January 2017
TREES CITY IN THE
ALSO INSIDE BOOK REVIEW: THE DUKE OF KENT R
ene w RENEWABLE Ener able ENERGY g Dev elop y DEVELOPMENT men t
YOUTH – AND COMMUNITIES – IN NORTHWEST ONTARIO SCORE BIG WIN WITH HOCKEY CANADA SKILLS ACADEMY
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CONTENTS
JANUARY 2017 volume 127, number 1
MUNICIPAL WORLD – CANADA’S MUNICIPAL MAGAZINE
TREES
IN THE
CITY
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AT THE
GAS PUMP
SUSTAINABLE
7
11 EXTREME HEAT 13 RURAL VOICE 17 STORMWATER
MANAGEMENT
ADAPTING TO
THE IMPORTANCE OF A
NOW
A GREEN ENERGY FUTURE THE SKILLS FOR SUCCESS THE COMPETENT
MANAGER TAP WATER INTERNET VOTING
THE EFFICIENT MUNICIPALITY
9 15 19 21 25 27
THE REGULARS EDITOR’S CORNER COMING EVENTS
2
5, 39
GOVERNANCE ZONE
31
MANAGEMENT ZONE
33
THE READING ROOM
35
ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE
37
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Trees in the City
JANUARY 2017
Editor’s Corner
Why Trees in the City are phenomenal investments in urban infrastructure
Renewable Energy Development Opening a world of opportunity for municipalities. Presented by Haliburton Solar and Wind.
The Skills for Success
Youth – and communities – in Northwestern Ontario score big win with Hockey Canada Skills Academy. Presented by Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.
Online Exclusive!
Book Review This online-only feature column highlights an intriguing book review of a recently written memoir. In this issue, we share “The Duke of Kent - a memoir” – review from Liz Huff.
Coming Events
Susan M. Gardner
A new year, a new beginning. As this issue goes to press, our team is busy putting the finishing touches on a number of exciting projects that we’ve been working on for the past few months. The first is a bit of a refreshed look for the pages in the magazine. You’ll likely notice some subtle (and some not so subtle) changes as you read this issue – things like new typefaces, headline treatments, and different paper (although still FSC certified). The MunicipalWorld.com website has undergone a major revamp this year as well. We now have a host of new features for you to discover online (including some great new packages on the Municipal World job board). Our most exciting news relates to eFocus: Municipal Assessment and Taxation – another well-read journal that now makes its home with Municipal World. For those who aren’t already acquainted, eFocus is North America’s preeminent publication on property tax
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and assessment, faithfully read by appraisers and property tax professionals. This venerable publication shares the same pursuit of excellence that Municipal World has prided itself on since 1891. With its tight focus on municipal assessment and taxation, and being a fully digital publication, eFocus also represents a perfect complement to our wide range of other publications, products, and services. We hope you’ll let us know what you think about the new look and new offerings. Our goal is to continuously improve to better meet your needs – and your feedback helps us to do just that. In the midst of all these changes, what does remain the same is our commitment to share great content with our readers and to help communities, researchers, professionals, and thought-leaders share their stories in these pages. We hope you enjoy this issue, and we look forward to sharing more of your stories in 2017. Happy New Year!
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TREES CITY IN THE
T
WHY TREES IN THE CITY ARE PHENOMENAL INVESTMENTS IN URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
and grew. And grew, and grew. It was probably pruned a few times through the 20th century, and again early in the 21st. It is still in fine condition. It has withstood hurricanes and snowstorms, droughts and freezing rain. For decade after decade, the residents of my house, and indeed innumerable passersby, have enjoyed an immense array of benefits from this tree. Here is a short list. The Power of Trees The tree enhances the aesthetic beauty of the streetscape – most peoThe tree was probably planted as ple prefer a treed street to one domia three-metre tall tree, in the mid- to late-1920s, shortly after my house was nated by pavement and buildings. It built. Through a few difficult years of helps conserve fuel by slowing down traffic and shading cars parked on transition from nursery to streetside, the street. The shade prolongs the the tree anchored itself firmly in the life of the street’s asphalt. The tree soil between the curb and sidewalk, he tree in front of my residence in Halifax is a stately American elm of about 90 years of age. It has a trunk diameter of about 78 centimetres, and is close to 25 metres tall. In an interview with a reporter last year, as we stood together under the tree, I referred to it as a veritable workhorse. The reporter looked puzzled, so I explained.
