Protecting the environment is a local issue, according to Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan.
Water, sewage, garbage and transportation - all areas that are maintained at a municipal level - have a big effect on the environment, he pointed out in a phone interview on Dec. 5.
"The biggest impact is in things that are generally local in nature," he said.
Burnaby is beginning work on its Environmental Sustainability Strategy, following the release of its Social Sustainability Strategy last summer.
Corrigan is heading the strategy steering committee, as he did for the other two strategies.
"We're looking probably at our strongest area - the environment," Corrigan said.
The problems the city will be looking at will be unique, he said, including big issues such as climate change and peak oil.
"These things are beyond our control but may affect our plans in the future," he explained. "We're trying to think out what our responses may be as we see change happening."
The city is taking an open, comprehensive approach with its three strategies to make sure nothing important is left out, he said.
"Trying to assess where you want to go before you develop the strategy really denigrates the public participation and the consultation," Corrigan said. "I think you have to go into this with an open mind and be prepared to look at things you may not have thought of."
The plan looks quite comprehensive and ambitious, said Paul Cipywnyk of the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers.
"I think Burnaby has been quite good in preserving green space, but unfortunately in any urban area, there has to be some greenfield development," he said.
Protecting the environment, particularly Burnaby's streams, in an urban environment can be a challenge, Cipywnyk said.
Pollution from roads washes into the creeks, and water goes directly into the waterways instead of the ground, he explained.
The strategy is a good direction for the city, Cipywnyk said,
"They do provide a focus," he said of the city's three strategies.
Another streamkeeper, Nick Kvenich with the Eagle Creek Streamkeepers, hopes the city will develop specific goals with metrics and baselines for the strategy.
Kvenich ran for council as an independent candidate last month, and included his concerns about Burnaby's environment in his platform.
Doing due diligence in advance of development is essential, Kvenich said, pointing to some of the problems in the Burnaby Mountain watershed, with salt coming down Stoney Creek from the Simon Fraser University lands.
Having an advisory committee on such issues would be a good step, he added.
He would also like to see geothermal energy included in the strategy, as well as farming and harvesting of trees in Burnaby, he said.
The city is considering how the strategy will work in conjunction with its previous two strategies and the official community plan, according to Corrigan.
"There is also a certain degree of consideration and conservitude that comes out of our community too, to do what we can afford," he added.
The city is working on developing a steering committee for the strategy, vetting possible committee members between now and February 2012, according to a report from the city's director of building and planning, Basil Luksun.
The final strategy should be completed by September 2013, the report stated. The budget for the strategy is $100,000 from the council, commission and committees operating budget.
The strategy is paired with work on the city's community energy and emissions plan and the Metrotown district energy pre-feasibility study.
The plan is part of the city's commitment to try to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent below 2007 levels.
The 25-year plan would inform the sustainability strategy, the report stated.
B.C. Hydro has committed to a partnership funding agreement with the city on the project, with an estimated $60,000 contribution, while the city's portion is $120,320, according to the report.
The city would cover the full costs and be reimbursed for B.C. Hydro's portion once the assignment is completed to the company's satisfaction. The city estimates it will take approximately six months to complete the plan.
The Metrotown district energy pre-feasibility study is looking into the possibility of using a district energy system to supply heat and/or hot water for the Metrotown town centre.
B.C. Hydro is also partnering on the study, providing $34,500 in funding, according to the report.
The city would cover the rest of the $77,280 for the study, which is expected to take three months to complete.
