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The Sustainable Communities Conference (SCC) 2025 will feature a variety of panelists and keynote speakers to share their expertise and experiences with local sustainability. From subject matter experts to local leaders, journalists and academics, explore the list of speakers below and discover where to find them at SCC 2025.

All events and session times are displayed in Atlantic Time (AT).
Schedule is subject to change without notice.

Laura Lynch, keynote speaker

Award-winning journalist and host of CBC’s What On Earth

Keynote address on Thursday, February 13 at 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

In the course of her career, Laura has reported from across Canada and around the world. In the 1990’s she covered the Supreme Court of Canada as it broke new ground with precedent setting Charter of Rights rulings. Laura also covered Parliament Hill, covering everything from gun control to abortion to international trade.

After many years abroad, Laura is back where she started in Vancouver using her years of experience to tell Canadians what they need to know about climate change, it's challenges and solutions.

Over the years, Laura has won the prestigious Nieman fellowship from Harvard University, awards from the British Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association, RTNDA (Canada and U.S. ), Overseas Press Club of America, Amnesty International, RNAO and the Gabriel awards. Laura has a law degree from the University of Victoria and a journalism degree from Carleton University.

Tanya Talaga, keynote speaker

Award-winning journalist and author, Seven Fallen Feathers

Keynote address on Tuesday, February 11 at 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Tanya Talaga is an award-winning Anishinaabe journalist and author. Through her bestselling books, acclaimed documentaries and podcasts, regular columns with the Globe and Mail and powerful keynotes, Tanya aims to amplify Indigenous voices and stories across Canada and the world. She imparts audiences with in-depth knowledge on Indigenous culture and history, humanizing the legacy of residential schools and colonization while sharing her hope for a more inclusive and equitable future.

Tanya is of Indigenous and Polish descent. She is a member of Fort William First Nation and her mother was raised on the traditional territory of Robinson Superior Treaty area and in Treaty 9.

For more than 20 years, Tanya was a journalist at the Toronto Star. She is now a regular columnist at the Globe and Mail. In 2021, Tanya was part of the Globe team that won the Michener Award in public service journalism for reporting on the Catholic Church's efforts to avoid responsibility regarding Indian Residential Schools, and the pursuit of an apology from Pope Francis. Tanya is the author of three national bestsellers. Her first book, Seven Fallen Feathers, won the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize, the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing and the First Nation Communities Read Award: Young Adult/Adult.

Tanya also founded the production company, Makwa Creative Inc. and is the executive producer of the podcast, Auntie Up!, made for Indigenous women by Indigenous women.

Talaga holds four honorary doctorates. She was the 2017/2018 Atkinson Fellow in Public Policy and, in 2018, was the first Anishinaabe woman to be the CBC Massey Lecturer.

Alan De Sousa

Mayor of Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Chair of the Green Municipal Fund Council

Co-chair, SCC 2025

Mayor DeSousa is serving his sixth term as the Mayor of Saint-Laurent, QC, and has served on the City of Montreal's executive committee for over 11 years. He also served on the Montreal Metropolitan Community (MMC) council from 2002 to 2017 and was a member of the MMC executive committee for eight years. In 2022, he was named Chair of the Green Municipal Fund Council. Mayor DeSousa is the architect of Montreal's sustainable development and environmental policies, taking them from planning to implementation. Under his leadership, Saint-Laurent became sustainable municipal territory in 2019 and became the same year the first Québec municipal entity with over 100,000 residents to complete the final phase of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program.

Gabrielle Blatz

Councillor, City of Wetaskiwin, Alberta
Co-chair, SCC 2025

Panel: No one left behind – Collaborative climate solutions for inclusive action
(Moderator) Wednesday, February 12 at 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Gabrielle Blatz was first elected to city council in Wetaskiwin, Alberta in 2019. As a Metis woman, she has always had deep roots and passion for environmentalism. With her role on council, she has been able to transfer that passion for the environment into her community. In 2021, Wetaskiwin became home to an edible urban forest after she highlighted the benefits of urban forests in a presentation. This became the catalyst in her career for exploring ways for smaller municipalities to become leaders in accessible sustainability practices. Climate action, sustainability and green initiatives are the future of our country, and it will take communities of all sizes to make a positive impact on generations to come.