also shades my house in summer and reduces wind in winter, thus reducing my energy costs for cooling and heating. It enhances the safety of the neighbourhood by making it more pleasant for residents to spend time outdoors. It shades users of the street
PETER DUINKER is a Professor in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University. His areas of expertise include urban forests, forest management and policy, biodiversity assessment, and public participation. In 2010, Peter won the Canadian Forestry Scientific Achievement Award from the Canadian Institute of Forestry. He can be reached at <peter.duinker@dal.ca>.
January 2017
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and sidewalk from harmful UV radiation in summer. It provides employment for tree workers. It contributes to Halifax being known as a great tourist destination because tourists are impressed by tree-lined streets. It contributes its share to fostering health and healing for people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the research evidence is abundant and clear that trees are just plain good for peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wellbeing. It contributes to recreation in the street, such as jogging and dog walking.
Furthermore, it captures carbon from the air and stores it in the trunk and branch wood. It cools the city environment on hot days by shading heat-absorbing surfaces and by transpiring water. It slows down stormwater flow, especially in summer when some of the rain stays on the leaves. It increases the sale value of my house. Its leaves filter harmful particulates from the air. It provides a home for countless species of insects, plants, birds, and mammals (like squirrels).
It offers up opportunities for people to learn about elm trees, a species of tree native to the forests of Nova Scotia. And, it contributes to my sense of place. If my tree were in a different place in the city, it might contribute benefits in even more ways. In parks, trees conserve soil and water quality. Along commercial streets, trees contribute to higher spending by shoppers. In community gardens and backyards, some kinds of trees can yield high-quality fruits and nuts. Unfortunately, just as humans can be stressed by the pressures of living in a city, so can trees. Most of the stressors of woodland trees also plague trees in the city, such as windstorms and insect and disease infestations. But, the city brings additional stressors. Trying to grow healthy trees in a jungle of built infrastructure is challenging. More often than not, soils have been seriously disturbed or degraded in built-up areas. Vandalism, sadly, is another significant tree stressor in cities. And, streetside trees are often bombarded with copious amounts of road salt in winter.
A Precious Asset Worth Investment It should be clear from this account that the urban forest is indeed a precious asset for the inhabitants and visitors of any city. The trees are by far the most important component of urban green infrastructure, and therefore need to be managed carefully. That management requires financial resources for the people, equipment, energy, and planting stock associated with stewardship of the urban canopy. Where the tree population is abundant and in good condition, resources are needed to maintain it. More common, unfortunately, are situations where the tree population is stressed and insufficient, so interventions are needed to improve and increase the canopy. Most cities are now bringing rigour to resource allocation through urban forest management plans. The plans usually feature three main avenues of 6
MWDIGEST
January 2017
action. One is ongoing or increased tree planting and maintenance, particularly on municipal land. A second is the use of stronger rules and regulations regarding how trees are treated in the context of ongoing city development. Such regulations always govern municipally-owned trees; but, increasingly, they govern privatelyowned trees as well. Finally, the plans contain provisions for urban-forest managers to assist citizen groups and property owners to engage in stewardship and learning programs, so that the privately-owned urban canopy might be improved. Governments, corporations, and individuals all make investments in things where the benefits and payoffs are not measured in terms of financial profit. Public investments in roads, health care, policing, and education (to name just a few items of public expenditure) are simply what citizens demand for a good life. The same argument can be made for trees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; given the huge array of important benefits of trees, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it just make common sense that we, collectively, should invest in their abundance and health? Fortunately, though, we can make some calculations, rough as they are, about the dividends paid by trees when we invest in them. The USDA Forest Service has developed a family of tools, under the banner of iTree <www.itreetools.org>, for calculating the financial value of many of the ecosystem services provided by trees. Cities around the world have adopted this approach to get a sense of the indirect financial payback from investments in urban forest management. In all cases, the benefits exceed the costs. In many cases, the benefits exceed the costs by up to five to 10 times. When one realizes that such calculations are made for only about a third of the treesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; benefits listed above, surely the conclusion is that urban trees represent about as wise an investment as any municipal government or property owner can make.
