Picture Port Elgin - Southeast1.0 INTRODUCTION TheVillageofPortElginislocatedinSoutheast-ern New Brunswick at the mouth of the GaspereauRiverwhichfeedsintoBaieVerte

82011 Village of Port Elgin. All Rights Reserved.The preparation of this sustainability community plan was carried out with assistance from the GreenMunicipal Fund, a Fund financed by the Government of Canada and administered by the Federationof CanadianMunicipalities. Notwithstanding this support, the views expressed are the personal viewsof the authors, and then Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Government of Canadaaccept no responsibility for them.

Cert no. SW-COC-002628

Picture PortElginIntegrated Community Sustainability Plan Final Report

1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................2

2.0 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ...............................................................................32.1 Survey...................................................................................................................32.2 The Four Questions ...............................................................................................32.3 Sustainabili-Teas....................................................................................................32.4 S.P.Y. Camp...........................................................................................................42.5 Community Presentations .....................................................................................42.6 Port Elgin Regional School ....................................................................................42.7 Communication Plan ............................................................................................4

3.0 VISION AND PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY ........................................................53.1 Port Elgin’s Vision Statement.................................................................................53.2 Principles of Sustainability .....................................................................................5

4.0 SUSTAINABLE PLANNING THEMES ........................................................................7

5.0 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS & ACTIONS................................................85.1 Energy Strategy.....................................................................................................95.2 Transportation Initiatives .......................................................................................115.3 Natural Environment ............................................................................................135.4 The Built Environment...........................................................................................155.5 Solid Waste Opportunities.....................................................................................175.6 Recreation Opportunities ......................................................................................19

6.0 IMPLEMENTATION & MONITORING PLAN .............................................................216.1 Implementation Strategy.......................................................................................216.2 Update and Review...............................................................................................216.3 Monitoring and Reporting ....................................................................................216.4 Assessing Options Framework...............................................................................19

Appendix A: Community Profile (separate document)

Appendix B: PPE Sustainabili-TEA report (separate document)

Appendix C: S.P.Y. Camp Report (separate document)

Table of Contents

Picture Port Elgin Final Plan 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Village of Port Elgin is located in Southeast-ern New Brunswick at the mouth of theGaspereau River which feeds into Baie Verte.With a small population of 450 and an agingpopulation, this rural community has a long his-tory of addressing change. In 2009, VillageCouncilors participated in an Adaptations andActions conference at Mount Allison Universityalong with seven other local municipalities. Par-ticipants and speakers shared ideas and under-standing for creating a sustainable future despitethe many challenges (global, regional, and local)we face in society today.

In March 2010, with assistance from EOS Eco-Energy and the Tantramar Planning DistrictCommission, Village Council was successful inobtaining a grant from the Federation of Cana-dian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund. Thematching grant allowed the community tobegin development of an Integrated Commu-nity Sustainability Plan (ICSP) - a long termstrategic plan designed to balance the social,economic and environmental aspects of com-munity life. ICSPs are created in consultationwith community members to determine howbest the village can plan for a sustainable futurefor all residents. Port Elgin’s ICSP is known asPicture Port Elgin.

Picture Port Elgin is not a “Green Plan” but in-stead points to the balance that needs to existin all the decisions that are made by individu-als, businesses and municipal leaders in ourcommunity. We need to be ready to tackle thechallenges currently affecting the community,

the region, and beyond. Picture Port Elgin willhelp us address local issues and be proactivein dealing with future economic crises, ongoingpoverty issues, our reliance on depleting oilresources, and impending effects of climatechange.

Sustainability can be a difficult concept to ex-plain. Developed by the Brundtland Commis-sion, the common definition of sustainabledevelopment is “human activities that meetthe needs of the present without compromis-ing the ability of future generations to meettheir own needs.”

Throughout the Picture Port Elgin process, wehave focused on the concept of balancingeconomic, environmental and social-culturalpriorities. With a healthy environment, ahealthy society can thrive. With a healthy soci-ety a strong economy can exist. The focus can-not be only on the economy, if the environmentand the community are not considered. This isthe systems approach to sustainability.

PicturePort Elgin A Steering Committee was established and meton a regular basis to determine the best way toproceed with the initiative and to ensure time-lines and goals were met. Steering Committeemembers included a member of Council, the Vil-lage Clerk, a member of the business commu-nity, a representative from the Port Elgin DistrictVoluntary Action Group, a senior, a youth rep-resentative, and a community member at large.

2.0 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

A number of strategies were developed to informthe community of the process and to get peopleinvolved.

2.1 Survey

The first strategy used to inform and gatherfeedback was a community-wide survey whichwas sent to Port Elgin residents. The purpose ofthe survey was twofold: 1) to gather certainbaseline information from the community, and2) to engage the community and provide a firstopportunity for participation in the process. Itshould be noted, that the intent of the surveywas not to achieve a statistically significant re-sponse rate, but to encourage dialogue and dis-cussion from the outset of this project on theissues of sustainability.

The survey included 23 questions and was onepage in length (double-sided). It was printed onwhite paper and copies were delivered to allmailboxes within Village limits in early April2010. Drop boxes for the survey were placed atthe Village Office, the Post Office, and Cole’sGrocery Store. The survey closed on April 30th,2010, at which time the drop boxes were col-lected. Following the inaugural meeting of thePicture Port Elgin Steering Committee, it wasdecided to keep a few copies at the Village of-

fice until May 31st, to allow for other responses.During the month of May, an article was pub-lished in the Sackville Tribune introducing thePicture Port Elgin initiative and advertising thesurvey. There were a total of 22 surveys com-pleted. While this is only a 5% response rate,the survey responses give the Steering Com-mittee direct input from 22 people who mightnot have otherwise participated in the process.

2.2 The Four Questions

The Steering Committee developed a set of fourquestions that have been used throughout thecommunity engagement process to gather inputfrom a range of participants. The questions are:

1) Why do you live in Port Elgin? Whatkeeps you here?

2) When you think about the future, whatconcerns you?

3) Imagine you are 30 years in the futureand you are telling your grandchildrenwhy Port Elgin is a great place to live.What do you tell them to prove it?What do you see in your vision?

