Kingston, Ontario Environmental Advisory Forum
Type: Policy
Status: Created in January 2000
Source File: http://www.cityofkingston.ca/cityhall/committees/keaf/about.asp
Description:
The Kingston Environmental Advisory Forum (KEAF) was created in January 2000 as an advisory committee of City Council with a mandate to identify environmental issues and priorities in Kingston and to assist the city in the preparation of an environmental strategy.
In 2000 and 2001, KEAF convened several information and organizational meetings as well as workshops with the public at large and community organizations to advise on Kingston's future environmental priorities. KEAF was also requested by the City to advise on the environmental aspects of the new Kingston Community Strategic Plan and to provide input on the Public Advisory Committee regarding the environmental aspects of the Cataraqui Sewer Forcemain replacement project.
Following the recommendation of the public and community organizations that the City develop and Environmental Strategy, KEAF contributed to the publication of the document: FOCUS Kingston, published in 2002 with an emphasis on the section dealing with the Project Plan: Environment, part of the City's Community Strategic Plan 2000-2010.
Between 2002 and 2003, KEAF provided input on major studies such as the Urban Growth Strategy, the Transportation Master Plan, the Cycling and Pathways Study and the various Class Environmental Assessments for highway construction north of highway 401. KEAF also supervised a detailed review of all the studies conducted on the Inner harbour that was carried out by Malroz Engineering that resulted in a comprehensive report on that important area of Kingston. This report entitled: Kingston Inner Harbor Data Compilation and Gap Analysis for the Great Cataraqui River was completed in 2003 and presented to City Council Committee of the Whole in June 2003.
Current work in this area includes the design and construction of educational depots that describes and illustrates as stand-alone exhibits the history of the Inner Harbor and work that is being done by the City to clean up contaminated sites and the results of those efforts. An interim report was prepared a consulting team in April 2005 and a Public Consultation Forum was held in July 2005. The consultant's final report is to be submitted to the Planning and Development Services Committee in September/October 2005 for submission to Council for approval.
KEAF also acted on the recommendation from the earlier meetings and workshops by creating an environmental "Fact Box" for weekly submissions to the Kingston This Week newspaper as well as organizing a series of educational seminars on a wide range of environmental topics. The most recent series is in support of the City's One-Tonne Challenge Program that was launched in 2005. The series is being organized in partnership with the City, Queen's University, the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce and Hearthmakers Energy Cooperative Inc. The latter is a not-for-profit renewable energy company, based in Kingston.
In 2004, KEAF established a Working Group to work cooperatively with the Environment Division staff to research Partners in Climate Protection initiatives and options with the goal of developing a Community Local Action Plan (LAP) for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction in the Kingston area. Under the supervision of this Group and the City, a report was prepared by Walsh, Lohmann & Associates Environmental in December 2004, entitled: GHG Reduction Initiatives Compilation Report to serve as a background document for the Kingston LAP. A draft document is to be submitted to the City in early October 2005.