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Environment

Drinking Water Source Protection

The members of the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Committee are reaching out to the sectors they represent with engaging new videos. 

Watch the videos now: 

For more educational videos go to the Ausable Bayfield YouTube channel. 

Town of Goderich Environmental Action Committee: 2021 Year in Review
The Town of Goderich’s Environmental Action Committee has continued to meet virtually over the past year, forgoing public environmental events due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, while finding other avenues to drive change, such as incorporating sustainability concepts and measures within the community and corporation’s organizational culture.
Last year, under the direction of the Environmental Action Committee, the Town of Goderich joined the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, a network of 400+ municipalities. The PCP program provides a standardized method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a five-step milestone framework. Town staff have completed PCP Milestone 1, which involved the collection of data from three sectors, energy, transportation, and solid waste, to build a baseline greenhouse gas inventory for both the corporate Town of Goderich and the community. In 2022, staff will be working towards completion of Milestone 2, which involves building a climate plan, and setting emission reduction targets.
After the recommendation from the Environmental Action Committee for the Goderich Port Management Corporation (GPMC) to become involved in the Green Marine certification program, the Goderich Port has officially received its Green Marine certification. The Green Marine environmental certification program for the North American marine industry addresses key environmental issues through specific performance indicators. To receive certification, the Goderich Port was required to benchmark their annual environmental performance through the program’s self-evaluation guides and have these results verified by an accredited external auditor for publication. The performance indicators related to the Goderich Port include spill prevention and stormwater management, dry bulk handling and storage, underwater noise, environmental leadership, greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, as well as community impacts and relations. Under the Green Marine certification program, the Goderich Port is required to adopt practices and technologies that will have a direct impact on their operations and surrounding environment. The Goderich Port will be evaluated annually on the progress made regarding each of the above performance indicators. Additionally, the performance indicators are reviewed annually and revised if necessary to reflect the marine industry’s dedication to the environment and continuous improvement of its operations.


The Town of Goderich, in partnership with the County of Huron, was successful in obtaining the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) grant application, where dual electric vehicle charging stations will be installed at Bannister Park, the Cove Pavilion, and the parking lot on Lighthouse Street. Further to this initiative, the Environmental Action Committee identified the importance of incorporating electric fleet and other types of energy-efficient equipment into the municipality’s operations. Over the last few years, the Town has added two electric vehicles to its fleet and Public Works has started to replace certain types of machinery and equipment (e.g., weed whackers and chainsaws) to battery operated, where appropriate. As a result of this awareness, at the August 16, 2021 Council meeting, Goderich Town Council adopted an amendment to the Town’s Asset Management Policy, at the recommendation of the Environmental Action Committee, to require the consideration of electric, energy-efficient, or alternative fuel source fleet, machinery, and equipment at an affordable lifecycle cost at the time of an asset’s replacement. This change to the Town’s Asset Management Policy demonstrates the municipality’s long-term commitment to keeping the environment a top priority and dedication to decreasing the Town’s overall carbon footprint.
The Environmental Action Committee was able to work alongside the Communities in Bloom Committee to develop a tree planting, maintenance, and removal by-law for trees on municipal property within the Town of Goderich. As part of both the Communities in Bloom and Environmental Action Committee’s 2021 workplan, staff liaisons from both committee’s developed a by-law that encompasses three areas of importance to both groups, such as (1) the identification of the current tree planting, maintenance and removal operations of trees
on municipal property, (2) the practices and procedures to be followed during public requests for trees to be planted on municipal property, as well as (3) the prioritization of selecting native trees species when planting on municipal property. Schedule A within the by-law contains a list of preferred species of native trees to be considered when planting on municipal property, while Schedule B lists tree species where planting is prohibited due their invasive qualities. The recommendations provided by both the Environmental Action Committee and Communities in Bloom is instrumental in ensuring the municipality’s landscape continues to remain pristine with a native tree canopy, where possible.
Unfortunately, the Environmental Action Committee’s 2021 Earth Day event was cancelled for the second consecutive year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Committee was able to design a butterfly garden composed of native plant species that will be planted in the future at Bingham Park. Additionally, to promote recycling along the waterfront, new recycling bins have been ordered and will be installed during the spring of 2022.
Other initiatives included in the Committee’s 2022 Work Plan include development of a household composting subsidy program, promotion of active transportation, further action regarding decreasing the use of single-use plastics, development of a dark sky policy, as well as other public outreach and education opportunities. As always, the Environmental Action Committee will continue to support local shoreline cleanup and other environmental community events.
Despite the challenges of working during a pandemic, the Committee is proud to say that it has been a very successful year with its many accomplishments. On behalf of the entire Town of Goderich Environmental Action Committee, we thank the Goderich Town Council and the entire Goderich community for their support and interest over the past year and look forward to working together in the future.