4) As a member of this community, whatdo you think is your responsibility inachieving this vision?

2.3 Sustainabili-Teas

Port Elgin is a small community with a totalpopulation of less than 500 people. It is the casewhere just about everybody knows everybodyelse. As such, the steering committee decidedto use a personal approach to engaging thecommunity and gathering information. Steer-ing Committee members were tasked withinviting their neighbours, friends, family and ac-quaintances to “Sustainabili-teas.” A Sustain-abili-tea involved a steering committee memberhaving tea (coffee, etc) with one or more com-

2 Picture Port Elgin Final Plan Picture Port Elgin Final Plan 3

munity members and to talk about the fourquestions (identified above). Steering commit-tee members hosted 11 Sustainabili-teas intotal. Sustainabili-teas are an effective way togather input from community members. The in-formation gathered through this process wasused to help develop a sustainable vision state-ment for the community. While the intent ofthese “chats” was meant to be informal and re-laxed, our hopes were to see these discussionscontinue throughout the Picture Port Elgin ini-tiative in order to widen the circle of those whoprovided input and take part in creating a sus-tainable picture of Port Elgin. The results of theSustainabili-teas were used to develop the visionand action items included in this plan.

2.4 S.P.Y. Camp

On August 17th and 18th, Picture Port Elginhosted a S.P.Y. (Sustainability Planning for Youth)camp in the village. This event was held in collab-oration with the Rural and Small Town Pro-gramme at Mount Allison University. Informationabout the Picture Port Elgin sustainability initiativeand the S.P.Y. campwas disseminated to residentswith their water bill. The S.P.Y. Camp was offeredto a variety of youth in the area with a target agegroup set from 8 to 14 years old. In Port Elgin,nine children registered for the camp. The objec-tive was for S.P.Y. campers to develop an increasedawareness about rural community issues includ-ing community planning, local environmental is-sues, sustainable land use planning, culture andheritage. The camp members also learned theirresponsibilities towards their local environmentand the benefits of living and growing up in arural community. At the end of the camp,SPY campers created a wish list for youth in theircommunity and they wrote a formal letter to theVillage Council that demonstrates their findings.

2.5 Community Presentations

Picture Port Elgin coordinators met with commu-nity groups to discuss the four key questionsincluding the Port Elgin Rotary Club (11 partici-pants) and the Baie Verte Senior Citizen’s Club(15 participants). These 60-90 minute discus-sions focused on the 4 questions, but also in-cluded discussion around historical realities ofthe communities as well as goals for the future.

2.6 Port Elgin Regional School

Working with the Community School Liaison atPort Elgin Regional School, coordinators metwith 64 students, grades K-3 in November andFebruary to talk about sustainability and theircommunity. Students were eager to give theirperspective on the four key questions. Childrenwere also given a Sustainability Checklist to pro-mote easy ideas related to sustainability of thecommunity. Students prepared pictures of a fu-ture in Port Elgin and these pictures were dis-tributed around the community for display (e.g.At the Village Office, Library, PEDVAC and PostOffice).

2.7 Communication Plan

A detailed communication plan was created tohelp guide engagement and ensure that wemaximize exposure to the community on thisinitiative. The Steering Committee made rec-ommendations to the communication plan interms of approaches and ideas that would bestwork in Port Elgin. There are several strategiesthat were developed specifically from a com-munications perspective:

➢ The Picture Port Elgin website (www.pic-tureportelgin.ca) was designed as a communi-cation tool in developing the IntegratedCommunity Sustainability Plan. The website

contained information about the project, thefinal report and all related reports, resources, aphoto gallery and contact information.

➢ Other methods of communicationinclude: an independent email address ([email protected]), a Facebook group (Pic-ture Port Elgin), and regular articles in the localnewspaper.

➢ To engage the larger population, thePicture Port Elgin steering committee decidedto order pencils made of recycled newsprintprinted with the website address. These pencilswere distributed to all students in Port ElginRegional School as well as made available forfree at local retail outlets.

3.0 VISION AND PRINCIPLESOF SUSTAINABILITY

The results of community engagement processeswere compiled by the PPE Coordinators. Severalthemes emerged which helped to guide devel-opment of a Vision for the Picture Port ElginSteering Committee. Using this information asbackground, the following vision was adoptedby Village Council on January 10th, 2011.

3.1 Port Elgin’s Vision Statement

Understanding where we have come from, andwhat we value today, we picture a future inwhich Port Elgin:

• Is a safe, accessible, friendly and close-knitcommunity that boasts an exceptional qualityof life for all;

• Supports a diverse, local business sector basedon sustainable development principles;

• Celebrates our maritime heritage; and• Engages residents in creating a clean, healthycommunity and environment.

Port Elgin - a place to call home.

3.2 Principles of Sustainability

In addition to the Vision Statement, Sustain-ability Principles were developed to describehow the Village of Port Elgin can operate as asustainable community. Port Elgin’s Sustainabil-ity Principles were adapted from the MelbournePrinciples which are a simple set of statementsthat describe how sustainable communitiesshould function; these Principles provide guid-ance to ensure that as the community strives tomeet its vision, it does so in a sustainable man-ner. The Village Council adopted the followingset of principles in November 2010, whichwill be used to guide decision-making on thePicture Port Elgin initiative.

1. Provide a long-term vision for communitiesbased on: sustainability; intergenerational, so-cial, economic and political equity; and theirindividuality.

2. Achieve long-term economic andsocial security.

3. Recognize the intrinsic value of biodiversityand natural ecosystems, and protect andrestore them.

4. Enable communities tominimize their ecolog-ical footprint.

5. Build on the characteristics of ecosystems inthe development and nurturing of healthy andsustainable communities.

6. Recognize and build on the distinctive charac-teristics of communities, including theirhuman and cultural values, history and natu-ral systems.

7. Empower people and foster participation.8. Expand and enable cooperative networks towork towards a common, sustainable future.

9. Promote sustainable production and con-sumption, through appropriate use of envi-ronmentally sound technologies and effectivedemand management.

