Innovative Strategies: Ideas for Sustainable Communities
The Columbia Institute's latest publication is now available! Innovative Strategies
is a collection of articles by local politicians, environmentalists,
and community leaders who demonstrate how to turn progressive ideas
into action. The book features articles by Environmental Defence's Rick
Smith and economist Hugh Mackenzie as well as articles on a diverse
range of topics, including banning plastic bags, pesticide bylaws,
citizen action in Guelph, the Inner City Model School program, and the
$10 minimum wage campaign. Click here for more details and to order.
Anti-Idling in the CRD
The Capital Regional District is proposing an anti-idling bylaw that would make it illegal to leave a vehicle engine running for more than three minutes in a one-hour period. Although the bylaw would be almost impossible to enforce, it could function as an education tool: according to Natural Resources Canada, idling wastes 1.8 million litres of fuel and produces 4,500 tonnes of greenhouse gases everyday. Read an article in the Times Colonist about the proposed bylaw.
School Lands Bylaw in Cowichan Valley
On May 14, 2008 the Cowichan Valley Regional District passed bylaw
amendments that restrict the use of school lands, in the hopes of
discouraging school closures. The bylaws prevent the sale of school
lands for private development in order to keep the lands for public
use. Preference for the sale of the lands would go to local community groups and associations and regional recreation functions. The bylaw is especially important in rural areas where schools are the hub of the community and there is particular pressure on school boards from the Education Ministry to sell these lands to finance expansions to urban schools. 150 schools have closed in BC since the education funding formula was changed after the Liberals came to power in 2001.
Read an article from the Vancouver Sun about the role parents played in getting the bylaw amendments passed or click here to read an article about the impact the new bylaws will have on smaller communities.
Burnaby Plan to Create More Affordable Housing
Burnaby city council has approved a plan involving an empty lot that is jointly owned in order to create 30 units of non-market housing. The lot is jointly owned by the city, the province, and the federal government and the city is asking each to donate a certain amount of space to the project. City council also approved several initiatives which could stimulate the creation of affordable housing, including deferral of permit fees, development cost charges, and the creation of grants for non-market housing projects. Read the full story here.
Lifelong Learning in Canadian Communities
The Third Annual Composite Learning Index, released by the Canadian Council of Learning in May 2008, is Canada's only nationwide meaure of lifelong education and the only such survey in the world. The index takes a basket of indicators which show the state of lifelong learning in Canada, including access to cultural activities, ability to participate in clubs/associations, high school drop-out rates, participation in job-related training, volunteering, etc. The 2008 edition shows that Canada's overall score is improving and that learning opportunities in rural areas are almost equal to that of urban areas. The highest ranked cities in the report are Victoria and Ottawa and the lowest is Saguenay, Quebec. Read an article about the index or click here for the full report.
BC's Carbon Tax: Putting A Disproportionate Strain on Rural BC?
BC's carbon tax, which will come into effect on July 1, was designed to be revenue neutral. However, many mayors and councillors in rural BC are concerned that the carbon tax will affect their jurisdictions disproportionately, since unlike the Lower Mainland rural communities do not have public transit and heating is more expensive because of colder temperatures. Click here to read a Vancouver Sun article that features the positions of Williams Lake and Courtenay, BC. A recent Globe and Mail article looks at Quesnel and Prince George and discusses alternatives supported by mayors of these communities. Finally, an article from the Tyee makes a convincing argument that the carbon tax will not, in fact, affect rural British Columbians any more than urbanites.
Kids Failing at Physical Fitness
Canada's Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth 2008, released by the non-profit organization Active Healthy Kids Canada, has given Canadian children and youth a D grade on physical fitness. According to the report card, 90% of children are failing to meet the guidelines outlined in Canada's Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth, which recommends 60-90 minutes of moderate physical activity everyday. However, children and youth are spending 4-6 hours everyday watching TV or playing video games and preschool aged kids are watching close to 2 hours' worth of TV. The report puts part of the blame on the fact that the environment in our communities is not conducive to physical activity for children and youth, citing bylaws that restrict road hockey and skate boarding in public places. Read the full report or click here to read an article about the report.