 Natural Resources Canada. “Welcome to the Renewable Energy Deployment Initiative (REDI)”. May 12, 2005. Available: http://www2.nrcan.gc.ca 108 Dept. of Finance Canada. “Moving towards a green economy”, February 23, 2005. Available: http://www.fin.gc.ca/budget05/pamph/pagree.htm 109 “Technology Early Action Measures”. May 9, 2005. Government of Canada. Available: http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/english/team_2004/ 113 Natural Resources Canada. “Wind Power Production Incentive (WPPI)”, April 6, 2005. Available: http://www.canren.gc.ca/programs 116 “Smog Summit 2002 Proceedings” June 21, 2002. Clean Air Partnership. Available: http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/pdf/smog_proceedings_report2002.pdf, p. 28 117 “Smog Summit 2003 Proceedings” June 20, 2003 Clean Air Partnership. Available: http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/pdf/smogsummit_report2003.pdf, p. 26 118 “Smog Summit 2004 Proceedings” June 21, 2004 Clean Air Partnership. Available: http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/pdf/smogsummit_report2004.pdf, p.35 119 During the initial Committee meeting, it became evident that WHC had completed much of the necessary research for the Background Report. Therefore, they were asked to share their findings in the form of a formal presentation during the next Committee meeting. 120 A lengthy discussion occurred during the initial Committee meeting around a possible partnership between the Town and WHC in order to share information and avoid duplication of efforts. Based on this discussion, WHC is willing to share the results from the Wind Data Study with the Town.

G R E E N E S T T O W N I N O N T A R I O

Office of Environmental ProgressTown of Caledonwww.caledon.ca1.888.CALEDON

T 905.584.2272, ext. 4269F 905.584.4325

Caledon Environmental ProgressAction Plan Update

2014-2019

2

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

Caledon’s natural beauty is comprised of the Niagara Escarpment, Peel Plains, Oak Ridges Moraine and a number of headwaters of major river systems, including the Credit and Humber Rivers. The Town takes a progressive approach to environmental leadership, working to preserve its lush surroundings through forward-thinking initiatives. Decisions, actions and commitment from both the Town and its citizens play a key role in creating a community that not only desires a sustainable environ-ment, but embraces and champions “green.”

As we present this Environmental Progress Action Plan update, we reflect upon where we’ve been, look ahead to where we’re going and continue to drive toward what we will achieve. The intention of this Plan is to be a catalyst for change. It is an evolving document based on part-nership building, innovation and support.

We continue to build upon our achievements to develop challenging new actions that enhance and protect our natural environment as we strive for environmental excellence in the Town of Caledon.

3

CALEDON ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS ACTION PLAN UPDATE

Review of Town Plan and Policies: Town staff felt it was important to determine how and where all Town policies and plans fit together. Specifically, this exercise determined how Energy and Environmental plans and strategic initiatives are embedded into Town policies and procedures.

Best Practice Scan: To remain a municipal green leader, the Town wanted to challenge itself against other municipal environmental best practices. By understanding the successes and challenges experienced by other jurisdictions in implementing similar environmental strategies, it helped authenticate the Town’s originally proposed energy and environmental actions.

Internal Consultation: Three staff engagement sessions were held which were attended by over 80 staff. These sessions included discussions about what else the Town and individuals could do to lower the impact on the environment.

External Consultation:Staff held a community external consultation session attended by over 40 individuals and group representatives. The session began with photo based Pecha Kucha style presentations to engage and inspire conversation, followed by world café conversations.

All Our Ideas: As a final stage to the engagement process, All Our Ideas -- an open sourced platform developed by Princeton University -- was used to allow staff and community members to rank between two randomly selected actions, as well as suggest new actions/initiatives to be considered for the final Action Plan. Almost 1,400 votes on over 60 actions were collected and considered in finalizing the plan.

The Plan Update Process1 2 3 4 5

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The Environmental Plan Update provides recommendations in the following key action areas.

Air QualityENHANCE local air quality and MINIMIZE harmful air pollutants

Page 6

Climate ChangeMITIGATE the contributors of Climate Change and be PROACTIVE in adaptation

Page 8

EnergyREDUCE energy consumption at Town facilities and PROMOTE efficient energy management to the public

Page 10

Sustainable PlanningPLAN for sustainable communities and businesses that ENHANCE the natural environment

Page 12

Greening Town HallCOMMITMENT to environmental leadership and WALKING the TALK

Page 14

Community CapacitySUPPORT community groups and individuals to FOSTER sustainable behaviour

Page 16

Food and AgriculturePROMOTE a local food and agriculture SYSTEM Page 18

Sustainable TransportationENCOURAGE alternative transportation systems and framework

Page 20

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Using and Implementing the Plans: Now What?

The Environmental Plan Update acts as a guiding document for implementing envi-ronmental actions. Containing 30 + actions within eight priority areas, progress on these actions will be continually tracked. With a strong focus on staff and public education and awareness, the Plan presents a “call to action”.

A Note on Accountability and Transparency

The Town’s Energy and Environment Section is responsible for developing, implementing and ensuring performance in collaboration with Town Staff. Two staff groups, the Staff Environment Committee and a Corporate Energy Management Team, have been estab-lished to assist. To demonstrate implemen-tation and performance tracking, the Town has committed to biannual reporting. If you require any additional information on the Plan, please visit www.caledon.ca/environment or email Energy and Environment Staff at [email protected]

Greening Town Hall

Climate Change

Sustainable Planning

TransportationAir Quality

Energy

Community Capacity

Food and Agriculture

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANTThe Town continually strives to ‘get its own house in order’ to lower its environmental impact and to inspire others to do the same. These initiatives include tangible actions, such as introducing a three-stream waste diversion program in the Town café. Other actions focus on greening internal Town processes and practices.

