From beginner to expert: The town of Bridgewater's path to sustainability
Small steps to big results
Bridgewater
is an example of a town that started with small steps that have led to
many success stories that, when added together, make the town a leader
in sustainability planning. 
This leadership has been recognized by Nova Scotia’s municipalities,
and the town’s initiatives have been recognized by the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities.
So what happened? How did Bridgewater transform itself from a beginner to a leader?
The town’s work on its Integrated Community Sustainability Plan helped to create a vision for a sustainable community. The ICSP identified moving towards energy efficiency and renewable energy use as one of several priorities.
 Leon
de Vreede was hired in 2008 as the town’s first full-time
sustainability planner. He very quickly identified energy management as a
key component of creating a sustainable community.
Energy
and emissions inventories and audits were conducted from 2008 to 2010,
as well as analysis and training, and the acquisition of monitoring
software, in order to identify where energy savings could be found and
more sustainable forms of energy could be used.
Once
specific targets were identified, Bridgewater applied and received
funding from ecoNova Scotia for an extensive list of energy management
projects.
One
of these projects was a provincial test program to replace 60 street
lights with LED lights, supplied by a Nova Scotia Company, LED Roadway
Lighting. This program was successful, and the town hopes to replace many more street lights in the near future.
Bridgewater
has also used ecoNova Scotia funds to conduct municipal building
retrofits, including the installation of a solar space heating system
for the town hall, and energy saving measures at the local arena,
wastewater treatment plant, and several other facilities. These projects
will reduce the town’s energy costs, and the switch to renewable energy
sources will reap environmental and financial rewards for many years to
come.
Energy management is one piece achieving sustainability in Bridgewater.
The town has also taken steps to address issues such as using more
environmentally-responsible cleaning products; creating a community
garden, encouraging sustainable transportation, promoting buying locally
produced food and other initiatives - all of which emphasize community
engagement. Details on some of these activities are outlined below.
“As
Mayor I take particular pride in knowing that our town has done an
exemplary job in dealing with sustainability planning. Our process has
involved a great deal of stakeholder inclusion and is a true reflection
of what we hope can be achieved in Bridgewater.”
--Mayor Carroll Publicover |
Bridgewater’s
story can be your community’s story too. We invite you to take a look
at our “getting started” and “success stories” sections on this site for
more ideas on how to get started on your own municipality’s path to
sustainability.
Other Bridgewater sustainability initiatives:
|
Project |
Details |
2009-2011: Green Cleaning Initiative |
An internal initiative for town operations to switch over to more environmentally friendly cleaning products. |
“Hodge Podge” Community Garden |
An
accessible community garden was created with 16 raised garden beds for
vegetable and flower gardens. It serves, among others, seniors,
low-income families, and residents of apartments. |
Infrastructure Upgrades |
Gas
tax projects being implemented in Fiscal Year 2010-2011 include
upgrades to sanitary sewers, the storm water system, solid waste
management, energy consumption, active transportation, and the waste
water treatment plant. |
Anti-Idling Program (also signed on to Provincial DriveWiser program) (in progress) |
A
program to reduce idling behaviour at town facilities and in town fleet
operations through a pilot program for the Town, and by installing up
to 10 idling reduction signs provided by the DriveWiser Program. |
2011: Buy Local Campaign |
A
program is being developed to encourage residents and businesses to
support locally-owned and small businesses, local services and
organizations, community programs, events, etc. |
2011: Community Energy Assistance Program |
A
community-based program is being created, co-managed with community
organizations, which will develop an investment fund and distribute
energy assistance for low income households to help with emergency fuel
and electricity payments. Emphasis will be placed on reducing energy
consumption through weatherization, technology upgrades, and education. |
Sustainability Partnership Program |
A
community-based network that engages Bridgewater (and area) citizens
and organizations in opportunities for sustainability education and
collaborative action. The
network is inspired to achieve the goals of Bridgewater’s Integrated
Community Sustainability Plan, and has six main areas of interest:
energy, food, transportation, the economy, infrastructure, and education
for sustainability. To date about 50 local businesses and organizations make up the network’s membership. |
Annual Sustainability Festival |
An
annual public event to increase focus on community education and
collective action, featuring local green products, food and services,
community-based sustainability projects, and artistic and cultural
expressions. |
Comprehensive Planning Review (post-ICSP) |
In
April 2010, after the ICSP was developed, the town began a
comprehensive review of its statutory planning documents, including its
municipal planning strategy and land use by-laws. The Council made the
decision to begin its planning review immediately after passing the
ICSP, in part so that findings could be incorporated within legally
binding documents. |
Future actions outlined in ICSP |
The
ICSP is a menu of actions the town will try to undertake in the next
five to ten years. For sustainability news and updates, go to: http://www.bridgewater.ca/sustainability |
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