Carole Saab

Chief Executive Officer, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Carole is the CEO of Canada’s national municipal association, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), representing more than 2,100 member municipalities. FCM is home to the Big City Mayors’ Caucus and administers a suite of national and international programs. This includes the thriving Green Municipal Fund, which manages approximately $2.4 billion in programs that provide funding, resources and tools to help communities bring sustainability projects to life across Canada.

Carole is a tireless champion for cities and communities, driving an ambitious vision for local government leadership in building a more sustainable, prosperous and inclusive Canada. An accomplished strategist with over a decade of experience in federal and municipal advocacy, Carole has been a driving force behind watershed achievements for municipalities, securing unprecedented investment and progress for cities and communities. Carole’s leadership has positioned FCM as one of the most respected and effective advocacy organizations in Canada.

Abhi Kantamneni

Director, Action Research, Efficiency Canada

Panel: No one left behind – Collaborative climate solutions for inclusive action
Wednesday, February 12 at 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Abhilash Kantamneni (Abhi) is the Director of Action Research at Efficiency Canada, specializing in energy poverty and home trades business practices. His community-driven research has helped communities across the U.S. and Canada use energy efficiency to reduce poverty, create ‘good jobs’ and improve housing. His public speaking and capacity-building work has earned wide recognition, including being named a Canada Storyteller by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and 'Energy Leader' by Midwest Energy News. Abhi holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Anna University, a Masters in Physics and a Masters in Computer Science from Michigan Tech.

Anik Des Marais

Municipal Councillor, Ville de Gatineau, Quebec

Panel: Risk and resilience
Thursday, February 13 at 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Since 2021, Anik Des Marais has been putting her local and international experience at the service of residents of Gatineau as a municipal councillor for the Mitigomijokan district. As Chair of the Finance Committee and Vice-Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, she works to strengthen Gatineau’s resilience to environmental challenges and improve fiscal tools available to municipalities. She promotes concrete and innovative solutions to diversify revenues, adopt environmentally friendly practices and stimulate citizens’ participation in the city’s decision- making process.

Before devoting herself to municipal politics, Anik Des Marais pursued a career in economic development and international trade within the federal government. At Global Affairs Canada, she was responsible for major international projects related to social and economic development issues, including access to education in Morocco, women’s financial autonomy in Haiti, local development in Peru and sound public management in Kenya. She also supported Canadian companies in their international expansion as Deputy Director of the CanExport program.

Brett (Hetxw'msGyetxw) Huson

Founder and President of Aluu'taa

Panel: No one left behind – Collaborative climate solutions for inclusive action
Wednesday, February 12 at 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Hetxw’ms Gyetxw, also known as Brett D. Huson (he/him/his), is a proud member of the Gitxsan Nation from the Northwest Interior of British Columbia, Canada. He is the Founder and President of Aluu’taa, an Indigenous research and research support hub. A multi-award-winning author, Brett’s “Mothers of Xsan” series provides a profound insight into Gitxsan culture and knowledge. Beyond his literary achievements, he serves as a research associate at the Prairie Climate Centre, significantly contributing to integrating Indigenous Knowledges into the Climate Atlas. Brett is an advisor to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee and is a contributing writer to Canadian Geographic.

He actively engages in governance and advocacy, serving as a volunteer chair for the sakihiwe Music Festival Board and a member of the Steering Committee for Adaptation Futures. Brett’s work, deeply rooted in his Gitxsan heritage, is dedicated to bridging Indigenous knowledge systems with Western research and promoting cultural resilience. With the unwavering support of his wife, Jeri, and their children, Warren and Ruby, Brett is deeply committed to preserving and transmitting Indigenous knowledge across generations, ensuring its legacy for the future.

Chris Boivin

Chief Development Officer, FCM & Managing Director, Green Municipal Fund

Sustainable Community Awards ceremony
Tuesday, February 11 at 5 – 6 p.m.

Chris Boivin is the Chief Development Officer for the FCM and the Managing Director of the Green Municipal Fund (GMF). In these roles, Chris oversees the development and delivery of FCM’s programs focused on sustainability and social inclusion. He oversees a diverse and multi-disciplinary team that develops solutions to help make communities of all sizes more sustainable and resourced to better serve Canadians of all walks of life.

