Bracebridge — Councillor — Bracebridge Ward / Ward 1
1. What actions have you personally taken to support a greener, more sustainable climate?
- Embracing the 3 R’s with emphasis on the first ‘R’ – REDUCE. I consider the origin and life cycle of anything I purchase.
- Have composted virtually all my adult life (even when apartment living!)
- Conscientious of water and food waste
- Bullfrog Power user since 2007
- Carrying my own shopping bags and reusable water bottle
- Kept personal residential building lot well treed
- Life-long public transit user and walker
- Deep appreciation of our natural environment
- I wash out and reuse milk bags and reuse them
- When feasible, I line dry or air dry my clothes
- Maintain a bee and bird friendly garden
2. What opportunities for climate leadership at the municipal level (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)) would you champion in one or more of these areas: Buildings | Housing | Land use (sprawl) | Transportation | Other
As a candidate for Bracebridge Ward the Downtown Master Plan passed by council in 2021 is an existing priority. There are a number of options and decisions within the plan that will need to be made over the next several years. I would endeavor to employ the 3 pillars of sustainability (Social, Economic and Environmental) to this and all subsequent decision making. Examples of this could be the use of permeable surfacing to replace concrete or asphalt or a heat pump for heating and cooling instead of natural gas.
3. A long-term problem requires a long-term solution. What is your 100-year plan? If elected, what would be your first action?
As a first step, I would like to see a ‘Green Living’ section on our Town’s municipal website as seen on many other municipal websites. For many, the website is the first impression of our community. For residents it is hub for information and resources. I believe it is important that we demonstrate to both visitors and residents that, as a community, we have a declared commitment to initiatives that help reduce GHG emissions. Content could include existing municipal projects and actions that could be taken on more individual levels.
As first step to make a 100 Year Plan possible, I believe that as a municipality we should embark on a natural asset inventory as part of the current Town of Bracebridge Asset Management Plan 2022 by identifying and quantifying green infrastructure assets. This process was exemplified by the Town of Okotoks, Alberta
by winning the Environment Award at the 2021 Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators. You can read more about this process at Okotoks Environment Award 2021.