WHAT WE’VE DONEStaff Carpooling: The Town became a member of Smart Commute Brampton Caledon in 2006. Since that time, staff have embraced carpooling as a commuting option. As a result, three priority parking spots were created and 234, 021 vehicle kms were avoided, resulting in a reduction of 50.8 tonnes of GHG emissions.

Paper Use and Reduction: Since 2008, the Town has used Canadian made paper with Forest Stewardship Council and Eco Logo certification. Also, most printers are preprogrammed for double sided printing and Council agendas and minutes are primarily available on-line. Drinking Water: The Town banned the sale of plastic water bottles at Town Hall and installed water coolers that rely on municipal tap water. This is equivalent to diverting 1,000 water cooler jugs from the landfill annually. Caledon Day, Caledon’s largest community event, also encourages tap water through the ban of bottled water at vendor booths and by providing filtered tap water.

Greening Town Hall

COMMITMENT to environmental leadership and WALKING the TALK

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WHAT’S NEXT

Actions Implementation Approach Priority Level/time line Anticipated Outcomes

Environmental stewardship part of goal setting and employee performance review system

Embed environmental stewardship into employee goal setting and goal setting and performance review system. Work with Human Resources to determine requirements.

High priority (July 2014 – July 2015)

• Behaviour change • Improved staff environmental awareness • Accountability • Corporate responsibility • Demonstrated leadership in environmental stewardship

Waste reduction program Expand waste diversion programs at Town Hall to other facilities. Initiate a pilot at a large recreation facility.

Medium priority (July 2015 –July 2017)

• Reduced waste generation • Demonstrated leadership in waste reduction • Staff and community awareness and engagement

Bottle water ban Ban bottled water in all Town facilities. Medium priority (July 2015 –July 2017)

• Reduced waste generation • Demonstrated leadership in waste reduction • Staff awareness and engagement

Greening Town events checklist Develop a “green” checklist for Town staff to complete when organizing an event within Town facilities.


• Demonstrated leadership in environmental stewardship • Corporate responsibility • Staff and community awareness

Green implications section on Council Reports

Include a “green implications” section on Council Reports.


• Demonstrated leadership in environmental stewardship • Corporate responsibility • Staff and community awareness

Town Hall staff garden Establish a working group of interested staff to build a staff garden at Town Hall.

Medium priority (July 2015 –July 2017)

• Staff engagement • Staff appreciation • Improved work environment

Paperless forms and pay-stubs Transition away from paper forms to electronic formats. (e.g. pay-stubs, agendas, procurement forms, records, etc.).


• Reduced paper waste • Reduced cost • Increased efficiency in staff time to process forms

Greening Town Hall

8

WHY IT’S IMPORTANTAlthough the 2011 Ontario Ministry of Environment Report indicates that air quality has improved significantly over the past 10 years, cer-tain pollutants like ozone continue to be a problem. Concern about the quality of air has been a long standing issue in Peel Region. Ac-cording to the 2008 Region of Peel’s Discussion Paper on Air Quality, there are numerous air quality related health impacts and the elderly and young children are at greatest risk. There are also economic impacts from increased health care costs and general environmental impacts including soil and water quality, vegetation and impacts.

The Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change operates a provincial monitoring system with two air monitors in Peel Region; both of which are in Mississauga and Brampton. This monitoring system is designed to monitor air quality over a large region and to identify trends in air quality.

Consequently, a detailed community-wide picture of air quality in the Town of Caledon is lacking and the drivers of poor air quality locally are not well understood. As a result, in 2012 Peel Region implemented a Peel wide air quality modeling program. This will provide data to help understand and address sources of poor air quality and assist in the assessment of planning and transportation issues.

The Region’s Program will help Caledon better understand its air qual-ity, which is critical given the Town’s population growth projections and high traffic volumes due to the nature of Caledon being a commuting route.

WHAT WE’VE DONEAir Quality Survey:

The Ministry of Environment conducted a “regional airshed character-ization” survey in the summer of 2006 to determine if a provincial Air Quality Station was warranted and to collect data on fine particulate matter.

Smog and Idling:

The Town communicated the importance of ‘turning off vehicles’ through distributing anti-idling signs at Town Facilities, and local schools. More recently (2014), Town Council passed an Idling Control By-law.

Transportation:

Caledon’s Trails Master Plan was expanded to include cycling routes and active transportation. The Town enjoys over 354 km of active transportation routes. The Town also participated in the Region of Peel’s Active Transportation Plan; a 20 year plan that highlights the in-frastructure, policies, programs and networks to increase active trans-portation participation and infrastructure throughout the Region.

Tree Seedling Program:

Since 2003, the Town of Caledon and its residents have committed to a tree seedling program to reduce air emissions and promote local native tree diversity by offering 18 different tree species for landowners. In 2014, the Town provided up to 10 free replacement tree seedlings to Caledon property owners who were affected by the December 2013 ice storm.

IMPROVE local air quality and MINIMIZE harmful air pollutants

Air Quality:

9


WHAT’S NEXT


Fleet vehicle purchasing policy Develop a “green fleet” policy for replacing / purchasing new fleet vehicles and for the consideration of hybrid, electric, or “alternative” fuelled vehicles.

Medium priority

(July 2015 –July 2017)

• Reduced emissions and improved air quality • Improved carbon footprint • Demonstrated leadership in reducing GHG emissions

Green fleet driver training As part of the current green fleet initiatives, implement a driver-training program for all staff that drive Town vehicles (e.g. York Region’s fleet fuel challenge, Shuttle Challenge).