The Rewards Outweigh the Risks The story would be incomplete without acknowledgement that trees have some downsides. They may produce pollen
that irritates some allergy sufferers. Their leaf drop each year is a burden for many people to clean up, as are dead branches. In a storm, falling trees represent a hazard to life and limb, not to mention the cost and inconvenience of power outages. Tree roots have a penchant for finding leaks in underground pipes and making matters potentially worse underground. Tree shade may preclude healthy growth of horticultural plants on the ground. Tree roots often upset curbs and sidewalks.
However, even including the downsides of urban trees, the benefit streams still overwhelm the costs of management and the burdens people may experience. So, the message is this: if we do a proper accounting of all the benefits of trees in the city, as well as their costs (financial and otherwise), we will invariably find the trees to be exceptional value for money. My street tree is a veritable workhorse, and I cherish it deeply. MW January 2017
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RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT Opening a world of opportunity for municipalities Mention the phrase “smart grid” to just about anyone outside the energy industry, and you may be faced with puzzled looks and a vague reference to high technology. But, in truth, it just describes a new way to deliver an old product – in this case, electricity. The fact is, many electricity assets are approaching their end of life and must be replaced. Meanwhile, developments in information technology and automation raise exciting possibilities for a reconfigured electrical grid. Smart grids redefine the way electricity consumers are connected to the system that serves them. At the same time, new technology is not only putting more information into the hands of consumers, but also offers more control, opening up new possibilities where consumers decide how much to use or sell depending on what the price is. In this context, the revenue prospects for municipalities are substantial. By getting involved in energy projects early, they can secure their energy future and ensure that the revenue earned by such initiatives is kept in their communities, rather than being sent off shore to private equity investors. When it comes to the development of renewable energy projects, a number of opportunities are opening up for municipalities. Examples include:
zz developing projects and benefiting from project revenues; zz creating an Energy Cooperative and sell bonds or shares to finance projects; zz partnering in a project with a developer, a cooperative, an aboriginal community, a public sector entity and benefiting from project revenues; zz acting as a Project Site Owner allowing renewable energy projects
to be located on municipally-owned properties in return for lease payments or other benefits.
What is a Smart Grid?
In Ontario, the implementation of the Climate Action Plan has particularly important implications for municipalities. Regulations are being loosened to give municipalities the tools, ways and means to implement local policies that will contribute to provincial targets. Some of the required targets include electric vehicle charging stations in surface parking areas, setting green development standards (construction), setting minimum parking requirements, and the creation and implementation of community energy plans. As upgrading the grid becomes a growing priority across the country, municipalities will play a key role in turning that priority into reality. With this in mind, proactive municipalities aren’t waiting; they are moving quickly into the planning and implementation phases. While there is long transitional journey ahead with unforeseen challenges, there is also a world of opportunity that lies in store. For municipalities contemplating green energy initiatives, the timing couldn’t be better.
A smart grid is the application of information technology to improve the functioning of the electricity system and optimize the use of natural resources to provide electricity.
BRIAN NASH is the founder of Haliburton Solar and Wind <haliburtonsolarandwind. com>, located in Haliburton Ontario. He is the lead designer and systems integrator for his company which specializes in advanced off grid and hybrid grid tied battery based systems. Brian has considerable knowledge and experience with complex multi input battery based system design and implementation.
6. Connect electricity storage technology to optimize use of low-carbon generation.
There are six primary objectives: 1. Operate low-carbon distributed generation (i.e., smaller-scale decentralized solar, wind and hydro power generators); 2. Use consumption data to conserve electricity with the aid of the next generation of smart appliances and equipment; 3. Charge variable prices and shift consumption patterns to manage peak electricity demand; 4. Improve service reliability and minimize disruption from power outages; 5. Advance the use of electric vehicles and the transition to the electrification of transportation; and
Brian is the recipient of the 2015 Intersolar Award a prestigious North American Award recognizing landmark projects that exemplify a high degree of technological innovation, uniqueness, economic feasibility and benefit to the environment and society. He can be reached at 705-455-2637.
