Toronto to host Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) first ever
Municipal Awards of Excellence

Awards for Sustainability and Awards for Outstanding International Volunteer Contribution unveiled

TORONTO, May 30 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada's largest city is hosting the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) first ever Awards of Excellence as municipal representatives from across Canada converge on Toronto this week for FCM's 73rd Annual Conference and Municipal Expo(TM).

This year, 22 municipalities and individuals are being honoured in four different award streams which range from innovation in sustainable practices to involvement in international municipal cooperation.

Today, FCM announced the winners of its newly created Awards for Sustainability and the Awards for Outstanding International Volunteer Contribution. FCM's Sustainable Community Awards and the newly created Watershed Awards were presented Saturday.

The individual winner for FCM's Award for Sustainability is Mark Brostrom from Edmonton, Alta. The municipal winner is the City of Toronto, Ont.

Michele Peach, director of corporate services and city treasurer in Mount Pearl, Nfld., received the Mike Badham Award for Outstanding International Volunteer Contribution, while the Corporation of the City of Windsor, Ont., received the FCM Award for Outstanding International Volunteer Contribution in the Institution category.

The 2010 National Watershed Award winner is the City of Edmonton, Alta., Lendrum Stormwater Management Dual-use Dry Pond.

See backgrounder for details about the award recipients.

"We have introduced these awards because there are great things being done in municipalities across Canada," said FCM president Basil Stewart, mayor of Summerside, P.E.I. "We believe FCM should be recognizing and celebrating that excellence, and we believe that identifying best practices will help all of us learn from the successes of others."

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has been the national voice of municipal government since 1901. With 1,796 members, FCM represents the interests of municipalities on policy and program matters that fall within federal jurisdiction. Members include Canada's largest cities, small urban and rural communities, and 18 provincial and territorial municipal associations.

2010 FCM Awards of Excellence presented Sunday, May 30, 2010

    
    FCM Awards for Sustainability
    -----------------------------

    Individual
      - Mark Brostrom, City of Edmonton, Alta.

    Municipality
      - City of Toronto, Ont.

    FCM Awards for Outstanding International Volunteer Contribution
    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    Individual
    The Mike Badham Award for Outstanding International Volunteer
    Contribution
    - Michele Peach, director of corporate services and city treasurer in
      Mount Pearl, Nfld.

    Institution
    - Corporation of the City of Windsor, Ont., Partnership with the City of
      Olongapo, Philippines, on land use planning and watershed management

    2010 Watershed Award
    --------------------

    National Winner
    City of Edmonton, Alta., Lendrum Stormwater Management Dual-use Dry Pond



                                 Backgrounder

                        2010 FCM AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

                             Sunday, May 30, 2010
    

This year, the FCM Awards of Excellence recognize individuals and initiatives in four areas: the FCM Sustainable Community Awards, the FCM Individual and Municipal Awards for Sustainability; the FCM International Awards; and the Watershed Awards.

FCM Awards for Sustainability

New this year, the FCM Individual Award for Sustainability and the FCM Municipal Award for Sustainability promote and reward municipal champions, inspire municipal governments to commit to further action, and showcase and encourage exchange of best practices among Canadian communities.

    
    FCM Individual Award for Sustainability: Mark Brostrom, City of Edmonton,
    Alberta
    

As director of the office of the environment and energy, Mark Brostrom has helped guide the City of Edmonton on the path to sustainability. Under Mark's guidance, Edmonton has undertaken 10 GMF-funded projects, and led the city's winning submission for the 2005 FCM Sustainable Community Award in the planning category for its CO(2)RE initiative. Considered a champion in the field for over 15 years, Mark leads the city's activities as a member of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, and also participated in FCM's Sustainable Communities Mission.

FCM Municipal Award for Sustainability: City of Toronto, Ontario

Canada's largest municipality is also a leader in environmental initiatives. With 37 successful applications for GMF funding and seven Sustainable Community Awards to its credit, Toronto is also a member of PCP (at Milestone 3 in both the corporate and community categories) and regularly sends delegates to the FCM Sustainable Communities Mission. The work in this municipality is highly innovative per capita, as compared to other municipalities in Canada. Toronto is truly a leader in action on sustainability.

FCM Awards for Outstanding International Volunteer Contribution

Since 2001, FCM has recognized the outstanding contribution to international cooperation made by Canadian municipalities and municipal volunteers to its international programming.

The Awards are open to all municipalities and municipal practitioners who have participated in one or more of FCM's international programs. To be eligible for an award in one of two categories, applicants must demonstrate their leadership in FCM's international programs and contribution to improved quality of life. Submissions are judged by members of FCM's Standing Committee on International Relations.

