e-Brief October 1, 2020
Eight Canadian Municipalities Win National Awards of Excellence
Eight Canadian municipalities have won national awards of excellence from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA). The awards were presented in the areas of innovation, environment and professional development during a Virtual Awards of Excellence Ceremony.

Winning efforts included a creative public education effort to teach residents more about their municipal government, an opioids public awareness initiative, a beneficial reuse of storm water management pond sediment, an ecomuseum ecology heritage project, a sea level rise action plan, a coastal flood adaptation strategy, a leadership acceleration program, and an Engineer-in-Training program.

“On behalf of the CAMA board of directors, I am pleased to recognize the innovation and best practices being captured in this years’ winning award submissions,” said Jake Rudolph, president of CAMA and Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Nanaimo, BC. “They are a testament to the teamwork and connections needed between staff, stakeholders and citizens to make municipal government work.”
 
The following municipalities and projects were recognized, in three categories, based on their population size:

2020 CAMA Willis Award for Innovation
  • Town of Saugeen Shores, ON, (Under 20,000 Population Category) – Learn with R.O.S.S. in Saugeen Shores
  • Strathcona County, AB, (20,001 to 100,000 Population Category) – Opioids Don’t Discriminate: An Interactive Experience
  • City of Waterloo, ON, (Over 100,000 Population Category) – Beneficial Reuse of Storm Water Management (SWM) Facility Sediment – SWM Pond 53 Pilot Study
2020 CAMA Environment Award
  • Town of White City, SK, (Under 20,000 Population Category) – White Butte Ecomuseum Ecology Heritage Project
  • City of Campbell River, BC, (20,001 to 100,000 Population Category) – Campbell River Rising Seas
  • City of Surrey, BC, (Over 100,000 Population Category) – Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy
2020 CAMA Professional Development Award
  • District Municipality of Muskoka, ON, (20,001 to 100,000 Population Category) – Leadership Acceleration Program
  • City of Richmond, BC, (Over 100,000 Population Category) – Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Program
“The scope of projects, from large and small municipalities right across this country, amazed our judging panel,” said Tony Kulbisky, Chair for the 2020 CAMA Awards Jury, CAMA representative for Alberta and Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Devon, AB. “A total of 36 awards submissions were received and I extend my congratulation to the winners and all those who took the time to enter a submission.”
 
The 2020 CAMA Awards of Excellence were supposed to be presented at the CAMA National Conference, scheduled for the Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, ON from June 1-3, 2020. Due to COVID-19, the conference was cancelled, and the awards presented virtually instead.   To find out more about each award, and to see a video summary of each winning project, visit www.camacam.ca/awards and look for the award recipients link.
 
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Huit municipalités canadiennes lauréates
de prix d’excellence nationaux

Huit municipalités canadiennes ont remporté des prix d’excellence nationaux de l’Association canadienne des administrateurs municipaux (ACAM). Les prix en innovation, en environnement et en développement professionnel ont été décernés lors d’une cérémonie virtuelle.

Parmi les actions primées, on retrouve un projet créatif d’éducation publique visant à renseigner les résidents sur leur gouvernement municipal, une initiative de sensibilisation publique sur les opioïdes, un projet de valorisation des sédiments des bassins de gestion des eaux de ruissellement, un projet de patrimoine écologique dans un écomusée, un plan d’action sur la hausse du niveau des océans, une stratégie d’adaptation à la submersion côtière, un programme d’accélération du leadership et un programme de stages pour ingénieurs.
 
" Au nom du conseil d’administration de l’ACAM, je suis ravi de récompenser les idées innovantes et les pratiques exemplaires que l’on retrouve dans les projets gagnants de cette année », déclare le président de l’ACAM, Jake Rudolph, également directeur général de la Ville de Nanaimo (Colombie-Britannique). " Ce sont de véritables hommages au travail d’équipe et à l’esprit de collaboration entre les employés municipaux, les intervenants locaux et les citoyens pour que les gouvernements municipaux fonctionnent efficacement."