January 2017
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Presented by Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities
The Skills for Success Students score big win with Hockey Canada Skills Academy
The Hockey Canada Skills Academies in Northwestern Ontario leverage the power of sport to inspire kids to succeed in the classroom.
Municipal World is partnering with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities to raise awareness about the program and the value it can bring to communities, and to showcase the power of sport in effecting positive social change. This third in a series of articles emphasizes how sport can be used to impact “neglected” populations, using the Hockey Canada Skills Academies in Northwestern Ontario as a case study. If you think about the ideal community, there should be certain characteristics that come to mind. Hopefully, words like “engaged” or “inclusive” should be somewhere in the discussion of what that ideal community would look like. While every community strives to engage citizens and provide services for everyone, it takes particular care to ensure that those ideals are achieved and to help prevent individuals or groups from falling through the cracks. In the case of community’s youngest citizens, that responsibility must be treated with the highest importance.
Youth participation in sports can help build life skills – courage, confidence, and teamwork – and, as touched on in the previous article (December 2016, p. 21), participation in sports programs can help build a community’s future leaders. Obviously, it represents a great added value for communities looking to do something to engage their youngest citizens. But, as this month’s case study demonstrates, engaging youth in sports can also provide something much more fundamental and valuable – the desire to succeed in education.
Case Study: Hockey Canada Skills Academy The Keewatin Patricia District School Board is a geographically large board in Northwestern Ontario, and it faces a unique challenge – namely, the graduation rates in the region are among the lowest in Canada. In addition, students face higher rates of poverty and substance abuse, as well as a decreased desire to engage in their education. The solutions to these problems are complex; but, without a
base in education, any efforts to create positive change face even tougher circumstances. Launched in 2012, the Hockey Canada Skills Academy was introduced to help meet these challenges head on. Twenty-three students at the Beaver Brae Secondary School in Kenora were involved in a program that includes education, on-ice skills, off-ice strength and conditioning training, mental training, and personal and team development. The program replaces traditional physical education class, and gives students the chance to be on the ice during the school day. Actual time on the ice is tied to attendance, participation, and LANDON FRENCH is President of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, managing Canada’s largest portfolio of community partnerships. Landon holds an MBA from Royal Roads University, and an MA in Canadian Studies from Carleton University. He received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his leadership on the design and live television broadcast of Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee Royal Visit to Canada in 2002. Landon also received the Royal Roads University Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence in Public Relations and Communications.
January 2017
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behaviour in the classroom – creating a strong incentive and personal onus for students to re-engage with their education. The initial implementation was a resounding success – 22 of the 23 students participating in the Skills Academy went on to graduate from high school. Since that point, the program has been expanded – first in 2015 to about 300 participating students, and more recently to nearly 800 students in communities across the district. As any parent with children involved in the sport knows, hockey fees and equipment can be expensive. With its mandate to remove barriers that prevent kids from being able to participate in sport and physical activity and to help meet the needs of neglected populations, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities helped ensure that no child would be left behind. Jumpstart donated equipment to outfit 52 students that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to get on the ice due to financial limitations. More than just increased graduation rates, the program is already showing striking benefits in other areas. Attendance at one school has been up by 25 percent; and, the relationships between students and teachers are growing, with “teachers” becoming “coaches” (and, in many cases, “mentors”). Further, by capitalizing on the students’ love of hockey through integrating the subject into the more traditional curriculum, teachers are able to further engage the students in traditional “academic” areas more successfully than in the past. The program is full of success stories, one of which is the case of a grade eight student named Jericho. Before being introduced to hockey, Jericho admits he didn’t care about school, often in trouble and skipping class with older boys. But, his love for hockey gave him a reason to want to come to school every day and the motivation to be engaged in class. Before and after the bell rings, he can be found outside the school practicing his skills. He keeps an orange hockey ball in his pocket at all times, and wants to play in the NHL someday. More importantly, Jericho is on track to be the first person in his family to ever graduate from high school.