As the Managing Director of the FCM’s flagship GMF, Chris is responsible for executing the vision for the $2.4 billion Government of Canada investment in support of municipal projects that advance innovative solutions to environmental challenges. A focus of this work is helping communities across Canada achieve net-zero emissions and climate resilience faster. Since taking over the role in 2017, the GMF team has grown the fund and its reach more than four-fold.

Chris previously held senior roles at Sustainable Development Technology Canada. He has worked on climate change for over 20 years and has led over $1.5 billion in public investments in climate change projects in pursuit of Canadian emissions reductions goals. He is passionate about making a difference in all he takes on. He is equally passionate about building and enabling people and teams to do the same.

Joanna Eyquem

Managing Director, Climate-Resilient Infrastructure, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation

Panel: Risk and resilience
Thursday, February 13 at 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Joanna Eyquem is an internationally-recognized leader in climate adaptation and nature-based solutions, with 25 years experience in Europe, North America and Western Africa. Her work at the Intact Centre focuses on reducing flooding, erosion and heat risk, in particular working with nature and the financial sector. Joanna serves on over 30 boards and committees, including for the National Research Council of Canada, the Government of Quebec’s Expert Group on Adaptation, and as Chair of the Board for the Natural Assets Initiative. Previously, Joanna was the Global Technical Practice Lead for Climate Resilience at AECOM. She is professionally qualified in both Canada and the UK, bilingual and typically featured in over 150 media features a year (in English and French).

Louise Comeau

Senior Advisor, Re.Climate

Panel: A new era of climate action – Economic opportunity, job creation and cost savings at the forefront of action
Wednesday, February 12 at 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Louise holds a doctorate in environmental management, focused on environmental ethics and behaviour change. She has received three Queen’s citizenship medals for her work in international climate negotiations, creation of the Green Municipal Fund at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and advancing climate action in New Brunswick. She is a member of Canada’s Net Zero Advisory Body.

Marieke Cloutier

Senior Director, Programs, Green Municipal Fund

Panel: Risk and resilience
(Moderator) Thursday, February 13 at 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Marieke Cloutier provides strategic leadership to maximize GMF’s ability to accelerate the transformation of Canadian municipalities towards creating net zero, resilient, sustainable communities by fostering equity informed climate action. She passionately executes, with her awesome team, her mandate to oversee the design, implementation, performance and evolution of existing and future GMF programs.

Environment, ecological transition and innovative solutions have always been pillars of Marieke's career. For more than 20 years, Marieke has been a strategic leader in large organizations in terms of climate change, urban resilience, partnerships, mobilization and behaviour change. Marieke has worked with all levels of government as well as with the private sector, non-governmental organizations and international organizations such as the Organisation of Economic Co-operation Development (OECD). In 2002, she decided to dedicate herself to the municipal government level (Union of Municipalities of Quebec, City of Longueuil).

Prior to joining GMF, Marieke spent almost 10 years at the City of Montreal, where she headed multiple departments focused on adaptation and emissions reductions, biodiversity protection, environmental regulations and monitoring. Marieke was one of the main architects behind the elaboration and implementation of Montreal’s Climate Plan 2020-2030. She grew up in the Outaouais region and lives in Montreal with her family.

Mani Rajendran

Senior Project Manager, the Regional Municipality of Durham

Panel: No one left behind – Collaborative climate solutions for inclusive action
Wednesday, February 12 at 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Mani is a Senior Project Manager in the Transportation Design Division of the Works Department in the Region of Durham. Mani manages the region’s transportation projects and leads the division on strategic initiatives, including the Transportation Climate Change Resilience Plan and Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure Implementation Policy and Guidelines (Envision Framework, ISI).

Mani holds a double master’s in Transportation Planning and Urban Engineering and a mini-MBA in Business Management.

As the lead for the Transportation Community Climate Change Resilience program, Mani has led and completed a systems-level flood risk assessment within Durham’s major conservation area watersheds for present and future climate scenarios.

Mani previously led the Regional Public Works Commissioners of Ontario’s Climate Change Subcommittee to complete a “Climate Resilience Roadmap for Ontario Municipal Infrastructure and Systems”. He is currently chairing the American Public Works’ Sustainable Transportation Subcommittee.