Medium priority

(July 2015 –July 2017)

• Reduced waste generation • Demonstrated leadership in waste reduction • Staff and community awareness and engagement

Air quality monitoring Support the Region of Peel’s air modelling and monitoring program.

Ongoing • More accurate understanding of local air quality • Baseline understanding of air quality in the Region of Peel

Tree planting strategy Work with applicable agencies (e.g. Region of Peel and Credit Valley Conservation) to increase the tree canopy in Caledon.

High priority

(July 2014 – July 2015)

• Improved Town aesthetics • Better air quality • Increased tree canopy and variety of trees

Air Quality:

10

WHY IT’S IMPORTANTClimate change is defined as the change in the average or ‘normal’ weather conditions (i.e., changes in precipitation patterns, increase in extreme weather events, heat waves, droughts, etc.) for a particu-lar area over time. In 2013, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the leading international body for the assessment of climate change established by the United Nations, stated that the ‘warming of the climate system is unequivocal’ and “Human influence on the climate system is clear…[which is] evident from the increasing green-house gas concentrations in the atmosphere”

This means more frequent severe weather events such as the 2013 Toronto and area ice storm, the 2013 Calgary floods and the July 8th, 2013 flooding event in the GTA. Since municipalities are said to have direct or indirect influence on 44% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada (according to the Federation of Canadian Munic-ipalities), municipalities must be proactive in responding to the local impacts and threats of climate change.

WHAT WE’VE DONEPartners for Climate Protection Program:

The Town has been a longtime supporter of taking action on climate change as a Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) member for close to 10 years. Caledon is joined by more than 204 municipalities across Canada who have committed to climate change action through the completion of a five milestone framework. Joining in 2003, the Town

has since fulfilled milestones one through three -- conducting an ex-tensive inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, setting short and long term goals for GHG reduction, and producing the Community Climate Change Plan.

Peel Climate Change Strategy:

The Town was an active and integral partner in the development of the Peel Climate Change Strategy. The unique partnership is comprised of the Region of Peel in collaboration with area municipalities (Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga) and two Conservation Authorities (Toronto Region Conservation and Credit Valley Conservation). The Strategy consists of multiple mitigation (actions to reduce the magnitude of cli-mate change effects) and adaption (actions to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience to climate change impacts) actions.

Caledon Community Climate Change Plan:

This progressive and wide reaching Plan was created through the lead-ership of a Community Working Group. This Group comprised more than 15 internal and external stakeholders and was key in developing a series of proposed greenhouse gas reduction actions.

These actions are categorized in the following areas: transportation; green development; energy; schools; agriculture; community aware-ness; tree planting and naturalization; waste and local food. This Plan received a 2011 Credit Valley Conservation Award of Distinction and was a finalist for the Ontario Power Authority Community Conservation Award.

REDUCE climate change CONTRIBUTORS and be PROACTIVE in adaptation.

Climate Change:

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WHAT’S NEXT


Milestones for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program

Address and complete remaining PCP milestone commitments for both the Community and Corporate sectors.

Ongoing • Demonstrated leadership in climate change protection • Public and corporate commitment to reducing GHG emissions • Utilizing a recognized method to measure success

Caledon Community Climate Change Action Plan

Ensure actions from the Climate Change Plan are implemented and progress is tracked in line with the PCP program and Peel Climate Change Strategy.

Ongoing • Accountability • Alignment of Town goals and actions • Reduction in GHG emissions • Engagement of all sectors within Caledon • Demonstrated leadership in climate change

Peel Climate Change Strategy Town staff to work with Region of Peel and partners on implementation of the Peel Climate Change Strategy. Consider development of a Town climate change adaptation plan or an infrastructure vulnerability assessment.

Ongoing • Demonstrated leadership in climate change • Reduction in GHG emissions • Improved carbon footprint

Climate Change:

12

WHY IT’S IMPORTANTAccording to the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, buildings are the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption in Canada.

At the provincial level, the Ministry of Energy established a 6 year Conservation First framework starting January 2015. The framework forecasts an ambitious energy conservation target equivalent to taking more than 440, 000 homes off the grid by 2020 to stay on track with Ontario’s Long Term Energy Plan.

The Province has also introduced public agency energy reporting requirements through the Green Energy Act, 2009 Ontario Regulation 397/11. The Town has complied with this legislation through the 2014 Corporate Energy Management Plan update.

WHAT WE’VE DONEUpdated Corporate Energy Management Plan:

In conjunction with the Town’s updated Environmental Progress Action Plan, an updated Corporate Energy Management Plan has been developed to comply with the Green Energy Act 2009 Ontario Regulation 397/11.

Corporate Green Building Standard:

The Town mandated a Corporate Green Building Standard, requiring all new facilities over 10, 000 sq ft to be built to LEED Silver. The newly built OPP Facility in Caledon East recently received LEED Gold certification.

LED Street Lighting Standard:

The Town mandated that all new developments or streetlight replacements must be replaced with LEDs. The Town is also considering LED streetlight retrofit options.

Green Energy:

The Town has a history of purchasing green electricity. Currently, the Town purchases 238MW of green electricity for the new LEED Gold OPP facility.

Three Solar Projects:

The Town owns three solar projects through the Province’s micro-fit program which help fund a corporate energy reserve fund.

Energy Efficiency Grants:

The Bolton Community Improvement Plan offers grant opportunities to support energy efficient retrofits.

REDUCE energy consumption at Town facilities and PROMOTE energy to the public.

