Sustainability Action Plan

The City of Kenora developed its very first Sustainability Action Plan to guide local efforts to enhance sustainability and increase community resiliency. City staff, members of the Sustainability Advisory Committee, local organizations, and interested members of the community, provided input to develop our Sustainability Action Plan.

Vision

To collaboratively implement a suite of projects that, over the next decade, will contribute to a better quality of life for the community in Kenora while also building pathways to reconciliation and safeguarding the diverse ecosystems that sustain the community.

Sustainability projects

There are four categories with related sustainability projects identified in the Sustainability Action Plan.

Energy conservation

The proposed projects under energy conservation include:

Build on the existing Community Energy Plan to create an emissions reduction plan for Kenora, including targets and accountability mechanisms.
Evaluate the potential to develop a program to facilitate energy conservation retrofits for existing and new buildings.
Implement and promote demonstration projects to showcase delivery of renewable energy in Kenora.

Green infrastructure and sustainable transit

The proposed projects under green infrastructure and sustainable transit include:

Undertake a storm water funding feasibility study.
Incorporate green infrastructure into the City’s Asset Management Plan.
Research and evaluate alternatives for public transportation that meet the needs of the public, are environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

Local food production and waste reduction

The proposed projects under local food production and waste reduction include:

Expand local micro-farming, food collection and community gardening to build local food security.
Implement a local household composting initiative.
Implement a community composting program that includes institutional and / or commercial partners.
Develop and implement mechanisms for the local salvage, re-use and exchange of housing and building materials.

Water stewardship

The proposed projects under water stewardship include:

Provide water bottle filling stations for the community in Kenora’s downtown.
Build relationships with Anishinaabe and other Treaty Partners through a joint program focused on local water security.
Develop and implement a Healthy Shorelines Program.
Identify, monitor and manage flood risk areas in the City of Kenora, building on work done outside the City by local Treaty Partners.

Guiding principles

The following principles have been identified to guide the implementation of all projects in the Plan:

Sustain and enhance the water, land and air
Support and enable social equity
Be accountable
Focus on local actions and local benefits
Seek solutions that provide multiple benefits
Work collaboratively and in partnership
Align economic and environmental benefits

The City plans to implement sustainable projects over the next decade with community partnerships. Completion of projects will depend on the commitment and support, funding available, and opportunities for green development that arise in the community.

Defining sustainability

We know that the term sustainability means different things to different people; for the purposes of this Plan, we are defining sustainability in the context of community actions that are:

economically viable
socially equitable
environmentally friendly