North Bay is a finalist community in province-wide conservation awards

Mayor Al McDonald
News Release

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The City of North Bay is among eight finalist communities in province-wide conservation awards that focus on promoting energy conservation.

The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) named eight municipalities from across the province – Burlington, Frontenac, Mississauga, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, South-West Oxford, Toronto and Vaughan – as finalists for the Community Conservation Awards. These municipalities are recognized for their commitment to energy saving initiatives and strong conservation leadership. The awards are a collaborative effort supported by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA), the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Electricity Distributors Association (EDA). The OPA announced the eight finalists on August 20, 2013, at the AMO annual conference in Ottawa.


“We are pleased to recognize these municipalities for their leadership in conservation and energy efficiency,” said OPA VP of Conservation, Andrew Pride. “The suite of saveONenergy programs can help all Ontarians conserve electricity and we are pleased to acknowledge their initiative as well as their support for the province’s conservation goals.”


“Innovation leadership is alive and well in the city as it led the country in converting to LED for street lighting and was a Provincial test site for mini-hybrid transit buses prior to converting our whole fleet to the innovative electric cooling system, another municipal first,” stated Mayor Al McDonald.

“The City of North Bay established its Green Plan over 5 years ago, and has reduced its electricity by over 7%, fuel consumption by 10%, and shifted where possible to greener fuels such as natural gas resulting in an overall greenhouse gas reduction of over 5% , while increasing our city-wide asset base. These reductions do not fully account for the full impact of the city’s just completed street light conversion program or the significant greenhouse gas reduction through the utilization of the methane gas at the Merrick Landfill Site to generate electricity. I am proud of our progress and would like to thank staff and council for their leadership in reducing our carbon foot print and leading the way to further protect our planet.”


Conservation helps Ontarians better manage their energy costs, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and, at a current program cost of three cents per kilowatt hour, is less costly than building new generation.


Now in their second year, the Community Conservation Awards promote a culture of conservation and encourage Ontario’s municipalities to participate in conservation activities. The initiative is a collaborative effort led by the OPA with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Electricity Distributors Association (EDA).


“The most effective conservation efforts are locally driven, and a strong municipal role is key to making that happen,” says Rene Gatien, chair of the Electricity Distributors Association. “Ontario’s electricity distribution companies look forward to continuing to partner with the municipalities recognized today, and all others, to get the best conservation results possible in communities across Ontario.”
Conservation helps Ontarians better manage their energy costs, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and, at a program cost of three cents per kilowatt hour, is less costly than building new generation.
The Community Conservation Awards are open to all municipalities in Ontario and are presented to communities that demonstrate strong achievement in the following areas:
• Conservation leadership
• Innovation and market transformation
• Corporate/internal and community engagement
• Conservation achievements
Participating communities are required to provide a written submission that outlines their conservation efforts and a case study that highlights their specific conservation initiatives.
The eight finalists were selected by a panel comprised of OPA conservation specialists, as well as five external judges who are experts in the municipal conservation field. This year’s winners will be announced on December 6, 2013, at the Local Authority Services Connections Energy Symposium in Toronto.
More information about the Community Conservation Awards can be found at powerauthority.on.ca/cca.

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