10. Enable continual improvement, basedon accountability, transparency and goodgovernance.


Each principle has a few paragraphs of elabo-ration that provides additional information onits meaning and application. The Principles aredesigned to be read by decision-makers, andprovide a starting point on the journey towardssustainability. Additional tools will be needed toput the Melbourne Principles into action.

1) Provide a long-term vision for com-munities based on: sustainability; inter-generational, social, economic and politicalequity; and their individuality. A long-termvision is the starting point for catalyzing posi-tive change, leading to sustainability. The visionneeds to reflect the distinctive nature and char-acteristics of each community. The vision shouldalso express the shared aspirations of the peo-ple for their communities to become more sus-tainable. It needs to address equity, whichmeans equal access to both natural and humanresources, as well as shared responsibility forpreserving the value of these resources for fu-ture generations. A vision based on sustainabil-ity will help align and motivate communities,governments, businesses and others around acommon purpose, and will provide a basis fordeveloping a strategy, an action program andprocesses to achieve that vision.

2) Achieve long-term economic and so-cial security. Long-term economic and socialsecurity are prerequisites for beneficial changeand are dependent upon environmentallysound, sustainable development. To achievetriple bottom line sustainability, economic strate-gies need to increase the value and vitality ofhuman and natural systems, and conserve andrenew human, financial and natural resources.Through fair allocation of resources, economicstrategies should seek to meet basic humanneeds in a just and equitable manner. In partic-ular, economic strategies should guarantee theright to potable water, clean air, food security,

shelter and safe sanitation. Communities are thelocus of human diversity; their policies, struc-tures and institutions can significantly contributeto fostering cohesive, stimulating, safe and ful-filled communities.

3) Recognize the intrinsic value of bio-diversity and natural ecosystems, and pro-tect and restore them. Nature is more than acommodity for the benefit of humans. Weshare the Earth with many other life-forms thathave their own intrinsic value. They warrant ourrespect, whether or not they are of immediatebenefit to us. It is through people's direct expe-rience with nature that they understand itsvalue and gain a better appreciation of the im-portance of healthy habitats and ecosystems.This connection provides them with an appreci-ation of the need to manage our interactionswith nature empathetically. Just as humanshave the ability to alter the habitat and even toextinguish other species, we can also protectand restore biodiversity. Therefore, we have aresponsibility to act as custodians for nature.

4) Enable communities to minimizetheir ecological footprint. Communities con-sume significant quantities of resources andhave a major impact on the environment, wellbeyond what they can handle within their bor-ders. These unsustainable trends need to besubstantially curbed and eventually reversed.One way of describing the impact of a commu-nity is to measure its ecological footprint. Theecological footprint of a community is a meas-ure of the 'load' on nature imposed by meetingthe needs of its population. It represents theland area necessary to sustain current levels ofresource consumption and waste discharged bythat population. Reducing the ecological foot-print of a community is a positive contribution to-wards sustainability. Like any living system, acommunity consumesmaterial, water and energy

inputs, processes them into usable forms andgenerates wastes. This is the 'metabolism' of thecommunity and making this metabolism moreefficient is essential to reducing the community'secological footprint. In reducing the footprint,problems should be solved locally where possible,rather than shifting them to other geographiclocations or future generations.

5) Build on the characteristics ofecosystems in the development and nur-turing of healthy and sustainable commu-nities. Communities can become moresustainable by modeling urban processes onecological principles of form and function,by which natural ecosystems operate. Thecharacteristics of ecosystems include diversity,adaptiveness, interconnectedness, resilience,regenerative capacity and symbiosis. Thesecharacteristics can be incorporated by commu-nities in the development of strategies to makethemmore productive and regenerative, result-ing in ecological, social and economic benefits.

6) Recognize and build on the distinc-tive characteristics of communities, includ-ing their human and cultural values,history and natural systems. Each commu-nity has a distinctive profile of human, cultural,historic and natural characteristics. This profileprovides insights on pathways to sustainabilitythat are both acceptable to their people andcompatible with their values, traditions, institu-tions and ecological realities. Building on exist-ing characteristics helps motivate and mobilizethe human and physical resources of commu-nities to achieve sustainable development andregeneration.

7) Empower people and foster partici-pation. The journey towards sustainabilityrequires broadly based support. Empowering peo-ple mobilizes local knowledge and resources andenlists the support and active participation of allwho need to be involved in all stages, from long-term planning to implementation of sustainablesolutions. People have a right to be involved in thedecisions that affect them. Attention needs to begiven to empowering those whose voices are notalways heard, such as the poor.

8) Expand and enable cooperative net-works to work towards a common, sus-tainable future. Strengthening existingnetworks and establishing new cooperative net-works within communities facilitate the trans-fer of knowledge and support continualenvironmental improvement. The people ofcommunities are the key drivers for transform-ing communities towards sustainability. This canbe achieved effectively if the people living incommunities are well informed, can easily ac-cess knowledge and share learning. Further-more, the energy and talent of people can beenhanced by people working with one anotherthrough such networks. There is also value incommunities sharing their learning with othercommunities, pooling resources to develop sus-tainability tools, and supporting and mentoringone another through inter-community and re-gional networks. These networks can serve asvehicles for information exchange and encour-aging collective effort.

9) Promote sustainable production andconsumption, through appropriate use ofenvironmentally sound technologies andeffective demand management. A range ofapproaches and tools can be used to promotesustainable practices. Demand management,which includes accurate valuations of naturalresources and increasing public awareness, is a


valuable strategy to support sustainable con-sumption. This approach can also provide sig-nificant savings in infrastructure investment.Sustainable production can be supported by theadoption and use of environmentally soundtechnologies which can improve environmentalperformance significantly. These technologiesprotect the environment, are less polluting, useresources in a sustainable manner, recycle moreof their wastes and products and handle allresidual wastes in a more environmentally ac-ceptable way than the technologies for whichthey are substitutes. Environmentally soundtechnologies can also be used to drive reducedimpacts and enhance value along a supplychain and support businesses embracing prod-uct stewardship.

