In an effort to maintain and implement more green infrastructure in the city, Environment Lethbridge has partnered with Green Communities Canada (GCC), a non-profit that supports grassroots-led climate action.
GCC is leading the Living Cities initiative, which currently involves five communities: Lethbridge, Alta., St. John and Dieppe N.B., and Hamilton and London, Ont.
“Lethbridge is the only community in Alberta — the only community in Western Canada really — that’s involved in this project at the moment, which is really exciting for us,” said Environment Lethbridge executive director Kathleen Sheppard.
“(It’s) really exciting to be learning from some of communities in Ontario that have been doing green infrastructure projects a little bit longer than we have.”
According to Living Cities program manager Christine Mettler, green infrastructure has proven benefits to climate change, the economy, social health, and other environmental benefits.
“When we develop cities, we replace natural vegetation and soils with hardened surfaces. This results in the loss of the functions the land used to provide, like absorbing stormwater, purifying water and providing cool refuge on hot summer days. It makes our cities more susceptible to climate change and environmental hazards, like flooding or extreme heat,” she explained, adding green infrastructure is a way to make urban areas work more like natural systems.
“It includes both naturally-occurring ecosystems, like woodlands and wetlands, and engineered systems that use nature or natural processes, like green roofs, rain gardens or permeable pavements.”
A framework has been developed to incorporate key strategies, case studies and resources to help governments learn how green infrastructure is working elsewhere in the country and in the world.
According to Mettler, Canada is lagging behind parts of Europe and the United States.
“We don’t really have both (that) legislative impetus in Canada and not nearly as much funding support, as well,” she explained.
The organization found the biggest barriers to advancing green infrastructure at the local level were municipal capacity and political will, and public awareness, knowledge and engagement.
Sheppard added the City of Lethbridge will be a key player in getting things off the ground.
“We hope to be able to talk with the city over the next year about some of the policy suggestions that could enhance green infrastructure in Lethbridge and some of the ways that it aligns with things like the municipal development plan,” she said.
Now that more funding has been obtained, the goal is to bring more prairie communities into the initative as well.
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