Energy:

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WHAT’S NEXT


Community energy plan (CEP) Investigate funding and grant options for the development of an integrated Community Energy Plan (e.g. the Municipal Energy Plan funding)

Medium priority

(July 2015 –July 2017)

• Increased energy reliability • Improved energy security and cost control • Leadership in community energy management • Understanding of community energy footprint • Tool for improved community development and planning • Alignment of Town goals with OR Compliance with Green Energy Act, 2009 Ontario Regulation 397/11

Corporate energy management plan (CEMP)

Ensure actions from the CEMP are implemented and progress is tracked annually.

High priority

(July 2014 – July 2015)

• Accountability • Reduced energy consumption • Alignment of Town goals and actions • Alignment of Town goals with OR compliance with Green Energy Act, 2009 Ontario Regulation 397/11

LED streetlight retrofit Establish a streetlight baseline inventory, and retrofit and replace existing Cobra style streetlights with LEDs as appropriate.

Ongoing • Better understanding of streetlights and cost savings • Energy savings (kWh) • Cost savings (energy and maintenance)

Energy:

14

WHY IT’S IMPORTANTPlanning sustainable communities can be crucial in controlling and re-ducing energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality. For example, by planning walkable communities, with a va-riety of transportation choices (i.e. public transit, active transportation) it may contribute to reducing emissions from transportation, one of the highest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Caledon.

WHAT WE’VE DONEEnhanced the Town and Region’s Official Plan:

In 2010, the Town ingrained sustainability principles into the Official Plan. Some features of this include green development patterns and sustainable community design, energy and water conservation, al-ternative and renewable energy generation, adaptive environmental management and sustainability indicators.

Mayfield West Phase II Sustainability principles:

Council adopted sustainability principles for the Mayfield West Devel-opment to influence the planning process. There has been strong em-phasis to ensure that this community promotes active transportation, accessibility, integrated design process, and maximizes conservation and innovation (i.e. water, waste and energy).

A Guide to Eco-Business Zone Planning and Development:

This Guide was developed in early 2014 to provide staff guidance on the planning, design, and subsequent development of eco-business zones throughout the Town of Caledon. Eco Business Zones are areas of employment or industrial activities that promote environmental quality, economic vitality and social benefits. Characteristics of an ‘Eco Business Zone’ include rain water management, sharing resources (i.e. loading docks, or office supply orders from companies), choice in tran-sit, shared/multi-use office spaces, building design (i.e. environmentally friendly and energy efficient), etc.

PLAN for sustainable communities that ENHANCE the natural environment

Sustainable Planning:

15


WHAT’S NEXT


Community design standards

Implement the sustainable residential planning policies that were created for Mayfield West Phase 2.

Low priority

(July 2017 – July 2019)

• Greener communities • Demonstrated leadership in sustainable community development

Sustainability checklist for reviewing planning applications

Finalize and implement a sustainability checklist for reviewing planning applications. Consider City of Brampton, Town of Richmond Hill, and City of Vaughan collaborative work on sustainability performance metrics.

Medium

(July 2015 – July 2017)

• Improved land use and community planning • Greener developments • Improved accountability of developers

District energy Investigate opportunities for district energy in new community developments.

Low priority

(July 2017 – July 2019)

• Reduced energy consumption • Integrated design • Demonstrated leadership in alternative energy sources

Low impact development

Develop guidelines that require low-impact development features for all existing and new Town projects to manage storm-water as close to its source as possible (see City of Mississauga and Toronto and Region Conservation and Credit Valley Conservation low impact development guidelines).

Medium priority

(July 2015 –July 2017)

• Improved water quality • Improved groundwater recharge • Restored aquatic habitat • Reduced number of flood events • Reduced inflow and infiltration into sanitary sewers

Septic inspection program

Develop a septic system re-inspection program to ensure watershed and groundwater protection.

Medium priority

(July 2015 –July 2017)

• Improved watershed and groundwater quality • Reduced run-off and contamination

Sustainable Planning:

16

WHY IT’S IMPORTANTThe way people live, work and play all have significant impacts on the natural environment. In Caledon, the community has and continues to play a significant role in its greening efforts. Therefore, it is important for the Town to continually find effective ways to empower residents, local businesses and educators to embrace a culture of sustainability and conservation. Community engagement, interaction and education are the building blocks, followed by developing meaningful partnerships and collaboration.

Although the Town has initially focused its “greening” efforts in the past five years to leading by example, the Town has recognized the need for strengthening community capacity. This has been achieved by the following actions.

WHAT WE’VE DONEGreen Funds:

The Town established two annual funding programs to support

community greening initiatives – the School Green Fund, and the Community Green Fund. The Community Green Fund, created in 2006, has distributed more than $143,000 dollars that supported 32 community projects. The School Green Fund is fairly new and has provided grants in 2012 and 2013 for various school “greening” projects.

Caledon Environmental Advisory Committee:

Caledon has had an Environmental Advisory Committee for over 15 years. The Committee is a group of citizens that advise and assist the Council and the citizens of the Town of Caledon in the protection, enhancement, restoration, management and appreciation of our common natural heritage and to ensure that our communities are planned for environmental sustainability, health and respect for all life.

Earth Hour Initiatives:

The Town has a history of engaging the community with Earth Hour events. In 2013 and 2014, the Town coordinated free movie screenings of popular “green” movies that help educate the public about environmental issues while having a call to action.

Community Climate Change Action Plan:

The Town established a Community Working Group comprised of 16 varied stakeholders to draft an action plan. The Town also held various community engagement meetings and collected surveys to gain input on the plan.

SUPPORT community groups and individuals that FOSTER sustainable behaviour

Community Capacity:

Region of Peel - Let your green show program

17


WHAT’S NEXT


Biannual reporting Develop a biannual report on the Town of Caledon’s Energy and Environment progress.

High priority

(July 2014 – July 2015)

• Information sharing • Education of staff and public • Improved communication about energy and the environment

Community Green Fund Incorporate annual “green” themes into the Community Green Fund to align with the Town’s work plans and goals.

