Guelph, Ont., (March 25, 2008) – The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the Government of Canada have announced Green Municipal Fund (GMF) support of more than $2 million for the City of Guelph.
A total of $2,223,899 has been earmarked by the City for six different initiatives focusing on projects that promote community sustainability and effective waste management.
“These projects are going to have a big impact on Guelph’s future,” said Gloria Kovach, the Federal Conservative Candidate for Guelph. “They will help meet the demands of the growing City, with ecological and environmental solutions that benefit all citizens.”
Three of the initiatives will involve feasibility studies focusing on community sustainability. Three others will focus on waste management projects that will help the City fulfill its municipal waste management and landfill gas utilization goals.
These planning projects include:
- An environmental assessment of the property at 200 Beverly Street for the remediation of the city-owned vacant contaminated site for possible land uses such as housing, commercial, parkland, and institutional development.
- A planning study that will be used as a basis for the preparation of a local management plan that will address potential environmental impacts on the city from land use, housing, population, economic growth, public and private transportation, and resource management.
- The development of a community energy plan that includes a long-term strategy for prioritizing energy considerations in community planning and development and a five-year local action plan (LAP) to increase clean energy usage
- A comprehensive review by the City of its current waste management system and the development of a solid waste management plan to identify a new preferred waste management system that will target 70 per cent of waste per year.
- The construction of a three megawatt landfill gas utilization facility at the Eastview Landfill site, which will act as a backup when the LFG utilization facility capacity is exceeded or taken off line for repair and maintenance
- Field testing of the preliminary design for a proposed biosolids processing facility at the City of Guelph Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will enable the municipality to decrease the quantity of biosolids requiring management and storage and maintain lower cost handling equipment.
“I am pleased our government is working with FCM and the City of Guelph to help make these six projects happen. This will contribute to a more eco-friendly future for the citizens of Guelph,” said Michael Chong, Member of Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills.
“FCM’s Green Municipal Fund offers a range of resources and services that specifically address the sustainable community development needs of municipal governments,” said Guelph Councillor Lise Burcher on behalf of FCM.
The FCM has been provided with $550 million by the Government of Canada to establish and manage the Green Municipal Fund, which supports partnerships and leveraging of both public and private sector funding to reach higher standards of air, water and soil quality, and climate protection.