10) Enable continual improvement,based on accountability, transparency andgood governance. Good urban governancerequires robust processes directed towardsachieving the transformation of communities tosustainability through continual improvement.While in some areas gains will be incremental,there are also opportunities to make substan-tial improvements through innovative strate-gies, programs and technologies. To managethe continual improvement cycle, it is necessaryto use relevant indicators, set targets based onbenchmarks and monitor progress against mile-stones to achieving these targets. This facilitatesprogress and accountability and ensures effec-tive implementation. Transparency and open-ness to scrutiny are part of good governance.

4.0 SUSTAINABLE PLANNING THEMES

A significant amount of feedback was providedin the community engagement phases of thePicture Port Elgin initiative. A whole range of is-sues and themes were identified by community

members. Following an intensive review of allfindings, six themes were identified as beingsignificant for the village itself. The Picture PortElgin Steering Committee hosted an open pub-lic meeting to address these themes which in-cluded: Energy, Natural Environment, SolidWaste, Built Environment, Transportation, andRecreation Opportunities. For each topic, com-munity members were asked to consider threequestions:

1) Descriptions of Success – Based on the overallvision for sustainability, participants were askedhow they would know in the future if we hadbeen successful in achieving a sustainable com-munity for the topic being discussed. What evi-dence would there be that wewere a sustainablecommunity in terms of, for example, our energygoals?

2) Current Reality – Participants were thenasked to think about where we are today interms of the system being discussed. For exam-ple, in the Solid Waste discussions, participantswere asked, how are we dealing with solidwaste and garbage at the individual level andthe community level?

3) Sustainability Gap – Then participants wereasked what they considered to be the best op-tions for getting from where we are today (ourcurrent reality) to our desired future (the de-scriptions of success).

The results of this meeting were compiled andanalyzed to create the goals and actions in thefollowing section.

5.0 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTGOALS & ACTIONS

The following section outlines the Picture PortElgin Sustainable Development Plan which in-cludes an action plan for the six main themes:1. Energy2. Transportation3. Natural Environment (including water,

air and land strategies)4. Built Environment (including brown-

fields, storm watermanagement, infrastructure, coastal)

5. Solid Waste6. Recreation

Each topic includes a Goal Statement, followedby a brief discussion of why the goal is importantto Port Elgin. Within each table there is a list ofactivities identified that work toward achievingthe goal. The key players for implementing eachactivity or group of activities are also listed as wellas the suggested timing for implementation.

Timing may be short-term (meaning within 2years), medium-term (2-4 years), or long-term(more than 4 years). Finally, we have included away to measure if the community has been suc-cessful in achieving its goals by listing indicators.These indicators represent one way to calculate ifthe goals were achieved and howwell they weremet (how big of an impact did they actuallymake?). In many situations baseline data willneed to be collected to use as a point of com-parison between now and after implementation.The Port Elgin Community Profile developed forthe Picture Port Elgin initiative includes manysources of baseline data. It can be found inAppendix A.

The activities listed in the tables below are directedatmunicipal government, community groups andgovernmental organizations. Following the tables,we have also included ways that the communitymembers can be involved to start making adifference at home and at work.


Goals Statement – To meet our community'senergy needs in an efficient, affordable, sus-tainable and reliable way, while managinggreenhouse gas emissions and air quality.

Why is this important?We know that human created Green HouseGases (GHG) have been scientifically proven tobe responsible for the rapid change in global cli-mate. GHG emissions are created when fossilfuels (such as gasoline, oil, coal, and other sub-stances derived from the earth's crust) areburned to make energy. We are in a time wherefossil fuel costs continue to rise, and the effects

of burning fossil fuels create uncertainty in theglobal climate and unintended health impacts.Our community, along with many others, needsto figure out ways to reduce and eventuallyeliminate their use. Energy use is the key to cre-ating a sustainable community and it impactsevery aspect of our lives. Energy is used to cre-ate and transport our food, to get us to workand school, to heat our homes, and power ourcomputers and televisions. We will continue toneed energy, but we need to find ways of con-serving energy, using it more efficiently, or find-ing alternative, renewable sources.

EnergyStrategy

1) Undertake Milestone 1 –Calculation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions(corporate and community) as per the Partners for Climate Protectionprogram through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Village, EOS S

2) Adopt an education program that:- encourages residents to conserve energy and reduce monthly energy bills- addresses concerns over renewable energy production (wind turbine issues)

Village, EOS,PERS M

3) Assess existing municipal lighting (recreation fields,parking lots,

streets) and replace bulbs with LED lights.Village,NB Power,

Efficiency NBM

4) Amend the Building By-law to increase energy efficiency of newbuildings to require higher insulation values (R20 minimum).

Village,TPDC L

5) Create new by-laws around renewable energy (solar,wind,geothermal). Village,TPDC L

6) Develop policies to encourage renewable energy options to power new buildings. Village,TPDC L

7) Invest in renewable energy for municipal buildings (wind, solar). Village, FCM L

8) Work with local businesses to encourage investment in renewableenergy sources.

Village,businesses L

- # kW used byresidents

- # kW used byinstitutions,business, andindustry

- # tones carbonemitted (municipalbuildings,community)

- # homes usingrenewable energy

-% of powerderived fromrenewable sources

Activities Lead Group TimingSML*

Indicators ofSuccess

*Timing: S = Short Term action (within 2 years);M =Mid-term action (2-4 years); L = Long-term action (4+ years)

What can I do?-Turnoff lights and electronic equipmentwhen finished.- Get rid of phantom loads byusing apower bar and shuttingit offwhenequipment is not in use.- Get a homeenergy audit to identify the bestway to reduce your energy use.-Wash your clothes in coldwater.- Use your clothesline.- Join a carpool or ride your bike towork or school.- Don’t idle your vehicle for longer than10 seconds– it’smore economical to restart your car.


Goals Statement – To safely move people,goods, and materials to, from and within thecommunity in a more sustainable manner.

Why is this important?Our society is one of convenience and theautomobile is a symbol of that lifestyle. Further,

everything we consume generally requirestransportation from somewhere else – be it thefood we eat, the clothes we wear, or the sub-stances we work with. However, with loomingissues such as climate change and the end ofcheap oil, we need to rethink our fundamentaldependence on the automobile.