High priority

(July 2014 – July 2015)

• Aligned community and Town goals • Community engagement • Increased number of green initiatives within the community

Community environmental stewardship committee

Establish a community environmental stewardship committee that plays a role in assisting in developing work plans and projects.

Medium priority

(July 2015 –July 2017)

• Aligned community and Town goals • Community engagement • Fostering partnerships between the Town and the community

Sustainable neighbourhood competition

Develop a sustainable neighbourhood competition (i.e. City of Pickering), or a Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan with Toronto Region Conservation Authority.

Low priority

(July 2017 – July 2019)

• Community engagement • Increased number of green initiatives within the community • Community awareness and behaviour change

Community Capacity:

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANTThe Town of Caledon, a true community of communities, is spread over 700 square kilometres- the largest geographic area in Peel Region. This, coupled with an extensive rural presence, a lack of public transportation and its nature as a ‘commuter community’ makes it challenging for encouraging sustainable transportation options.

Given that transportation has been identified as the largest greenhouse gas emissions contributor, it is important to provide the ‘ingredients’ for a more sustainable, reliant transportation system through public outreach and education. Sustainable transportation ‘infrastructure” is also critical, such as cycling lanes, trails and more innovative technologies that support low emission transportation, like electric vehicle charging stations.

WHAT WE’VE DONEElectric Vehicle Charging Stations:

The Town recently installed two electric vehicle charging stations in downtown Bolton, as part of a road and parking lot reconstruction project. The Town’s Corporate Green Building Standard also states that new facilities 10, 000 square feet and larger must have electric vehicle plug in stations.

Trails and Cycling:

The Town recognizes the importance of its extensive trail network and cycling options as a means of active living and as a mode of transportation. Boasting over 260 kilometres of publicly accessible trails, the Town updated its Trails Master Plan to further “demonstrate the Town’s ongoing commitment to addressing the needs of residents and trail partners in establishing and maintaining a well-connected, safe and environmentally sound trail network”.

A few recent trail and cycling initiatives include: increased bike parking spaces at Recreation Facilities; approval for a multi-use trail plan linking the community of Bolton to the Albion Hills Conservation Area; ongoing construction of the Airport Road Caledon Trail crossing to improve safety for users crossing regional roads, and offering a Bike Valet Service at the 2014 Caledon Day and Bolton’s Midnight Madness.

Transportation Demand Management:

Town staff have and will continue to work closely with the Region of Peel to implement their new Five-Year Transportation Demand Management Plan. This Plan intends to help reduce the number of vehicles on the road and encourage the use of active transportation (biking and walking) and transit use where applicable. Determining ways to successfully promote sustainable transportation within residential neighbourhoods is an important component of the Plan.

ENCOURAGE alternative transportation systems and framework

Sustainable Transportation:

19


WHAT’S NEXT


Offsite work arrangement Implement the off-site work arrangement pilot program currently ongoing with Smart Commute Brampton Caledon. Make HR policy recommendation based on pilot.

Ongoing • Increased staff productivity

• Reduction in GHG emissions

Electric vehicle plug-ins Investigate further opportunities for electric vehicle plug-in stations based on pilot stations in downtown Bolton.

Low priority

(July 2017 – July 2019)


• Demonstrated leadership in green fleet technologies

Smart Commute Brampton Caledon

Expand on Smart commute Brampton Caledon efforts as appropriate

Medium priority

(July 2015 –July 2017)


• Reduction in individual car trips

Sustainable Transportation:

20

WHY IT’S IMPORTANTPromoting local food is a win-win for the environment and the community. It significantly reduces transportation costs and the associated greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants involved in ‘moving’ food from farms to our plates. It supports the local farming community and fosters partnerships between producers, retailers and other value chain participants. It also creates local jobs and promotes healthier lifestyles. For example, farmers’ market studies show that market customers consume more fruits and vegetables and have increased physical activity levels.Subsequently, most municipalities are including some variation of sustainable food and agriculture within their environmental strategic plans. In fact, according to “Municipal Food Policy Entrepreneurs: A preliminary analysis of how Canadian cities and regional districts are involved in food system change”, 64

local and regional municipalities across Canada are working to improve the food system using a mix of municipal policies, programs and civil-society interventions”.

WHAT WE’VE DONECaledon Farmers Market: The Town of Caledon launched the Bolton Farmers Market in 2009. Community and School Green Fund: The Town’s two annual funding programs have supported numerous local food initiatives, including outdoor education gardens and kitchen projects. Staff Education Campaigns: To recognize Earth Day, local food tastings and education campaigns were coordinated to promote the importance of local food and its connection as an environmental issue and benefit. Community Climate Change Plan: This Plan identified local food as a priority focus area.

PROMOTE a local food and agriculture SYSTEM

Food and Agriculture:

Bolton Farmer’s Market

21


WHAT’S NEXT


Local food and farming production and distribution

Ensure actions from the “Agriculture” and “Local Food and Farming Production and Distribution” from the Caledon Community Climate Change Plan are implemented and progress is tracked.

Low priority

(July 2017 – July 2019)

• Accountability

• Alignment of Town goals and actions

Community Gardens Support the development of community gardens where appropriate and explore a community garden policy.

Medium priority

(July 2015 –July 2017)


• Reduction in car trips

• Food security

• Local economic development

Local Food Charter Consider the development of a local food charter- a guiding document to assist in the development of local food related policies and programs and to ensure food security and a sustainable food system.