Megan Leslie

President and CEO, World Wildlife Fund-Canada

Panel: Risk and resilience
Thursday, February 13 at 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Megan Leslie is President & CEO of World Wildlife Fund-Canada. Since taking on this role, Megan has led WWF-Canada’s bold 10-year plan Regenerate Canada, to expand habitats, reduce carbon in the atmosphere, lower industrial impacts and, as a result, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. She is also passionate about engaging Canadians to take action for nature.

Before joining WWF, Megan was a Member of Parliament representing Halifax for two terms during which she was deputy leader of the Official Opposition, environment critic and vice-chair of the government committee on environment and sustainable development. As a Parliamentarian Megan introduced a motion to ban plastic microbeads which led to a ban on the Canadian manufacture, sale and importation of these products. She also expedited the creation of Sable Island National Park Reserve.

Megan is the proud recipient of an Honourary Degree from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax and a board member with ArcticNet.

Sheila Murray

Project Director, Community Resilience to Extreme Weather (CREW)

Panel: No one left behind – Collaborative climate solutions for inclusive action
Wednesday, February 12 at 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Sheila Murray is a co-founder and lead of the Toronto based, volunteer driven Community Resilience to Extreme Weather (CREW), an award-winning initiative on the MakeWay shared platform. CREW has explored the ways in which community resilience to climate impacts is developed at the grassroots level since 2014. It inspires, enables and supports community-led networking that increases awareness of local climate change impacts and promotes local resiliencies, especially for the more vulnerable. Sheila served as an expert stakeholder in the 2019 development of Toronto’s Resilience Strategy.

Sheila’s 2009 - 2013 research, communications and community engagement for the Omega Foundation’s project, SmartSaver, contributed to the participation of thousands of families and created successful partnerships and networks across Canada. This project helped modest-income families establish education savings, making their children more likely to apply for, and to attend, post-secondary education.

Sheila is also a writer, who's acclaimed 2022 novel, Finding Edward, included themes of anti-Black racism and Black Canadian history. Her background is in film production, sound editing and documentary filmmaking. She has a BA in Journalism and an MA in Immigration and Settlement Studies, both from Metropolitan Toronto University.

Skylar Franke

Councillor, Ward 11, City of London, Ontario

Panel: A new era of climate action – Economic opportunity, job creation and cost savings at the forefront of action
Wednesday, February 12 at 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Skylar Franke is currently serving her first term as Councillor for Ward 11. She can most often be found right in the thick of conversations about the community, environment and politics in this city. She lives in the Coves neighbourhood and subwatershed in Ward 11.

Prior to becoming a City Councillor, she worked in London’s environmental sector for over eight years and supported a wide variety of environmental projects in the city. She was previously the Executive Director at the London Environmental Network, which offered corporate and residential sustainability programs as well as managed green infrastructure projects like rain gardens and Depave Paradise events. She also worked for ReForest London running residential tree planting programs. She graduated in 2013 from King’s University College at Western University with an honours B.A. in Social Justice and Peace Studies and French Studies.

Ursula Eicker

PhD, Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities and Communities, Concordia University, Montreal

Panel: A new era of climate action – Economic opportunity, job creation and cost savings at the forefront of action
Wednesday, February 12 at 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Ursula Eicker is the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities and Founder and Director of the Next-Generation Cities Institute at Concordia University in Montréal. She works on decarbonization strategies for cities using living labs and urban digital twins for scenario modeling, user engagement and operational optimization.

Her research interests cover zero emission and smart cities, renewable energy integration and sustainable urban infrastructure. With a team of about 50 graduate students and software developers she is working on multiple eco-district projects in Canada and builds the urban modeling and data analytics platform Tools4Cities. To engage users, 3D city models can be accessed via web interfaces or immersive gamification tools. Prof. Eicker has published eight books, 20 book contributions, over 140 Peer-Reviewed Papers and more than 340 Conference Papers.

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SCC 2025: Plan your trip

Everything you need to know to book your travel for FCM’s Sustainable Communities Conference.

SCC 2025: Program details

Browse our sessions and plan your schedule.