Transportation Initiatives

- # kW used byresidents

- # kW used byinstitutions,business, andindustry

- # tones carbonemitted (municipalbuildings,community)

- # homes usingrenewable energy

-% of powerderived fromrenewable sources



1) Establish carpooling system for commuters to larger centres. Village M

2) Create usable biking lanes within the community. Village L

3) Ensure ongoing maintenance of the TransCanada trail within village limits. Village S

4) Work with TransCanada Trail groups to ensure non-motorized useof trail system in rural areas (including logging trucks).

Village, LSDs,and TransCanada Trail

authoritiesS

5) Establish a community bulletin board at Post office for those who arelooking for transportation to and frommajor centres (keeping safety issues inmind).

Village M

6) Continue working with communities in Tantramar region,prepare a businessplan for a shuttle service to Moncton/Sackville/Amherst.

Village, EOS M


What can I do?-Choose towalk or ride your bicycle insteadof driving your carwhenever possible.- Familiarize yourselfwith the rules for biking,skateboarding,walking,running onpublic roadways.- Always remember to give pedestrians the right ofway.- Alwayswear ahelmet or appropriate personal protective equipmentwhenparticipating in active transportation.- Carpoolwith someone if youwork away fromhome.- Turn your car off if itwill be parked and idling longer than ten seconds.


Goals Statement – To protect, improve andmaintain the biodiversity and well-being of thelocal environment, and ensure a safe drinkingwater supply and healthy air quality.

Why is this important?Human health is directly related to ecosystemwell-being – a healthy environment provides uswith clean air and safe water, a sense of con-nectivity to nature, and ensures the biodiversityof the landscape. The natural environment also

provides habitat for a wide variety of plants andanimals. Trees and other plants are naturalcarbon sinks and provide shading andresources important to our community. Wet-lands are nature’s filters and waterways providea significant value in aquatic habitat for botheconomic and recreational benefits. The natu-ral environment also includes the air webreathe – working towards reducing and elim-inating air pollution will have long term healthbenefits for all living creatures.

NaturalEnvironment

Increased airquality (Parts permillion (PPM)of air bornecontaminants)

Increased waterquality of river andlocal watershed(creeks, tributaries)

Completedinventory



What can I do?-Plant perennials in your flower beds anduse species that are native toNewBrunswick.- Naturalize your yard (don’tmowsomuch lawn if youdon’t have to).- Plantmore trees - preferably diverse species native toNewBrunswick throughout the village.- Instead of sitting at thedrive-thru;park andgo inside.- Use environmentally friendly alternatives to eliminate pests on your property.- Decrease your lawn size by landscapingwith stone,wood,perennials or shrubs.- Use native plants,ornamental grasses,andground covers to replace lawn.-Where youdohave lawn,choose drought resistant grass seed.Topdresswith organic fertilizer,aerate,andover-seedwith fine fescues in the spring to crowdoutweeds.


1) Undertake community-wide campaign for anti-idling.Village,NB Lung

AssociationM

2) Educate bus drivers on significance of anti-idling policies. Village,District 2,PERS M

3) Encourage companies/ businesses to be aware of proper disposal techniques of PVCs. NGO? M

4) Create a burning by-law to prevent the burning of waste material. Village M

5) Research air quality issues associated with outdoor furnaces (i.e.,Wood Doc-tors)… also energy efficiency issues because furnace if located outdoors,burningmore wood (NBLA).

NB Lung Association S

6) Establish a policy about use of EPA certified wood stoves (standards). Village M

7) Encourage well testing, septic maintenance. Village M

8) Maintain watershed health through monitoring and education. Village, regional body M

9) Implement water metering. Village L

10) Encourage homeowners in unserviced areas to assess and upgrade septic systemsas needed.

S

11) Work with agricultural operators, agricultural organizations and environmentalnon-profit groups (e.g.,Ducks Unlimited) to increase biodiversity on agriculturalland (with hedges,ponds, etc.).

L

12) Encourage homeowners to capture run-off in a rain barrel and use it for all out-door watering needs.

M

13) Undertake a biodiversity inventory.Village, Fundy Biosphere

Reserve, CPAWSM

14) Integrate perennials into municipal flowerbeds, including species nativeto New Brunswick.

Village S

15) Assess tree healthwithinmunicipality and remove any dead,dying or diseased trees. Village,NB Power M


Goals Statement – To develop and renewbuildings, infrastructure, and facilities that willcontribute to making our community unique,livable, affordable and adaptable to climatechange projections.

Why is this important?Land use planning plays a significant role inboth defining built landscapes, and shaping ournatural landscape. It can be used as a tool tolimit the impact of human activities on the

environment as well as to enhance significantcultural aspects of human history. From a mu-nicipal perspective, the long-term health andsafety of our community members is depend-ent upon a clean and ample supply of drinkingwater and the safe disposal of waste water. Weknow that the Village’s infrastructure is agingand climate change impacts (such as stormsurge) and sea level rise are happening. Weneed to prepare for these impacts before theyhappen as much as possible.

The BuiltEnvironment

New floodplainmapping developed

# sites identified asvulnerable to sealevel rise

New floodplain andcoastal policiesapproved by Council

Newmunicipalplan approved

Listing of vacantbuilding lots

Completed reportwith recommenda-tions for adaptationmeasures

Low Impactdevelopmentstandardsapproved byCouncil



1) Install tide gauge to establish baseline tide levels. Village,TPDC S

2) Utilize the digital elevationmodels prepared through LiDAR study (RAC) to developnewhydrographicmap and establish a new flood plain level within village limits.

Village,TPDC S

3) Conduct a thorough vulnerability assessment of properties falling within flood-plain / coastal zone.

Village,TPDC S

4) Conduct a thorough vulnerability assessment of municipal infrastructure to sealevel rise threats.

Village,TPDC S

5) Develop policies and regulations related to development withinfloodplain/coastal areas.

Village,TPDC S

6) Identify all vacant buildable parcels within Village limits. TPDC M

7) Assess municipal lagoon for stability and develop adaptations to protect it andvillage from storm and flooding events.