Medium priority

(July 2015 –July 2017)


• Reduction in car trips

• Food security

• Local economic development

Food and Agriculture:

Notes:

6311 Old Church Road Caledon, ON | L7C 1J6 | www.caledon.ca T. 905.584.2272 | 1.888.225.3366 | F. 905.584.4325

www.facebook.com/yourcaledonwww.twitter.com/yourcaledon

COMMENTS ON STAKEHOLDER MEETING

Almonte Infrastructure Renewals

February 29, 2016

Due to the format of the meeting, attendees visited at only two of the four possible tables

for discussion. I am therefore limited to a degree in the extent to which I can comment

on the outcome of the meeting. I have consulted with Val Wilkinson who was also

present. Although she attended at the same two tables as I in the opposite order, she has

kindly provided some comments which I have incorporated into this second draft.

Stephen Stirling was also present, and I have also contacted him asking for his comments,

but have not yet heard back. I continue to hope for further comments and intend to add to

this report as they are received.

Mill Street – Lower End

From Almonte Street to Little Bridge Street, it was proposed that the street be paved with

concrete pavers. They can be of differing colours to differentiate whether it is a

sidewalk, a parking area or a driven area. Small changes in level easily mounted by

vehicles can also signify the difference. Different ways of accommodating cars for

parking were presented. The right of way could be wider in the vicinity of the old

Ultramar location and the extra space used for green space, pedestrians and bicycles.

Traffic lights and/or pedestrian crossings should be provided at the bottom end of the

street where traffic calming is needed on Almonte Street, where the vehicles tend to

travel too fast. Even better would be to provide traffic calming techniques in the stretch

between Farm Street and Mill Street. There was some discussion whether it would be

better to provide pedestrian crossings on the north side or the south side of Mill Street.

There are advantages for each.

Mill Street – Upper End

From Little Bridge Street to Bridge Street. The question was asked whether there should

be parking on both sides or only one side. One-side parking would allow the sidewalks

to be wider. On the other hand, parking on both sides can be a form of traffic calming. It

would be paved with asphalt but only in the driven lanes. Compensating for the lack of

width of the sidewalks would be the use of concrete pavers in the parking lanes. Again,

changes in colour and level could be used to differentiate areas. The group suggested that

double parking would be better because that is what is already there and it would

represent less drastic change from the present situation.

From Bridge Street east to the end at the Brewer’s Retail property. There is an issue with

the current ownership of the land which is the natural extension southward of the street

which should be resolved. There is a need to bring the land owned by the Brewer’s

Retail into municipal hands.

Little Bridge Street

Several options are available:

Close the street to vehicular traffic

Make the street one way

Remove the bridge and fill in the depression at the underpass. The bridge is not

actually the original structure but a modern replacement - so of dubious heritage

value

Parking could be provided close to the Old Town hall to replace some of the

parking on the river side of the Town Hall where the green space may be of

greater value

No clear option resulted from the discussion.

CP Lands down to Reserve Street

It is expected that the CP lands will eventually fall into the ownership of the County. It is

understood that in the interim these lands cannot be included in the planning. However

this should be recognized and planning should take it into account. Eventually, several

things could then hopefully happen:

The chain-link fence should be removed along the western boundary of the CP

lands

A park area could be created together with the library lands

Mill Street could be extended to swing past the library

The portion next to the cenotaph could be incorporated with the cenotaph as

parkland

It is expected there will be a bicycle/pedestrian way along the old CP right-of-way

and this should be retained, if somewhat realigned, in the stretch from John Street

to the CP bridge at the river.

Bridge Street

……………………

Market Square

This could be reconfigured to ………….

Submitted by: Peter Moller

Draft 2 - April 07, 2016

draft 2

1

Proposal: A Not-for-Profit, Community-Based Rideshare Program

for Mississippi Mills Executive Summary Ridesharing, a program whereby drivers and passengers are able to connect with one another to ride together, is increasing in popularity world-wide because of the many benefits it provides. A not-for-profit, locally-based rideshare program, which we are proposing, costs little to start and maintain, while enabling our municipality to improve the ability of residents, many of whom live at some distance from shops and services and places of work, to get around at little cost. At the same time ridesharing reduces environmental pollution and the pressure to add roads and parking lots. Furthermore, a ridesharing program is a logical extension of the numerous other environmental initiatives for which Mississippi Mills is becoming recognized. Concerns that people may have about sharing transportation, such as questions about behaviour and safety, have been addressed. Our rideshare program incorporates a code of conduct, as well as a checklist to rate the conduct of both drivers and passengers, which are readily available to anyone using the program. There is also the question of convenience. Although it is expected, when the program is first implemented, that there may not be a large number of rides at suitable times and to suitable locations, this problem should become less of an issue as the program increases in popularity. This program was researched and designed locally, and incorporates several features of rideshare programs used by municipalities with similar needs to ours. Because a program like this requires credibility and continuity to really be effective, we are requesting that a corporate entity such as yours, take ownership of our program.

Definition of rideshare Ridesharing functions like an electronic bulletin board for drivers and passengers. Drivers post rides, and passengers can browse the available rides and book one or more rides. Simply put, it connects drivers with passengers. Rides can be posted on a casual basis or as a one-time offer; or rides can be made available on a regular, recurring basis; e.g., every work day.

Our rideshare program is not a unique solution; there are many well-established rideshare programs available; e.g., KangaRide, Carpoolworld, Kootenayrideshare (You can click on the preceding links for examples.) What we offer is a program focused on the needs of the Mississippi Mills community. We specifically are not providing a commercial offering that is deployed nationally. We strive to provide value to our local users with close-to-zero overhead costs.