Voici les municipalités et les projets récompensés dans trois catégories établies selon la taille de la population :

Prix Willis de l’innovation 2020 de l’ACAM
  • Ville de Saugeen Shores, Ontario (moins de 20 000 habitants) – Apprendre avec R.O.S.S. à Saugeen Shores
  • Comté de Strathcona, Alberta (20 001 à 100 000 habitants) – Les opioïdes ne font pas de discrimination; une expérience interactive
  • Ville de Waterloo, Ontario (plus de 100 000 habitants) – Valorisation des sédiments des bassins de gestion des eaux de ruissellement; projet pilote du bassin 53
Prix d’excellence en environnement 2020 de l’ACAM
  • Ville de White City, Saskatchewan (moins de 20 000 habitants) – Projet de patrimoine écologique à l’écomusée White Butte
  • Ville de Campbell River, Colombie-Britannique (20 001 à 100 000 habitants) – Hausse de l’océan à Campbell River
  • Ville de Surrey, Colombie-Britannique (plus de 100 000 habitants) – Stratégie d’adaptation à la submersion côtière
Prix d’excellence en développement professionnel 2020 de l’ACAM
  • Municipalité de district de Muskoka, Ontario (20 001 à 100 000 habitants) – Programme d’accélération du leadership
  • Ville de Richmond, Colombie-Britannique (plus de 100 000 habitants) – Programme de stages pour ingénieurs
"Notre jury a été épaté par l’ampleur des projets en provenance de petites et de grandes municipalités de tout le pays ", déclare le président du jury des Prix de l’ACAM 2020, Tony Kulbisky, représentant de l’ACAM pour l’Alberta et directeur général de la Ville de Devon, en Alberta. « L’ACAM a reçu 36 candidatures. Je tiens à féliciter les gagnants et tous ceux qui ont pris la peine de présenter leur candidature. »

Les Prix d’excellence de l’ACAM 2020 devaient être décernés lors de la Conférence nationale de l’ACAM qui aurait dû avoir lieu au Deerhurst Resort à Huntsville (Ontario) du 1er au 3 juin 2020. En raison de la COVID-19, la conférence a été annulée et les prix ont été décernés lors d’une cérémonie virtuelle.   Pour obtenir des informations supplémentaires sur un projet gagnant, il suffit d'aller sur le site www.camacam.ca/fr/awards de suivre le lien du lauréat.
Congratulations to Chris MacPherson -- Installed As International Vice President of ICMA
Chris MacPherson, Chief Administrative Officer, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada was installed as an International Vice President of ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, during the organization’s 106th Annual Conference held virtually.  He was elected for a three-year term on September 25. 

“Our new Board is nothing short of exemplary of ICMA’s mission to advance excellence in professional local government,” said Marc Ott, ICMA Executive Director. “Each of this year’s appointees has persevered through what has objectively been one of the most challenging times in the history of the profession, and we look forward to having them continue to serve the ICMA community as expertly as they serve their own.”

The Board will be chaired by the new 2020-2021 President, James Malloy, Town Manager of Lexington, MA. Former ICMA President Jane Brautigam assumes the role of immediate Past-President, and Troy Brown, City Manager of Moorpark, CA, begins the role of President-Elect.

The 21-member ICMA Board comprises the president, president-elect, 18 regional vice presidents, and the past-president, and acts in the capacity of directors, overseeing the organization’s financial, member-related, and programmatic affairs and selecting the Board president. The Board also enforces the organization’s Code of Ethics. ICMA Executive Board members attend four Board meetings annually.

“It is an honour and privilege to represent the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) as an International Vice President for ICMA,” Mr. MacPherson said recently. “Local government continues to be at the forefront of making our communities progressive and world class, and organizations such as ICMA are extraordinary resources in these times of accelerated change.”

Mr. MacPherson will represent ICMA to international associations of local government management and maintain relationships among other affiliated organizations.  ICMA recognizes five regions within the United States, each of which elects three representatives to the Executive Board. Three vice presidents are also elected from countries outside the U.S. Vice presidents serve staggered three-year terms, with one-third replaced annually.
 
Mr. MacPherson has worked at the City of Fredericton for the past 43 years and was appointed as the Chief Administrative Officer in 2011. He has undergraduate degrees in Physical Education, Business Administration and a Master of Arts degree.  He earned a Certificate from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, in State and Local Government from Harvard University in 2011 and also has his professional designation (ICD.D) in Board Governance from the University of Toronto (2016).  Chris was also presented with CAMA’s Honourary Membership for Life in 2019 – the Association's highest honour.  He has been a member of ICMA since 1998 and received an ICMA Service Award in recognition of his 35 years of service to local government in 2017.
 
