City of Thompson Sustainable Community Plan

Thompson City Hall

To make this northern Manitoba mining community a healthier, more sustainable, and recreation-rich place to live, the City of Thompson adopted a plan to enhance the wintertime appeal of its parks.

Summer baseball diamonds and soccer fields will give way to new skating areas next to outdoor hockey rinks; cross-country ski loops and snowmobile trails will be extended; and the city will maintain its network of parkland walkways in winter months.

The parks initiative complements a wider city sustainable-growth plan that will see more high-density downtown housing, increased commercial diversity to reduce economic reliance on mining, infrastructure repairs, and greater protection of the fragile northern natural environment.

Results

Environmental Economic Social
  •  Maintaining green corridors and natural areas in the city

  • Reduced urban sprawl thanks to high-density downtown housing

  • Efforts to attract new commercial and industrial development

  • Potential cuts in residential taxes from increased business activity

  • Greater year-round use of parks and pen spaces

  • More facilities for skating, skiing, snowmobiling and walking

Challenges

  • Balancing demand for new houses in suburbs with more environmentally sound high-density housing downtown.
  • Attracting new commerce and industry to reduce reliance on mining.
  • Setting appropriate usage policies for different types of recreational space.

Lessons learned

  • Define what the community wants from the process before hiring a consultant to lead it.
  • Create a detailed public-engagement strategy that goes beyond Facebook, blogging and other social media.
  • To forestall fear of change, clearly explain what is meant by sustainable growth.

Resources

Partners and Collaborators

Project Contact

Gary Ceppetelli
City Manager
City of Thompson, MN
T. 204-677-7922

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