Climate Emergency Declaration

At the January 13, 2020 Goderich Town Council meeting, Council voted to continue to support actions to safeguard against the current and potential consequences of the global climate crisis. Mayor John Grace signed the Climate Emergency Declaration.

Environmental Action Committee - Terms of Reference

 

Environmental Related Initiatives the Town of Goderich has implemented over the past 10 years:

 LED Street Light Conversion
o Energy Savings, eliminating light pollution (dark sky)
 Traffic Light Conversion to LED
o Energy Savings
 Stormwater Cistern installed at Townhall during renovation (10,000 Litres)
o Water Conservation
 Water Filling Stations – 8 currently installed
o Reducing plastic water bottles
 EV Charging Stations – 4 currently installed
o Charging options for EV owners
 2 Electric Vehicles added to the fleet
o Reducing GHG emissions
 Solar Panel installed at Townhall to power hot water tank
o Electricity Conservation
 Added 7 round picnic tables (3 accessible) that are made from 100% recycled plastic water bottles. The tables are located at the waterfront.
o Single use plastic recycling
 Added 8 waste containers (4 trash and 4 recycling) made from 100% recycled water bottles.
o Single use plastic recycling
 In conjunction with the BIA, the Parks Department is installing self-watering planters in the Downtown.
o Staff, Vehicle, Efficiency, and Water Conservation
 Geo-Thermal installed at Townhall during the renovation
o Energy Efficiency
 Two Town owned stormwater management ponds installed on Parson’s Court
o Water quality and quantity

 

 

GODERICH GOES GREEN

Goderich Goes Green Photo

Goderich celebrates going green with an electric car and with the first electric car charging station outside the Tourism Office. (L-R): Mayor John Grace, CAO Larry McCabe, Clerk Janice Hallahan, Chair of the Goderich Environmental Action Committee Erinn Lawrie, Director of Operations Chip Wilson and CBO Jason Dykstra.

Environmental Action Committee in the news:

https://www.goderichsignalstar.com/news/local/news/environmental-action-in-progress-in-goderich 

 

Reusable Goderich Water Bottle

The Town of Goderich Environmental Action Committee was formed in the spring of 2019 as an advisory committee to Council on various issues related to the environment.

The Environmental Action Committee is proud to be working with the Goderich Rotary Club to take steps to reduce the amount of single-use waste in Goderich. Reusable branded water bottles are now available for purchase at the tourism office, and new water refill stations have been installed in the Courthouse Square, Lions Harbour Park, at the Rotary Beach Hut, Bannister Park, at the soccer pitch/playground at the Maitland Recreation Centre and at the Wheelhouse at the beach.  

Erinn Lawrie, Chair of the Environmental Action Committee says “These new water refill stations will make it easier for residents and those visiting Goderich to access our town’s high quality drinking water when visiting our beaches and parks, and reduce the amount of single-use plastics in our community”.

Members of the Environmental Action Committee gave away 25 free reusable water bottles on Thursday, September 26th at 2pm to celebrate the opening of the new water refill station on the Square, located in front of the Courthouse.