The recipients of the institutional and individual awards must demonstrate their ability to adapt Canadian municipal expertise to an overseas context; show leadership, innovation and creativity; engage their community in international cooperation; and, contribute significantly to sustainable development goals. FCM has named its individual contribution award in honour of the late Mike Badham, the former Regina councillor and Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association president, in recognition of the leadership and dedication he brought to FCM's international programs.

Institutional - Corporation of the City of Windsor, Ontario

Windsor recently completed a partnership with the City of Olongapo, Philippines, which focused on land use planning and watershed management. The partners worked together to find solutions to the issues of siltation and flooding caused by the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. These solutions included dredging the Kalaklan River and designing a jetty at the mouth of the river to reduce the pressure of siltation and allow freer water flow into Subic Bay. They also adapted Windsor's use of Geographic Information Systems and Environmental Information Systems to Olongapo's needs enabling Olongapo to allocate a Property Identification Number to each parcel of land, detail the dimensions, owners, and current land use, and enable the City to send out accurate tax bills. Windsor was also actively involved and coordinated with two national association departments in the Philippines, as well as other international donors. The City involved the Filipino community in Windsor in the partnership, and hosted a study tour to Canada to better communicate with elected officials and staff.

Individual - Michele Peach

Michele Peach, who is director of corporate services and city treasurer in Mount Pearl, N.L., demonstrated dedication, innovation and leadership over the two-year period she volunteered her time and expertise to the municipal finance project component of the Canada/Sri Lanka Municipal Cooperation Program (MCP), a project developed to help reconstruct Sri Lanka following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Ms. Peach contributed in the districts of Galle and Kalmunai, where she was team leader for a team of three Canadians from different municipalities. Even though most of her work was focused in Galle and Kalmunai, Ms. Peach also took part in assessment missions and coordinated the writing of four project plans for municipal finance projects in Galle, Kalmunai, Trincomalee and Batticaloa. She participated in the final evaluation mission, wrote final project reports, undertook six technical missions to Sri Lanka, and hosted a study tour to Canada. Her dedication to the project allowed for improved access to services and the participation of women in municipal decision making. She used innovative approaches to improve taxation and assessment systems, increase revenue, and improve the customer relations skills of staff in Galle and Kalmunai.

Watershed Awards

Canada's aging infrastructure systems are not able to handle the increased precipitation that is now a reality. The insurance industry is committed to helping communities adapt to climate change by advocating for better municipal infrastructure and by creating innovative programs and partnerships that advocate for the creation of more sustainable communities.

The Watershed Awards is a new annual awards program presented by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and FCM to Canadian municipalities that have demonstrated leadership in their efforts to adapt to climate change by reducing their vulnerability to flooding and water damage. The Watershed Awards recognizes infrastructure investments and urban development policies and practices that demonstrate leadership by forward-thinking communities. It will shine a spotlight on communities that have taken the initiative to adapt to the effects of climate change to protect its citizens and, in the process, inspire other communities to follow their lead.

One national winner was selected as well as one from each of five regions: British Columbia, the Prairies and the North, Ontario, Québec and Atlantic Canada. The newly launched Watershed Awards will be part of FCM's annual Awards of Excellence, which, for the past decade, have recognized the best in municipal sustainability.

2010 Watershed Award Winners

    
    National Winner - City of Edmonton, Alta
    Lendrum Stormwater Management Dual-use Dry Pond
    

On July 11, 2004 an extreme rainfall event flooded over 4,000 basements throughout the city of Edmonton. According to the IBC, there were 12,000 claims totalling $180 million dollars. In response to the flooding, the city completed flood investigation studies and conceptual designs for 43 of the neighbourhoods most heavily affected by the flooding. These engineering studies identified a number of projects to reduce the risk of future flooding in these neighbourhoods. In 2006, City Council approved a plan to fund a $146 million flood prevention program over the next 10 years.

The neighbourhood of Lendrum Place had about 98 basements flooded during the July 2004 event. Investigations determined that the neighbourhood's sewer systems were overloaded and that the excess water ponded on the surface, causing flood damage. The ground surface in most of Lendrum Place slopes down towards the neighbourhood school's fields which were constructed on fill material and elevated 1.5 to 2.0 metres above the surrounding neighbourhood.

In addition to sanitary sewer relief projects, Edmonton redeveloped the Lendrum Place school field at an elevation below the adjacent roadways, so that the field will receive and contain flood waters during infrequent, large rainfall events. The Lendrum Dual-Use Stormwater Management Facility project allows the school field to fulfill its current function as a playing field, and also to provide stormwater management and flood control.

For further information: Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC): Ellen Woodger, [phone] or Pete Karageorgos, [phone], ext. 4329; FCM: Maurice Gingues at [phone] or [email protected]