The County of Frontenac's Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) consists of four documents: Directions for Our Future which serves as a guide to sustainability in the Frontenacs, and three annual updates, Sustainable Actions 2009, 2010 and 2011. Sustainable Actions 2011 (SA2011) presents a list of projects that have been identified and assessed on the basis on their contribution to the sustainability of the County now and into the future.
Sustainability is defined in Directions for Our Future (DFOF), the Frontenacs' Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP), as:
Reaching a desired future state that incorporates values - identified by community members and organizations - which integrate social, cultural, economic and environmental issues.
Our shared desired future state is defined through a vision that recognizes the history of the area. Values and principles are outlined. The importance of the effort and determination and commitment necessary to achieve a sustainable future is understood. Our annual sustainability gathering offers a forum to discuss recent achievements and future considerations and to ensure community interest and engagement remain fresh, updated and inspiring. This pivotal celebration allows for ongoing recognition and collaboration between those who make the path towards sustainability a reality.[1]
This document, Sustainable Actions 2011 (SA2011), offers a written account of the work done furthering sustainability by the County and its many partners through the 2011 year. It also provides a record of the activities identified by the community as priority projects. The original Sustainable Actions was produced in June 2009; last year's account was produced in November 2010.
As previously reported, people interested in the future of the County continue to come forward in ever growing numbers to converse and to contribute to the development and implementation of Frontenac's ICSP. Since we began our sustainability journey together in 2005, over one thousand different stakeholders have offered their time and resources to meet, comment, provide insights, offer ideas and work to make the Frontenacs a better place. By correspondence, email, one-on-one conversations, surveys, web input and group discussions, all of these contributions continue to support our common vision - our understanding of who we are, where we want to be and how we can begin to get there over the next 50 years.
So many are involved in sustainability activities throughout the Frontenacs. Many initiatives identified by our community members individually and collectively are captured here. They are also catalogued and described at www.directionsforourfuture.ca. This site is bringing community members together to share ideas and information and to report their successes to one another. Also reported on pages 6 through 24 are the projects identified by the community as those priority activities that should be undertaken in 2012 and beyond. These have all been vetted through a dedicated representative group of stakeholders and by the County of Frontenac's Sustainability Advisory Committee.
When County Council identifies an opportunity or is invited to be involved with a project, it considers its role and the nature of support it is prepared to offer. When it determines financial resources are to be contributed through its annual budgeting exercise, sourcing these funds requires further consideration. Those projects which County Council chooses to support through federal gas tax funds must be thoroughly assessed to ensure they meet the program criteria. As opportunities arise, Community Partnership Agreements are being sought with those who are committed to the Frontenacs' sustainability vision. When projects are jointly undertaken, memoranda of understanding are being used to confirm commitments of all partners. Indicators continue to evolve and are reported on the web site. Updating and publishing them reflect the commitment made to monitor our successes in each of the pillars of sustainability.
We look forward to your ongoing contributions as the implementation of DFOF continues into 2012 with guidance from SA2011. Without the ongoing implementation of projects, policies and actions that support sustainability, the vision will dim. We thank you for your efforts: for the projects and activities you have undertaken; and for your contributions made at the numerous formal and informal meeting opportunities attended, including this year's Sustainability Breakfast in May which offered a mid-year report and our 3rd Annual Sustainability Workshop held in October at which we reviewed and reported the year's progress towards sustainability and gathered further input to ensure SA2011 reflects the community's thoughts, perspectives and desires. Every stakeholder plays an important role ensuring that a sustainable future for the Frontenacs can be enjoyed by future generations.