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“We are incredibly proud of the positive impact the Hockey Canada Skills Academy has had on our students: the chance to play hockey has inspired kids to be engaged in the classroom and set goals both on and away from the rink,” says Sean Monteith, Keewatin-Patricia District School Board Director. “We are grateful to our generous partners who help provide the opportunity to get more kids, who otherwise might not have the chance to play, on the ice.”
Benefits for Years to Come As important as sport can be in impacting positive youth development, there is no doubt that education is absolutely vital to ensuring success for both individuals and the community. Sports equip kids for life, and by leveraging the power of sport to build a foundation in education, the Keewatin Patricia District School Board is setting their students up for success for years to come.
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BOOK REVIEW
The DUKE of KENT
by Liz Huff
Onli Exclu ne s Feat ive ure
a memoir
W. Darcy McKeough ECW Press, Toronto, 2016 ISBN: 978-1-77041-123-4 Darcy McKeough’s memoir The Duke of Kent is a great read for those interested in municipal politics. My 97-year-old mother was quick off the mark to order a copy of the book when it came out in early 2016. As a long time resident of the Chatham-Kent area, her interest would have derived from the local role of the McKeough family. That local connection piqued my interest too; and, as a current municipal councillor in eastern Ontario, I enjoyed the book immensely for its frank exposure of some of the less
attractive aspects of political life, as well as its intelligent reflection on a half century of provincial policymaking as it relates to municipalities. On one hand, McKeough almost boasts of his pleasure in boozy meetings and the less-than-noble political perks he received. Early on in the book, he notes that he became a politician when he learned that sometimes NOT setting the record straight advanced his self-interests. For example, letting people believe that a local beloved doctor was his father, when in fact he was not, was a practical way to secure McKeough more votes. Near the conclusion of the book, he writes about how much
he loved having the “power” that comes with some political roles. His example of how he used that power is purely partisan – persuading a large business to hold off on big job cut announcements until AFTER an election. The book is full of anecdotes that, in my view, are absolutely the kind of behaviours
LIZ HUFF is a retired federal “policy wonk,” a councillor for the Township of Leeds & 1000 Islands, and a board member of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), as well as for the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA).
Read the report FREE at Halo Project.ca January 2017
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McKeough aggressively worked to consolidate municipalities to bring about a better balance of representation, and more realistic fiscal viability, in spite of fierce opposition from those who feared loss of their local power and positions. that have contributed to a decline in respect for political office. While these anecdotes can leave one feeling uneasy, its important to not apply today’s values to historical actions. On the other hand, as much as McKeough cannot resist boasting about a lavish lifestyle, it is clear that the man worked very hard, for very many years, and achieved significant public policy improvements. It is also clear that over the years his knowledge of complex matters of governance deepened significantly, as he surrounded himself with wise advisors both within and outside of government. Perhaps most importantly, he bravely stuck to his beliefs on some unpopular topics that were, in the long run, the right thing to do for the betterment of all. McKeough’s biggest achievements related to the rationalization of local governments. When he first took on the role of Minister of Municipal Affairs in 1967, there were 964 municipalities in Ontario. McKeough aggressively worked to consolidate municipalities to bring about a better
balance of representation, and more realistic fiscal viability, in spite of fierce opposition from those who feared loss of their local power and positions. Today, there is little question that the amalgamations were the right thing to do at the time. And, among the remaining 444 municipalities in Ontario, some continue to be simply too small to have the capacity to deliver mandated responsibilities, suggesting that this aspect of McKeough’s work needs to be continued. Darcy McKeough was also the most vocal proponent for an overhaul of the property tax system in Ontario. Again, opposition was fierce, and although there continues to be some inequity to be corrected, overall there is little doubt that today’s provincewide market value assessment system is a much better basis on which to fairly calculate property taxes across the province than the myriad of local systems that came before. McKeough also reveals laudable statesmanlike behaviour on a number of larger nation-building projects.