As you can see, if you click on this link, the program we have designed is almost ready to implement, once it has been adapted to include the end-user's desired features. Please note, also, how our ridesharing program makes it easy for drivers to post their rides and for

http://www.kangaride.com/

https://www.carpoolworld.com/

http://kootenayrideshare.com/index.php

http://mmrideshare.azurewebsites.net/Home

2

passengers to search for rides. Users can search for rides based on differing criteria; e.g., search by departure location, search by time of departure or arrival, etc. Many rideshare programs use advertising. Our objective is to provide a non-commercial offering, but we will offer simple banner ads for local businesses that align with our community-based objectives; for example, businesses building “green” products.

Advantages of ridesharing

• Reduces the number of single-occupancy cars on the road and aligns with the province’s initiative to build High Occupancy Lanes;

• Reduces smog, congestion and fuel consumption; • Reduces pressure on the municipality to build additional roads and parking spaces; • Aggregates the existing informal ridesharing into a centralized offering; • Provides, as a result of centralization, accurate and reliable metrics, which are essential for

our municipality’s future “park and ride” facility; • Avoids the unintended consequence of people parking on private property during the

working day that results from the current informal and fragmented ridesharing operating in our community; e.g., Facebook. A centralized rideshare provides the infrastructure to enable efficient use of the municipality's future park and ride. It aligns with the policies at all three levels of government; as this link shows, Transport Canada is attempting to encourage ridesharing.

• Creates a positive image for the municipality as being environmentally aware, and builds on the brand of the municipality as an environmental trend-setter;

• Provides a low-cost option that improves mobility for people not able to drive or with financial constraints;

• Increases social interaction: we have learned from discussions with Kootenay Rideshare that most of their users are seniors, who find that ridesharing helps alleviate their isolation. The age distribution and population density of Kootenay's users are similar to ours.

• Creates opportunities for increasing social capital; • Requires minimal funding. The project is not capital intensive, and can be implemented and

maintained for less than $300 per year.

Disadvantages of ridesharing Ridesharing is not as convenient as a regularly scheduled bus service, and rides may not be

available at the desired time, or to the desired location. However, as this program becomes more popular, we anticipate that availability of suitable rides and destinations will improve.

Initially, both the driver and the passenger are strangers, and problems may arise. To address these problems, our ridesharing program, like many other internet products, uses a system of ratings by users to identify and report any violations of our code of conduct. In other words, it is a self-policing program. Furthermore, in our small community we believe that our network of users will grow to know one other and select passengers or drivers that

http://data.tc.gc.ca/archive/eng/programs/environment-utsp-casestudy-cs73e-carpooling-889.htm

3

they already know. Finally, to ensure a courteous and respectful environment, all users must agree to our Code of Conduct, which is similar to what is found in other ridesharing programs.

There can be the risk of no-shows. The user rating system should eliminate this problem. Persistent no-shows will be banned for one year (a similar remedy is used by KangaRide).

Resources used Prior to developing the software, we performed an internet search of various rideshare offerings available in North America. We evaluated Kootenay Rideshare, KangaRide and CarpoolWorld. We took the best features from these products, and customized them for our local community. We focused our efforts on Kootenay Rideshare because it is Canadian, it is deployed in a similar community to ours, and it is non-profit. Our phone calls to Kootenay provided much useful information about their user base. The technology used for development is standard off-the-shelf tools. This makes it easier to find local resources to maintain the product. The existing product was built with two person-months of development effort (provided on a volunteer basis). It is built using licence-free software; this means no ongoing licensing fees for the software.

Costs Because of the huge advances in computer technology, people now have access to a huge range of communication methods at minimal cost. For example, a modern, fully functioning cloud-based system, which our rideshare program uses, can be operated at little expense, and without requiring a team of trained staff to maintain it. The initial minimal costs required to set up the ridesharing website were funded by Sustainable Eastern Ontario. The annual financial requirements for running the program range from a minimum of $120 per year to a maximum of $250 per year. The cost varies, depending on which company we select for our cloud services and the on the number of people that use the product. Assuming no additional features are to be added, there will be no additional ongoing maintenance costs. The program is self-administered.

Operation and administration Continuity of management The current initiative is the result of two Mississippi Mills residents with a desire to make our municipality more environmentally friendly. Ideally, this will be a long-lived project; continuity is essential for building credibility over the time. We believe that continuity and credibility are best supplied by an established organization, as opposed to two private individuals.

4

We purposely built the software with non-proprietary technology. The skills needed to maintain the product are mainstream, based on Microsoft technology, probably the most ubiquitous software environment. This means that it is easy to find people to maintain the product. In other words, any corporate entity that takes ownership is not tied to the people that developed the product.

Spin-off benefits for corporate adopter This product can be used as a springboard to strengthen the ties of the corporate entity that adopts it for the clients they serve. Enabling people to use the rideshare program facilitates an ongoing dialogue with those clients since it can be used to display additional information; e.g., workshops on nutrition, housing, or medical support. The rideshare software has the built-in infrastructure for expansion. It has a modern database; it is cloud-based and can support thousands of users; it is usable on mobile devices; and it is built with standardized software. It has all the technologies required for the administration of social services by a medium-size corporate entity. These sets of tools provide a low-risk, incremental migration path from a labour-intensive, paper-based administration program to a computerized modern-day administration, at low cost. For all the above-stated reasons, optimal implementation of this rideshare program is best realized by a corporate entity. Our Commitment We will provide free ongoing support for the rideshare program for at least one year. In addition, if the adopting corporate entity decides to implement part or all of the capabilities of the product, we will provide consulting services to define a migration plan, at no cost. Because most of the work involved has already been done, this rideshare program can be completed, depending on the number of features requested by the corporate entity, in as little time as one month from the initial date of the contract.