Congratulations to the 2020 Sustainable Community Award Winners
FCM's Sustainable Communities Awards celebrate the most innovative environmental initiatives in Canadian cities and communities of all sizes. Through these awards, FCM recognizes and celebrates sustainability leaders and trailblazers in municipalities across Canada.  The awards, delivered by FCM's Green Municipal Fund (GMF), showcase outstanding municipal projects in asset management, brownfields, climate change, energy, transportation, waste, water, and sustainable neighbourhood revitalization and design.The 2020 Sustainable Community Award winners.
 
Asset Management: City of Vernon, BC City of Vernon Drainage Infrastructure Prioritization Plan
Using a triple-bottom-line approach to identify environmental, economic and social impacts, the City of Vernon completed a detailed assessment of their drainage infrastructure to identify stormwater drains needing maintenance or replacement to protect the City from future flooding. The City applied a climate vulnerability lens to understand the impacts of climate change on their drainage assets and created a prioritized list of projects from those at greatest risk.
 
Brownfields: City of Montreal, QC
Rehabilitation of the Pointe-Saint-Charles industrial park (PEPSC)
Working in partnership with joint owners of this former landfill site, the City of Montreal developed an innovative approach to collect and treat contaminants at Pointe-Saint-Charles industrial park that were spilling into the Saint Lawrence River. Their work on this brownfield project helps address a long-standing environmental issue and remediates a waterfront area for future use by the community.
 
Climate Change: City of Campbell River, BC
Campbell River Rising Seas
The City of Campbell River's recently adopted Sea Level Rise Action Plan puts in motion a series of interventions to protect the community and the surrounding ecosystems from the impacts of rising sea levels. The City worked extensively with the community to create a plan that prioritizes protection of the shoreline, community infrastructure and other assets, and emphasizes building capacity through education.
 
Energy: Town of Raymond, AB
Raymond Electrical Net Zero
To reduce their GHG emissions and save costs, the Town of Raymond installed a series of solar PV systems on their municipal buildings, including their town hall, aquatic centre, fire hall, arena and more. The solar arrays will save nearly 700 tonnes of CO2 per year and generate over 1300 MWh of renewable electricity annually, meeting 100% of the electricity needs of the Town's operations.
 
Neighbourhoods: City of Edmonton, AB
Blatchford
The City of Edmonton is developing a sustainable community on former municipal airport land that will house up to 30,000 residents. The new neighbourhood's vision is to be carbon neutral and use 100% renewable energy. Homes use renewable energy provided through a geoexchange district energy sharing system, while also supporting low-impact development and low-carbon transit.  
   
Transportation - co-winners: Region of Waterloo, ON and Town of Cochrane, AB
Region of Waterloo, ON
Growing Up: The Story of ION Light Rail in Waterloo Region
In 2019, the Region of Waterloo's new ION Light Rail Transit system opened its doors to the public, with over 300,000 passengers using the system in its first 11 days. The ION system provides fast, reliable travel between three urban centres and contributes substantially to the Region's environmental and community goals, including reducing GHG emissions and urban sprawl.
 
Town of Cochrane, AB
Cochrane On-demand Local Transit
The Town of Cochrane's on-demand local transit program (COLT) provides stop-to-stop transit service for community members, while addressing issues like affordability, inclusion and accessibility. The new program expands easy access to transit stops to over 90% of the Town's population and has seen significant uptake since its launch in 2019.
 
Waste: Town of Canmore, AB
Canmore Food Waste Collection Pilot
Faced with unique challenges that prevent the use of standard green bins, the Town of Canmore undertook a creative and collaborative approach to neighbourhood composting that diverts more than 800 kg of food waste per day from the landfill. The Town worked with local residents, artists, and neighbouring communities to design new food waste bins through a program that engages residents, reduces GHG emissions and saves on costs.
 
Water: Corporation of Loyalist Township, ON
Amherstview Water Pollution Control Plant Constructed Wetland
Loyalist Township created a constructed wetland to lower the pH of their wastewater disinfection lagoons, helping to treat wastewater with natural biological processes and the use of native vegetation. The constructed wetland is a cost-effective alternative to UV disinfection and allows residents access to an additional green space in the community.
 