Everything from his appreciation of the significance of Quebec’s role at the heart of our country, to his efforts to break down trade barriers, to his understanding of the value of investments in poverty alleviation, as well as in the arts and cultural activities highlight this notion. By and large, many would agree with his life-long preference for fiscal prudence, and the choices he made about the “big” issues he tackled in order to improve government without expanding it. But there are one or two places where one can argue he gets it wrong. He dismisses the current Ontario government’s commitment to clean air as “commendable”, but not as important in his view as keeping our energy prices artificially lower to help businesses be competitive with the U.S. Air and clean water are the most important things for governments to do to safeguard our collective future, and as noted recently by Ontario’s current Minister of the Environment, and by McKeough in his memoirs, it takes courage for politicians to do the right thing for tomorrow, even if it loses you votes today. MW
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It cu m in cated AUG C ct ne ity, so stomers Rap hallenge and exUSTthink ab only w ways. with the great id In me ar ou of back co deal tensive sy t the co nov Rath to th e now ab nsumin of ou atio m Gener g elec er e grid le to r lives stem that plin ally co se . It m tri In O power , and nt syste ay al ll electri c- co mpetition, , we expe that ci so be m kilom ario alon ct is a te s a e, poss ty an mbine to and cons that inno et sta- usage where so ible um conn res of di there ar spur va d disc e ec redu are progra me types str ard ol new m er choice tion, long ce of el tricity t individu ibution over 198, arke will d te er ectri high the burd mmed to 00 lin city electri suitable. chnologi t opportu -u en on au that grid 1 (to al custom es, whi 0 ni es th But, is just ch city sy put th seem se times. ers to the gr tomatical at are ties unlik m Alth at in lik shy of onop stem ly id th e no enou to perspe e elec- they re e large ch ough th during syste olies. Th s are cons other sect pr es gh an ct Be es em m e or ge id wire abou ive, second ’s infrastr high cost ered na s, t wha ent a maj s on the ay not to w in pl yond the tu ra uc or ace, of su t w ex ra p co an tu hat it creatin sh l rfa tens mpl re m th cal; as cons could electrici ift in thin ce, g the tantly e electrici ive infra a resu ete set of akes bu ty ki be Sm lik gr str ild ng electri ty sy . be ba wire lt, el id is, ely ucture ing ste excitin art grid te la and marke to develo ectricity s unecon a someo city goes nced. A m must sy om p s greenh g opportu chnologi up – itself ts. Once completel stems are ies starts ne turns for ex demand a com in a te y com for on un with ouse gas nities to re present up ampl pa cost our el match their m their dr emiss petitiv e, duce to co rritory, th ny has with ectri achine yer, or when io ed th e ns es ns e ey by ty ci tablish greate umer to th associ pical ty ge a fact coul increa ry – e r inte ne at conv market w s well be d increase ed tinuo grid. Syste sing elec it has to ory gratio ration – ed yo en be ould the tra us n of an tricity tional m allow. nd what too m ly ensurin m operat tricity su electri d, ar a pply techno nsportatio uch, c veg that ors are and pl system de ket struc Without gene no n conther ture, a velo rated. r too lit anni for cu logies co sector as tle el e is neith ul stom In th ng decisio ps throug the elecectri redu er ers, by d also m well. Thes e abse h regu Nov ns. ci tiv ci ea ty ng e e n im nc el being marke lation outage new prov servic e Great Oppor va t, regu of a who in s, es tuniti the sy . Howev and offe g reliabilit lue th lly-c latio er U om n tries rin es ste ncert at th excitin m, thes er, in term g new y, Whi to co petiainty and shou e compa e de s of mpeng and compl le the el ni ld ec unce velopmen planning Giv expe take. Th es within rtain econ icated an tricity sy rimen ts are is crea th lies on en how . omy, d ste tions ting both m tes ch e sector it is en crucial to m is New an . to ke the elec uch our te tool Whereas d testing allenges ec tri ep referre chnologi tering an our mod for co marke fo new we ha investing city syste onomy re er es er n d ns inno r ts pr ve. Th iderin and m m, we are op to as “s , which a of chan tradi is g man