Village, Engineeringconsultant

M

8) Revise Municipal Plan to allow for increased density of developments in servicedareas to improve service efficiency.

TPDC,Village S

9) Increase the required proportion of porous surface (gravel and vegetation) tohard surface (roof and pavement) in new developments.

TPDC,Village S

10) Encourage and advocate for sustainable energy building design for newbuildings and retrofits.

TPDC,Village M

11) Encourage and advocate for low impact development practices on municipaland private land (including swales,ditches, rain gardens, etc).

Village L

12) Assess culverts in terms of capacity and flow given climate change predictionson increases in storm intensity.Replace or dredge as necessary.

Village Staff L

13) Encourage land owners to remove any cross-connections between storm andsanitary systems.

Village M

# newwetlandscreated

# brownfields iden-tified

# brownfieldsremediated

# formaldiscussions held



14) Encourage residents to disconnect sump pumps and foundation drains from thesanitary sewerage systems.

Village L

15) Create new wetlands to accommodate storm water run off.Land owners,

Ducks UnlimitedM

16) Begin research on expanding village boundaries to allow for a community re-treat from coastal threats.

Village L

17) Identify sites with Dept.of Environment’s environmental contamination flag onparcels owned by Village.

Village S

18) Create a database of all brownfield sites within Village limits. Village,TPDC M

19) Provide direction to current and prospective land owners with regard to processfor receiving reports on brownfield remediation activities on sites within the vil-lage limits.

TPDC L


What can I do?-Consider green construction optionswhenbuildingnew,ormaking anaddition.- Ensure proper weather stripping and caulking of doors and windows to reduce heating bills.- Try out thenewvolatile organic compound-free (VOC) paint.- Disconnect your sumppumpand foundationdrains fromthe sanitary sewerage systems.- Remove any cross-connections between stormand sanitary systems.- Notify theVillage office if you seebrokenwater or sewerage lines near your property.-Don’t flushchemicalsoroldmedicationdownthetoilet–returnpharmaceuticals toyourpharmacyforsafedisposal.- Use environmentally-safe biodegradable detergents andpersonal care products(shampoos,hair dyes, lotions)without added chemicals that persist in effluent.- Change your toilet to a low-flowor dual flushmodel.- Capture run-off in a rain barrel anduse it for all your outdoorwateringneeds (lawn,garden,carwashing).- Fix any leaks in your homeplumbing system.- Invest inwater and energy efficient appliancessuch as dishwashers andwashingmachines.- Install a low-flow showerhead.


Solid Waste OpportunitiesGoals Statement – To reduce communityproduction of waste, and meet the need formaterial disposal through efficient use andreuse of the most sustainable materials.

Why is this important?We live in a society that consumes, and thatconsumption results in a lot of garbage. TheWestmorland-Albert Solid Waste Corporation

has helped put our community on the path tobetter waste management as it can recycle 23different materials and composts householdorganic waste. Nonetheless, significant energyis needed to transport, sort and recycle ourwaste, and landfills are still being filled. Weneed to figure out ways to reduce our produc-tion of waste at the individual level (familyor business).

- % residentialunits involved inwet/dry program

- % commercialand institutionalparticipating

- # of participantsinWASWC tour

- number of Xmastrees dropped offfrom year to year

Activities Lead Group TimingSML


1) Use transparent blue bags in public garbage bins. Village Staff S

2) Build or purchase smaller public bins for green bags to be placed along withblue bins in public areas.

Village S

3) Encourage separation of garbage in all public places. Village S

4) Work withWestmorland-Albert SolidWaste to deliver garbage separationinformation to community members.

Village,PERS S

5) Develop unique education opportunities to encourage wet/dry separation,including field trips to theWestmorland-Albert SolidWaste Commission.

Village,PERS S

6) Increase illegal dumping penalties and have them strictly enforced. Village M

7) Encourage less packaging from restaurants or businesses. Village M

8) Implement a policy on biodegradable containers and packaging for municipalmeetings and events.

Village M

9) Promote the 6Rs:Rethink consumer behaviour,Refuse unnecessary products andpackaging,Reduce consumption,Repair broken items,Reuse and Recyclematerials.

Village,PERS L

10) Create a community compost system for leaves and Christmas trees. Village M


What can I do?-Seekproductswith little or nopackaging.- Bring your own reusable bagswhen you shop.- Bring your own containers to restaurants if youplanon taking leftovers home.- Avoid disposable containers,dishes and cutlery.- If you are growing agarden,set up abackyard compost to create natural fertilizer.- Practice the 6“Rs”related towaste reduction;Rethink,Refuse,Reduce,Reuse,Re-pair andRecycle in that order.Recycling should be the last step in reducing theamount ofwaste sent to the landfills each year.


Recreation OpportunitiesGoals Statement – To provide recreation andleisure activities for both residents and visitorsthat meet expectations while maintaining thehealth of the natural environment.

Why is this important?Active living is a key component to sustainablecommunities and plays a significant factor in

one’s quality of life. In order to attract newpeople and businesses, the quality of life op-portunities must be plentiful and meaningful.Providing a range of formal and informal op-portunities for individual and family-basedrecreation fosters healthy lifestyles.

Databasedeveloped

# acres of recreationor green space setaside# weeks facilityopened duringseasonFrequency of use ofcourts

Agreement struck

# of children assisted

Funding achieved

# of programsestablished# of participants

Frequency ofuse of trail

Activities Lead Group TimingSML


1) Establish a volunteer database to identify people to organize sports or recreationopportunities or help maintain facilities.

Village Staff M

2) Secure new green spaces for use as natural recreation space. Village L

3) Ensure existing facilities are maintained and usable throughout the season(e.g., outdoor rink, sidewalks).

Village Staff S

1) Work with community partners to upgrade and maintain recreation space suchas the tennis courts.

District 2,Village S

5) Work with community school to identify ways to share outdoor recreation spacewith pre-schoolers.

PERS,District 2,Village S

6) Work with non-profits (e.g., PEDVAC) to establish a program to assist children infamilies in need to allow them to participate in sporting activities.

Village,PERS,PEDVAC M

7) Identify funding options with which to build a cover over the rink to extend theseason.