Visionary Award: Regional Districts of Central Kootenay, East Kootenay, and Kootenay Boundary, BC
Accelerate Kootenays
The Accelerate Kootenays project creates a network of more than 50 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in small communities in the Kootenays region of BC. The result of widespread collaboration between community members, three regional governments and their partners, Accelerate Kootenays provides rural access to EV infrastructure, reduces GHG emissions, supports community engagement and education, and benefits local businesses and tourism.
Honourable mentions
 
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and nine partner municipalities including: City of Toronto, Regional Municipality of Peel, City of Brampton, City of Mississauga, Town of Caledon, Regional Municipality of York, City of Richmond Hill, City of Markham and City of Vaughan
Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program
The Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP) is a neighbourhood model that helps municipalities retrofit older neighbourhoods and build community support and partnerships. Since its inception, the model has been adopted by multiple communities in Ontario and beyond, and focuses on solutions tailored to the local context for home retrofits, infrastructure renewal, neighbourhood revitalization and community resilience.
 
Town of Paradise, NL
Octagon Pond Brownfield Redevelopment Project
Through its ongoing work on brownfields redevelopment, the Town of Paradise has remediated and transformed multiple former industrial lands into recreational facilities, conservation areas and commercial and residential properties. The remediation work done by the Town supports its economic and community goals, while addressing a significant environmental issue.
Funding for Municipal Innovation
 
The data, analyses, tools, and guidelines you need to strengthen your community require talent, time, and budget. But finding the ideal combination of these three elements can be a challenge. Mitacs helps you bridge those gaps. 

Mitacs connects municipalities of all sizes with post-secondary researchers for innovative projects — from the impact of the pandemic to sustainability, smart cities, cybersecurity, public health, infrastructure and more — ensuring you develop the best public policies to create vibrant and healthy communities. Here are examples of projects: 
  • Getting more out of low impact development technologies: The City of Kitchener partnered with GHD Ltd. and the City of Kitchener to conduct a study that will aid with determining what factors are leading to the currently observed poor performance of the bioretention planters in the King Street corridor, and advise on potential remedies.
  • Estimating the benefit of green infrastructure to urban ecosystems: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is working to understand how green infrastructure (such as green roofs and urban tree canopies), affects our natural systems (native species and wildlife). Implications from this research will reduce the human impact on ecosystems and contribute to sustainability around the world. 
  • Creating environmentally safer wastewater: In partnership with the City of Penticton, AECOM is researching how microorganisms play a role in removing harmful pollutants in wastewater treatment plants to develop engineering solutions that recover resources from waste and improve environmental water quality.
  • Ending social isolation and seniors: Better Environmentally Sound Transportation Society is examining the role of public transportation in reducing social isolation for seniors in Metro Vancouver. With BC’s aging population, the transportation needs of this demographic will become increasingly important over the coming decade.  
  • Understanding income inequality: United Way Toronto - The project aims to produce a comprehensive portrait of the changing income distribution and income gaps among key socio-demographic groups in the City of Toronto, York Region and the Region of Peel between 1980-2015.   
  • Building cost effective and safer rural roads: Unpaved gravel roads often generate choking and noxious dust clouds when dry, and quickly lose strength and degrade to mucky and rutted conditions when wet. Cypher environmental is fixing this by developing a low cost and sustainable solution.
Proposals for new projects are accepted at any time but must be submitted by December 4, 2020. For more information visit https://discover.mitacs.ca/municipality-support/ or contact Cédric Prince at 418-951-3498 or [email protected]. 
Taking Stock: The Housing Gap in Non-Metropolitan Canada
Across non-metropolitan Canada, the state of housing has become a key constraint on economic and community development.  A new study from the UNBC Community Development Institute points to a number of challenges, most notably housing that is old, outdated, and in need of repair and does not match the needs of the population, with an undersupply of one- and two bedroom homes and an over supply of four- and more bedroom homes.  There are over 10 million people and seven million dwellings in non-metropolitan Canada, pointing to the need for a comprehensive national focus, including research, policy, program development, and planning.   The full report is available.  For further information, contact Marleen Morris (marleen.[email protected]).
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