Hon. Helena Guergis, P.C., M.P. announces important Green municipal funding for the Blue Mountains
Town of The Blue Mountains, Ont. – Basil Stewart, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and mayor of Summerside, P.E.I., and the Honourable Helena Guergis, Minister of State (Status of Women) and Member of Parliament for Simcoe-Grey, on behalf of the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources, announced today a Green Municipal Fund™ (GMF) grant of $253,500 for the Town of The Blue Mountains. The town is investing this funding in the development of an integrated community sustainability plan (ICSP) to guide future economic, social, cultural and environmental action.
“FCM’s Green Municipal Fund offers a range of resources and services that specifically address the sustainable community development needs of municipal governments,” said Stewart. “The financing and knowledge provided by the Fund supports the development of communities that are more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.”
“Our government is working with municipalities across Canada in achieving their goal of a cleaner and healthier environment through the Green Municipal Fund,” said Minister Guergis. “Today’s announcement is another example of how the Government of Canada — in partnership with FCM — is helping the Town of The Blue Mountains build a greener future for our citizens.”
The town is consulting with key stakeholders in the community to develop its ICSP. The ISCP will serve as an overarching, long-term development strategy that provides a path toward sustainability. It will outline the town’s objectives, goals and actions for the next 50 to 100 years for different facets of the community that will together make Blue Mountains sustainable.
“Thanks to Green Municipal Fund support for our ISCP consultations, Blue Mountains residents will be able to pass on a sustainable community heritage to their children and their grandchildren,“ said Town Mayor Ellen Anderson. “The ISCP will consider and incorporate everything that makes Blue Mountains vibrant — well-paying jobs, a lively arts culture, a clean and healthy natural environment and a network of robust social programs.”
The Green Municipal Fund is an endowment financed by the Government of Canada and managed by FCM. The Fund supports partnerships and leveraging of both public and private-sector funding to reach higher standards of air, water and soil quality, and climate protection.