Village Staff L

8) Consider establishing a municipal/non-municipal (public-private or public-non-profit) partnership for facility improvements/construction.

Village L

9) Develop regular programs (including transportation) to utilize recreation space inneighbouring areas (MTA pool orYMCA).

Village orcommunity group

M

10) Work with LSDs and neighbouring communities to ensure proper use andmaintenance of the TransCanada Trail.

Village S

What can I do?-Volunteerwith a sports group.- Join a recreation club.- Use the sidewalks,parks and trails in andaround the community.- Can’t findwhat youwant? Start a new recreation club!


6.0 IMPLEMENTATION &MONITORING PLAN

6.1 Implementation Strategy

Through its vision, sustainability principles, goalsand actions, Picture Port Elgin helps to direct de-cision making and policy development. It is cru-cial that an appropriate implementation strategyexists to ensure that strong, clear actions aretaken to move towards the community vision.

Although all Port Elgin residents are responsiblefor achieving the community vision, leadership isrecognized as a critical feature in Port Elgin be-coming a sustainable community. As such, theVillage of Port Elgin will help guide residents to-wards a balanced sustainable future by takingthe lead on a number of sustainability initiatives.

For successful implementation of Picture PortElgin, we recommend the following:

1. That Council commits to implementing Pic-ture Port Elgin and provides support for thecommunity Vision, sustainability principles, itsgoals and recommended actions;

2. That Council communicate the CommunityVision to residents;

3. That Council adopt a decision making frame-work (see section 6.4) to ensure that Munic-ipal actions promote the Community Visionand respect sustainability principles;

4. That Council take a leadership role in pro-moting partnerships between other levels ofgovernment, community groups, institutions,businesses, volunteer agencies, and individu-als in order to implement Picture Port Elgin.

6.2 Update and Review

The long-term community vision is a tool thatwill help guide decision-making for years tocome. However, as technology changes, new

information becomes available, and as newpeople join our community, it will be importantto revisit the sustainability plan to ensure thelong-term goals still reflect the needs and de-sires of the community.

It is recommended that community plans suchas Picture Port Elgin be revisited every 5 years,from the principles and vision, to the actionsand strategies. As well, the community needsto be continually engaged in setting a reneweddirection. A regular review also provides a re-porting mechanism for the Village to share withthe community how well it has done in achiev-ing the goals set out in Picture Port Elgin in2010. Specifically, the 5 year review should in-clude:

➢ A review of Indicators and the Village’sprogress towards targets;

➢ An update of Action Plans and developmentof new Action Plans;

➢ An update of goals and priorities; and➢ An update of the Priority Projects list.

6.3 Monitoring and Reporting

Sustainability indicators can be used to providean overall picture of community sustainability.They can illustrate where progress is beingmade towards achieving the community visionand where more work is required to achievesustainability. Indicators let us know if we haveachieved our goals or are at least makingprogress toward them, determine areas ofweakness, and explainwhy trends are happening.The acronym SMART is often used as a tool tohelp choose effective indicators which are:SpecificMeasureable/MotivationalAggressive yet AttainableRelevantTime-bound

For example, because most communities rely onfossil fuels for energy and transportation, andbecause combustion of fossil fuels producesgreenhouse gases, the level of a community’sgreenhouse gas emissions over time is a com-mon sustainability indicator.

Using the Picture Port Elgin Vision Statement, alist of possible indicators has been developed bywhich to measure success of the Sustainabilityinitiatives:

Quality of Life:• Diversity – immigration rates, mothertongue, mobility, nationality

• Safety – RCMP stats, Fire Dept. calls• Friendly and close-knit – # clubs and organi-zations, target participants, # participants

• Families – # family-based activities, events,services available

• Housing – % housing for low income, %seniors-targeted housing, % high densitydwellings

• Volunteer – # volunteers involved innon-profit groups, # volunteer hours, agerange of volunteers

• Educational opportunities – # options, targetparticipants, high school drop out rates,participation rates

Healthy Economy• Diversified base – types of businesses,size of businesses, resources used

• Creativity-based – # service orientedbusinesses (non-retail)

• Employment – rates, participation,non-paid work

• Local shopping – # stores, range ofmerchandise, local products used

• Agricultural industry – # of producers,# acres, variety of produce, location ofprocessors and packagers

• Hospitality – # places for accommodation,# restaurants

Culture and Recreation• Recreation – # tourism operators, # km oftrails, range of activities, organized orunorganized sports

• Culture – # festivals, events, # cultural destina-tions within municipality, # museums, # tours

• Tourism numbers – # tourists through TouristBureau, home province/state/country of tourist

Healthy Environment• Waste reduction – # tones of wet/dry toWASWC, # tones on spring clean-up

• Recycling opportunities – # items that canbe recycled locally, # items recycled throughWASWC

• Energy reduction – annual power use(NB Power)

• Air pollution – ave. # km travelled incommuting; types of energy production(wood, fossil fuels, alternatives)

• Water quality – water usage rates (Village),quality measurements (Village), # lakeclosures/year

• Greenhouse gas emissions – corporate(municipal operations) and community rates(tones of CO2)

• Clean air – air pollutants present (in PPMmeasurements)

• Clean, safe water – PPM contaminants,suspended solids, etc , wellfield testing,private well testing in non-serviced areas

• Open space - % land maintained asopen space

• Parks – hectares of land set aside as park space

In addition to confirming indicators, it is alsoimportant to identify targets. Targets are meas-urable goals that the community must worktoward for each indicator. A target states howmuch improvement is needed for a particularindicator and can be specific or general innature. Targets are essential because theyprovide a quantifiable way of tracking indicatorprogress, and therefore increase accountabilityfor the community.


Part of the challenge in identifying an appropriatetarget is a lack of baseline information; acertain amount of baseline information for anindicator is needed to be able to set an appro-priate target. The community and stakeholdershave provided some preliminary thoughts onpotential targets for the indicators identifiedin Picture Port Elgin and are available in theCommunity Profile in Appendix A; howeveradditional research will be required in order todetermine the appropriateness of these andother targets.