Conclusion As we know, Mississippi Mills has a well-developed social network of volunteers and organizations actively involved in community projects. A not-for-profit, community-based ridesharing program is one more way of building on our sense of community to improve the ability of people to travel within and outside our vast municipality (520 km2) with its low population density (12,500 residents), regardless of their income level and physical abilities. In addition to the social benefits, ridesharing results in less environmental pollution and less pressure to expand transportation infrastructure, thereby improving our quality of life.

MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release

April 6, 2016

99 Christie Lake Rd., Perth, ON K7H 3C6 * Tel.: 1-888-9-LANARK * Fax: 613-267-2964 * www.lanarkcounty.ca

County continues plan to control wild parsnip

As warm weather approaches, Lanark County and local municipal staff and decision makers have been gathering information on best practices for controlling noxious plants, particularly wild parsnip, while gaining understanding of the risks they pose. County Council has approved continuing a roadside weed spraying program in 2016 for all county roads for two consecutive years, and then to proceed with biannual spraying of 50 per cent of the road system starting in year three. “We plan to work to eradicate wild parsnip by using integrated pest management principles that involve assessment and follow-up,” explained Janet Tysick, Lanark County Public Works business manager. “Monitoring and assessing the various areas each year will be important in order to determine the best strategy.” Wild parsnip is becoming increasingly common and has health hazards associated with it. It contains toxic compounds called furanocoumarins, which can cause serious burns or blisters when the sap is exposed to sunlight. The county conducted roadside weed spraying on 80 kilometres of county roads in 2015 on a trial basis with a licenced contractor. On March 9, the county invited speakers from the Ontario Vegetation Management Association (OVMA), the Ontario Invasive Plant Council (OIPC) and the City of Ottawa to provide information to councillors and staff about the weed, methods to eradicate it and safety precautions. A public session hosted by the Lanark County Stewardship Council is planned for April 30 at the Lanark Civitan Hall. At the county’s session, Iola Price of OIPC described best practices in Ontario to control wild parsnip and outlined its detrimental effects. “It out-competes native vegetation and crowds out important, low-growing plants. Pollinators may not visit as often as other native species. It can reduce the quality of some agricultural forage crop.” She said pest management involves many factors and may require several years of work. “Controlling wild parsnip before it becomes established will reduce its impacts on biodiversity, economy and society.” Control measures can include mowing, digging up the plants (for small infestations) or using herbicides (with permits) in the spring before the plants flower. She emphasized the importance of protective clothing for anyone working near wild parsnip, as well as procedures for washing if exposed to sap. Wild parsnip should not be burned or composted and different municipalities may have disposal rules related to the plant.

Chad Horton, Ontario Vegetation Management Association president, explained the OVMA is a non-profit organization with representatives from every sector of the industry to provide members with a forum for networking and information sharing about environmentally sound, cost effective, industrial and forestry vegetation management practices in Ontario. He outlined the use of pesticides for public works for the “protection of public health and safety, and to prevent damage to the structural integrity of a public work,” adding herbicide application must be approved in Ontario by Health Canada.

http://www.lanarkcounty.ca/

MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release

April 6, 2016

99 Christie Lake Rd., Perth, ON K7H 3C6 * Tel.: 1-888-9-LANARK * Fax: 613-267-2964 * www.lanarkcounty.ca

Mr. Horton provided an overview of two herbicides that have been highly effective against the weeds (Clearview and Truvist) and outlined the notice requirements from the provincial Ministry of the Environment, including signage or newspaper and online advertisements.

Steve Ford of the OVMA reviewed equipment cleaning protocols for public works staff and best management practices in Ontario to help minimize the spread of wild parsnip. He noted unintentional introduction can happen with heavy equipment encountering contaminated mud, gravel, water, soil and plant material. “Rhizomes and roots can travel unseen in mud lodged in equipment.” He said invasive weeds affect forest regeneration, crop yields, seedling establishment, growth rates and trail management. “Trails act as corridors for invasive plants because use and maintenance create disturbed areas. People, pets and vehicles such as ATVs can all bring invasive plants to trails, which increases labour and costs of trail maintenance and reduces biodiversity.” Allison Wilson, program and project management officer for the City of Ottawa, described their efforts to control the spread of wild parsnip with a mapping exercise, accelerated grass cutting and the application of Clearview in highly infested areas. “Our results and finding showed mowing is not a successful strategy on its own to decrease infestation,” she said, noting this year they will continue with accelerated mowing and herbicide application in the spring. A communication and awareness campaign will include weekly website updates with a list of spray locations, consistent signage in high infestation areas, and a focus on emphasizing the risk to biodiversity. Teresa Clowe of the Leeds, Grenville, Lanark District Health Unit noted a commissioned report from Public Health Ontario looked at Clearview and indicated there is more danger to being exposed to the toxins in wild parsnip than to the chemical as long as it is applied properly. The county’s spraying program will be advertised and residents may request “no spraying” signs. Some local rural municipalities have opted to join in the county’s tender for the program. The Lanark County Stewardship Council’s workshop will feature representatives from the OIPC, OVMA, the City of Ottawa, the county and the health unit on April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Lanark Civitan Hall, 2144 Pine Grove Road. To register or for more information, contact Karen Ballentine at 613-267-4200 ext. 3192 or [email protected]. More information about wild parsnip and other invasive plants can be found at www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca, www.ontario.ca/biodiversity or www.ovma.ca.

– 30 – For more information, contact: Terry McCann Director of Public Works Lanark County 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 3190

http://www.lanarkcounty.ca/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/

http://www.ontario.ca/biodiversity

http://www.ovma.ca/

Documents

The Corporation of the Town of Mississippi Mills...April 11, 2016 EAC Committee Agenda Page 1 The Corporation of the Town of Mississippi Mills Environmental Advisory Committee April