Case study: Sustainable future for a riverside village

St. François Xavier Sustainable Community Plan

The Rural Municipality of St. François Xavier created a sustainable community plan to influence planning and development decisions affecting village infrastructure, transportation, community design and the environment. Over the course of a year, the municipality conducted a survey, a visioning exercise and several public meetings and hearings to involve residents in the planning process. The goals of the new plan include protecting the town's rural character, encouraging walking and cycling, building a community hub of shops and services, and incorporating renewable-energy sources into neighbourhood design. Many of these measures will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Results

Challenges

• An open visioning workshop to kick off project planning was attended by only 10 per cent of the population. (The meeting at which the results were presented was, however, well-attended).
• Large lot sizes, a lack of cycling and walking paths, and the absence of local shops and services have created a car culture.
• The municipality must incorporate the plan's provisions into agreements with land developers. 

Lessons learned

• Consult the community as much as possible, from the earliest stages through completion of the plan.
• Community consultation must be a conversation.
• It isn't enough just to gather residents' views early in the process-residents must understand the plan.
• Residents must understand how councils work, especially the provincial regulatory framework that governs council activities and the inverse relationship between growth and taxes.

Partners and Collaborators

• Rural Municipality of St. François Xavier
• Manitoba Community Planning Division
• FCM's Green Municipal Fund

Project Contact

Robert Poirier
Chief Administrative Officer
Rural Municipality of St. François Xavier
T. 204-864-2092