In joining the Partners for Climate ChangeProtection program through the Federation ofCanadian Municipalities, the Village of PortElgin committed to track its greenhouse gasemissions. The first commitment (known asMilestone 1) is to undertake a Greenhouse GasInventory to establish baselines. From this base-line, the community will be able to set targetsfor reductions and moving ahead on itssustainability agenda.

6.4 Assessing Options Framework

Picture Port Elgin is a long term document,meant to guide the community’s journey to-wards sustainability. It is based on a vision whichintegrates the community’s economic, socialand environmental dimensions. As with anylong term planning process, there is a risk thatdecision makers will make choices basedprimarily on short term needs or only onesustainability pillar, instead of the integratedapproach required to build sustainable commu-nities. A decision making framework has beenadapted fromWilliams Lake, BC, developed forCouncil and staff to ensure that decisions sup-port the community vision and are consistentwith sustainability principles. The framework isa tool that will help Council to assess proposalimpacts according to a number of criteria linkedto objectives for social, economic, and environ-

mental sustainability. It will assist Council inmaking decisions in a holistic and integratedfashion. In deciding on each proposal, Council-lors will be directed to think about the social,economic, and environmental implications oftheir decision, no matter what the issue.

“Assessing Actions and Projects through the Pic-ture Port Elgin Lens” is a worksheet thatoutlines four strategic questions to help assessany type of project or proposal. This easy-to-useworksheet helps decision-makers put proposalsin the sustainability frame. The first question asksif the proposal moves the community closer to itsshared vision. Out of the priority topics in the Pic-ture Port Elgin plan, respondents would pickthose that were most relevant to the proposal,and then ask if the proposal is contrary to any ofthe priority areas and therefore the vision state-ment. Then, respondents are asked to think ofways to maximize benefits and minimize nega-tive impacts related to the proposal.

The second question asks how quickly (if at all)the proposal meets the sustainability objectivesor principles. If the proposal goes against theprinciples, then they are asked how to minimizethe negative impact. The third question is re-lated to whether or not the proposal is flexible(and adaptable) over the long-term. In short, iftechnical and economic situations change in thefuture, is the community tied to something overthe long-term that creates more impacts, or canit be adapted to respond to changes in the en-vironment or economy? The final question isthe most pragmatic – does the proposal pres-ent a good financial investment? This considerscapital and annual operating costs, and payback period for the investment. It also considersthe non-market costs, or those costs that areborne by the community (such as air pollution,water impacts, etc.). The final question asks theevaluator his/her level of comfort with recom-mending the proposal to go forward.

Assessing Actions and Projects through the Picture Port Elgin lensUltimately, the Picture Port Elgin framework is implemented through our daily decision making. Below is a worksheet that outlines four strategicquestions to help decision makers assess any type of action, project, or initiative by using Picture Port Elgin.

1. DOES THE PROPOSAL MOVE PORT ELGIN TOWARD OUR SHARED VISION OF SUCCESS?

Indicate the top two Priority Areas in the Picture Port Elgin that the proposal supports:Energy Strategy Natural Environment Our Built EnvironmentRecreation Opportunities Transportation Initiatives Solid Waste Opportunities

Which of the strategies does your proposal primarilymove us toward?1. ___________________________________________2. ___________________________________________3. ___________________________________________

HOW could youmaximize this positive impact?1. ___________________________________________2. ___________________________________________3. ___________________________________________

Which of the strategies does your proposal primarily move us awayfrom?1. ___________________________________________2. ___________________________________________3. ___________________________________________

HOW could youminimize this negative impact?1. ___________________________________________2. ___________________________________________3. ___________________________________________

2. DOES THE PROPOSAL MOVE PORT ELGIN TOWARD OUR SHARED SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES?

Toward Toward Neutral Away If “away” how could youDoes it: Quickly Slowly minimize this negative impact?

1. Work toward the long term vision for our community.2. Achieve long term economic and social security.3. Recognize the intrinsic value of biodiversity and natural

ecosystems, and protect and restore them.4. Enable Port Elgin to minimize its ecological footprint.5. Build on the characteristics of ecosystems in the

development and nurturing of healthy and sustainablecommunities.

6. Recognize and build on the distinctive characteristics ofcommunities, including their human and cultural values,history and natural systems.

7. Empower people and foster participation.8. Expand and enable cooperative networks to work

towards a common, sustainable future.9. Promote sustainable production and consumption,

through appropriate use of environmentally soundtechnologies and effective demand management.

10. Enable continual improvement, based on accountability,transparency and good governance.

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

3. DOES THE ACTION PRESENT A FLEXIBLE PLACE TO MOVE CLOSER TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR PORT ELGIN?

In general, choosing actions that are as flexible as possible will help you avoid dead endsituations. If technical or economic conditions change in the future, investments inflexible solutions will help ensure that these changes do not bring overly punitive costs,do not limit our ability to adapt and ensure that future steps further reduce our impactson natural systems.

Use the space to the right to indicate how your action incorporates long term flexibility.

The action incorporates long term flexibility by:_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

4. DOES THE ACTION PRESENT A GOOD FINANCIAL INVESTMENT?

Capital: $ Operating: $/yearWhat is the approximate cost of the action? ____________________ _________________Does this action reduce long term operating costs? Yes NoIf so, what is the approximate associated pay back period for the investment? ____________________Have non market costs* been considered in your decision making? Yes No

5. Given your assessment of the benefits, challenges and long term costs associated with this action, what is your level of comfort withmoving forward?

Strongly support this actionSupport in principle, but depends on how it is executedUnsure, need more informationOn the right track, but substantial changes are required. Currently, not comfortable supporting this action

*non market costs is the economic term for the costs of an activity that are not part of the product price, but instead borne by the community (e.g., impacts like air pollution, traffic congestion, public safety, whenpurchasing new vehicles)This form has been adapted from the Williams Lake Assessing Actions and Projects Framework.

23 Picture Port Elgin Final Plan

Documents

Picture Port Elgin - Southeast1.0 INTRODUCTION TheVillageofPortElginislocatedinSoutheast-ern New Brunswick at the mouth of the GaspereauRiverwhichfeedsintoBaieVerte