ovide a vaha ar m inno go how ening up art grid e broadl ge. ve tional ap raises th aintaining ve y op vatio y te th e no tions od sting pr ns de w , regu and m e system vel poss chnologi in th oach to question: hat velop, with e es ib pl is regu techno anaged. Th designe ilities fo ,” se an evol system su anning is our lators an ving ctor? r ita logies d e term d, cons need inand m ble for truct can en to sm de ore in It is ed, compa art grid nova aling smoo possible DANE ss a va tive th Stude LABONT riety these ly and co that we m 1 <w ay new ronme nt in the E is a Ph stww syste techno effectiv be able nt, Re School .D. ments .ontarioe tai m. O nabil sourc of En n the logies in ely transiti to ity_D /RRR/20 nergyboard Water ity at th es and vi14 to istrib other e Su on utors. _Yearbo .ca/oeb/_ <dlab loo. He ca Universi sequipm hand our curre ty of ok_o Do pdf> n be onte@ , we f_Elec cu. uwate reached could nt lete by ent that tricrloo.c at is a>. sider even ne suddenly w th tions e analog er techno made ob IAN sologies y of indu H. stry Profes ROWLA in th the teleco . Cone 1990 viron sor in th NDS is a m e Scho ment s: are municataina , bility Resourc ol of Enwe do es Wa terloo at the Un and Su ing . He s<ir ive owlan
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New Video Series Available Now! Bring George into your community with new video sessions covering a range of topics including good governance, governance mechanisms, Council’s and Management’s roles and responsibilities, and Council/Management relations – now available online.
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January 10-12 – Landscape Ontario Congress conference Toronto ON https://locongress. com/conference January 23-26 – U.S. Composting Council annual conference and trade show Los Angeles CA. http://compostingcouncil.org/ compost2017 January 29-31 – ROMA Annual Conference Toronto ON. www.roma.on.ca/ Events/2017.aspx January 29-February 1 – Manitoba Water and Wastewater Association annual conference and tradeshow Portage la Prairie MB. www.mwwa.net/events.php February 1-3 – HRPA Annual Conference and Trade Show Toronto ON. www.hrpa.ca/ Conf2016/Pages/2017-Call-for-Speakers.aspx February 1-4 – Ontario Library Association super conference Toronto ON. www.olasuperconference.ca
February 5-8 – Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association’s 112th Annual Convention Saskatoon SK. www.suma.org February 7-9 – Economic Developers Council of Ontario annual conference Toronto ON. www.edcoconference.com February 16-18 – Winter Cities ShakeUp Edmonton AB. Register Now: http://wintercitiesconference.com/#home-1 February 26-March 1 – OGRA Conference Toronto ON. http://ograconference.ca March 13-16 – Saskatoon Association of Rural Municipalities Annual Convention Saskatoon SK. http://sarm.ca/events March 20-22 – Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties Convention Edmonton AB. www.aamdc.com April 5-7 – Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association Spring Workshop Ni-
agara Falls ON. www.omhra.ca/en/events/index. asp April 9-11 – Ontario Municipal Tax and Revenue Association Annual Spring Conference London ON. www.omtra.ca April 21-22 – International Conference on Climate Change Cambridge UK. http://onclimate.com/2017-conference May 2 – Accelerating Smart Communities Conference Vancouver BC. May 2-5 – Ontario Small Urban Municipalities Conference and Trade Show Blue Mountains ON. www.osum.ca/Events May 7-10 – Ontario’s Water Conference & Trade Show Niagara Falls ON. www.owwa.ca/ conference May 10-12 – Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council Waste ReForum 2017 Saskastoon SK. www.saskwastereduction.ca/events
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Canadian winters are long. And cold. Fun activities like tobogganing get us excited about braving freezing temperatures. Like you, we want nothing more than kids and families alike to safely experience the same character building traditions that we had growing up. So, when some towns shut down their toboggan hills, we suggested select locations could remain open. We drove out, scouted the best and safest hills and recommended improvements. Kids played, parents were happy and memories were made. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we do what we do.
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