Sustainability

Industry Snapshot 

Sustainable development means a better quality of life now and for generations to come.  A widely-used definition of 'sustainable development" is: 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. 

Sustainability has proven to be very important to the residents of Kamloops.  The City of Kamloops has begun preparation of the Sustainable Kamloops Plan.  This Plan will deal with economic, social and environmental issues facing the community, with particular emphasis on environmental sustainability.  It will do so by establishing a vision for sustainability, defining goals to be pursued in achieving that vision, outlining current baseline conditions with respect to those goals, and developing strategies to move from current conditions toward those goals.  These strategies will be deployed by the City as part of its corporate practices, through the City's influence on others in the community, and via the City working together with other agencies.  This process will allow Kamloops to continue to move along the path of sustaining air, water, energy and land resources within the community and beyond.

Kamloops is currently home to a number of industries that support clean technology and sustainable urban development.  We are home to Canada's first Geothermal Community, Sun Rivers Golf Resort Community and Nexterra's bio energy research facility.  Further, Stantec, an international project management consulting company located in Kamloops, was recently ranked first in the Profile of 20 Largest BC Companies in the Sustainable Technologies sector in a report compiled by the Ministry of Economic Development.

Competitive Advantages  

The Sustainable Kamloops Plan is a testimony to our community's commitment to a more sustainable future.  Sustainability is all about balance.  Balance between social responsibility, economic vitality and environmental integrity.  

The City of Kamloops has a long and proud history of initiatives in the key areas of sustainability - social, economic and environmental.  They embrace actions in the areas of air and water quality management, energy use efficiency, and integrity of the land base.  Below are some examples of these initiatives:

• The provincially ranked Watersmart water use efficiency program
• Extensive landfill diversion efforts
• Tertiary-level wastewater treatment
• Curbing of outdoor burning practices
• An award winning integrated land use/transportation program called Travelsmart
• The construction of several LEED buildings 

The City of Kamloops was awarded a $327,750 Green Municipal Fund grant from the Government of Canada to develop an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan in order to tie together various City sustainable community needs.  The Plan will build on the City's EcoSmart strategy, Integrated Land Use and Transportation plan, Stormwater Management Strategy and will be a catalyst for development airshed management and energy policies that can provide guidance for future development.  Other grants that the City of Kamloops have been awarded to assist in this process include: $605,000 from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (Gas Tax/Public Transit Management Grant) and $50,000 from the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has brought their EQuilibrium™ Sustainable Housing Initiative to the City of Kamloops.  This national Sustainable Housing Initiative brings both public and private sectors together to develop eco-friendly homes designed to be energy-efficient and have a low environmental impact.  The ultimate goal of these homes is to produce as much energy as it consumes on a yearly basis.  The objectives of the EQuilibrium House initiative are:

Resource Organizations

Gas Tax/Public Transit Management Services
Federation of Canadian Municipalities - Centre for Sustainable Community Development
Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia 
British Columbia Sustainable Technology Sector Profile