Envision Kentville: Planning for Tomorrow, Today

Imagine for a moment what Kentville will be like in 25 years. What will make this community a great place that we want to live? What will make Kentville a place that you are proud to come from and to call your home? Most importantly, what is the legacy that you would like to leave for your children and grand-children?

What is your Vision for the Town of Kentville? Over the coming months, the Town of Kentville will be seeking your thoughts, opinions and ideas about the future sustainability of Kentville. You are invited to get involved and use your imagination! By working together, we will collaboratively develop an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) that will provide a Vision and an action-plan for the long-term sustainability of Kentville.

There is an old saying that we do not inherit the Earth from our elders, but we borrow it from our children.

Sustainability planning is about looking holistically at the bigger picture and planning for the long-term. It is about understanding the important roles and responsibilities that we all must play to ensure that in meeting our own needs today, we do not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs tomorrow.

The air, water, soil and resources that we depend on for our survival are limited in nature; therefore we must care for and manage these natural assets so that they may endure for our children and grandchildren. Sustainability planning is about achieving a balance between environmental, social/cultural and economic goals and objectives in a way that everyone can agree on.

Across Canada and around the world, municipalities are rising to the current challenges of becoming more sustainable. In so doing, many regions are sponsoring innovation in business, becoming more economically efficient and in turn, are seen as more attractive places to live and work.

Achieving sustainability requires the active participation of citizens and governments at all levels. Integrated Community Sustainability Planning is a ground-breaking process in that involves the municipal, provincial and federal governments all working together towards the common goals of cleaner air, cleaner water and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Upon completion of the ICSP, Kentville will be eligible to receive funding for Environmentally Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure projects that will help the town. This initiative is a part of the federal gas tax agreement that puts Canadian gasoline taxes to work for municipalities. Eligible projects categories for ICSP Funding include:

• Public transit (ex. buses, light rail, transit stations, park and ride facilities etc.)
• Improving traffic flow through better infrastructure design and technology
• Ensuring water safety by improving water treatment & distribution systems and improving wastewater and sewage treatment systems
• Improving solid waste management projects (ex. waste diversion, recycling and recovery, composting etc.)
• Developing community energy systems (ex. heat and power co-generation, district heating and cooling projects)
• Improving active transportation infrastructure (ex. bike lanes, trails etc.)
• Building municipal capacity through collaboration with partners, utilizing knowledge resources (ex. research and technology), integration (ex. planning and policy) and education and training programs

Kentville and the Annapolis Valley are well positioned to become leaders in sustainability planning and initiatives. The possibilities for imagining and creating a sustainable future for the Town of Kentville are endless! But the time for collective action is now.

At its heart, the ICSP is driven by the Vision that the community sets forward to take ownership for a sustainable future. Your input as a citizen of Kentville is vital in setting the Vision and priorities for the sustainable future of the town. Through public consultation, the ICSP will set forth a Vision for the community, as well as set concrete goals, objectives and strategies for achieving this Vision. You are encouraged to get actively involved by sharing your vision for a sustainable Kentville. You can do this by attending upcoming sustainability events hosted by the Town of Kentville and joining the community conversation about what a sustainable future means for Kentville.

For more information about the ICSP or to learn how to get more involved in the process, please contact Brennan Vogel, Sustainability Co-ordinator with the Town of Kentville by email at: icsp@town.kentville.ns.ca or by phone at: 679-2512.