City of Edmundston: municipal partner in the Earth Day Canada Campaign since 2020

Apr 21, 2023

Earth Day, celebrated on April 22 each year, is a key time to unite our community and make a positive impact on the environment. Many municipalities across Canada are being proactive and taking bold steps to be part of the ecological transition to create a healthier environment for their citizens. Since 2020, the City of Edmundston has been one of Earth Day Canada’s municipal partners, committed to an ecological transition. This year, more than a hundred proactive municipalities across Canada are taking part in this ecological transition.

“Each year, the City of Edmundston adapts its actions to limit its ecological footprint,” explains the Mayor of Edmundston, Mr. Eric Marquis. “The City of Edmundston and its departments are sensitive and proactive in terms of sustainable development, which will be reflected in our municipal environmental action plan for the upcoming years,” he concludes.

FUTURE MUNICIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PLAN

Following a consultation process with its population, City of Edmundston’s 2023-2027 Environmental Action Plan (EAP), developed with the help of experts in environmental protection and sustainable development, will be presented in a few months. This EAP will propose concrete actions to improve 10 environmental areas identified as priorities, including: water, air, soil, residual materials, climate change, energy, biodiversity, sustainable mobility, nuisances, and municipal management. For each of these axes, a commitment, citizen priorities and sub-axes will be proposed. All targets and indicators will be tallied within an environmental dashboard and then shared with the population. By adopting this plan, the City of Edmundston will commit to ensure its implementation and to rigorously monitor these strategic actions, while being accountable to its citizens.

MUNICIPAL SERVICES

Before the adoption of the PAE, several concrete actions have been carried out by City of Edmundston’s municipal services. Here are a few: the Edmundston Police Force has made the decision to replace all its patrol vehicles with hybrid vehicles. Now numbering four, they will increase to six very soon. The Public Works Department is also acquiring hybrid vehicles, is finalizing the installation of water meters to encourage people to reduce their water consumption and is preparing an environmental management plan for fluxes and abrasives. The Fire Department has replaced all its electric or gas-powered tools with rechargeable battery equipment. The Development Department is currently pursuing the implementation of the utilitarian cycling network and will carry out a study on public transit for the region. Edmundston Energy is currently working to prepare a long-term renewable energy production plan for the entire municipality and are taking action to improve the electricity network. Public Works Department and its Green Spaces Team are focusing on planting trees in urban areas, recycling green materials and the “No Mow May” movement. The Green Patrol is always on duty during the summer season to raise awareness regarding good recycling practices.

To learn more about the initiatives of other municipalities involved in Earth Day 2023, please consult: https://earthday.ca/april-22/campaign/mobilizing-municipalities/

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CONTACT: Annie Dancause, Communications, City of Edmundston, 506.739.2085, annie.dancause@edmundston.ca