SCC 2025: Exhibitors

Explore the list of Industry Showcase exhibitors

Exhibitor	Booth Number
Canada Foundation for Innovation The Canada Foundation for Innovation supports researchers with funding for the equipment and spaces they need to make discoveries and innovate, creating healthier and more sustainable communities across the country.	28
Clean Foundation Clean Foundation brings specialized teams together to work on complex problems, delivering many climate action and capacity building projects and initiatives around Nova Scotia, PEI and the Atlantic region. Learn more about us and the work we do: cleanfoundation.ca	18
Climate Caucus Climate Caucus is a non-partisan network of 700 current and former local elected leaders and over 1400 allies, leading the transformation needed for communities to thrive within planetary boundaries.	15
ClimateView ClimateView is a Swedish technology company equipping governments worldwide with IPCC-based intelligence and tools to plan, finance, and monitor their green transition. Officials, consultancy experts, and elected leaders in 180 municipalities use the industry-leading ClimateView Platform to assess the impact of policies, and track progress with KPIs. Customers include Scotland, Germany’s Ruhr region, the cities of Bristol, Cincinnati and Munich.	29
ClimAtlantic CLIMAtlantic is Atlantic Canada’s climate services organization. Its team provides communities, rightsholders and other stakeholders with free up-to-date information, training, opportunities to connect, and resources to support adaptation decision making to enhance resilience to climate change impacts.	21
Canadian Urban Institute The Climate Ready Infrastructure Service is a national capacity-building project that connects local governments with top climate experts to build climate resilience into their infrastructure projects. The service is delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute and funded by the government of Canada.	10
Community Energy Association The Community Energy Association is a not-for-profit charitable organization that accelerates bold action by local governments and Indigenous communities related to climate and energy.	15
CSA Group The mission of CSA Group’s Standards Development organization is to enhance the lives of Canadians through the advancement of standards in the public and private sectors. We are a leader in standards research, development, education, and advocacy.	7
dependbuild Dependbuild is a SaaS platform transforming risk and knowledge management for municipalities. Our A.I. enabled platform empowers and builds capacity in municipalities by automating key project insights, streamlining processes, and helping staff access and adopt best practices throughout the organization.	30
Ducks Unlimited Ducks Unlimited Canada has over 85 years of experience conserving, restoring, and managing landscapes to benefit wildlife, water quality, and people. Talk with our team to learn more about how our programming and services can benefit your community!	23
Earth Day Canada Earth Day Canada is a national charitable organization that not only organizes Earth Day celebrations, but also provides programming and educational activities that promote environmental stewardship, all year round!	27
Habitat Habitat is an environmental solutions company specializing in biodiversity measurement, ecosystem services assessment and sustainable land management planning. Habitat's mission is to guide organizations towards practices that preserve biodiversity and strengthen their resilience in the face of climate change.	24
Home Run Financing (PACE Funding Group) Home Run Financing is a specialty finance company offering Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loans for home improvement upgrades. Our proprietary software platform facilitates the PACE origination process and is a great fit for the residential PACE market in Canada.	14
ICLEI Canada Climate Insight is a free, online platform that empowers communities across Canada with the data and information to build low-carbon, resilient housing and infrastructure. It is delivered by ICLEI Canada with support from Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada, and continually evolves to meet user needs.	9
icInfrastructure icInfrastructure creates innovative training programs and eLearning platforms for governments and infrastructure owners that need to educate staff and stakeholders on improving infrastructure planning practices.	8
Infrastructure Canada- Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada invests in housing and public infrastructure, addresses homelessness, builds public-private-partnerships, and delivers programs that improve Canadians' quality of life by making communities more resilient and accessible, while also creating jobs and supporting economic growth.	1
Liveable Cities Liveable Cities improves Canadians’ lives by developing new technologies that make cities safer, efficient, and more liveable. The company leverages streetlights’ locations to develop and deploy advanced smart city solutions that create powerful data and insights to support community decision-makers.	17
MTB Transit Solutions MTB Transit Solutions has created ZEV Clean Power to help municipalities reach their GHG reduction goals sooner. We take mid-life diesel buses and trucks and convert the propulsion to battery electric or hydrogen that will help improve the quality of air in communities.	2
Municipal Net-Zero Action Research Partnership (N-ZAP) The Municipal Net-Zero Action Research Partnership (N-ZAP) aims to support Canadian municipalities in monitoring, measuring and achieving their GHG mitigation goals. This research project will study and create improved measurement, analysis and monitoring systems for both municipal and community-wide GHG emissions. N-ZAP is a partnership between the University of Waterloo, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, ICLEI Canada, 11 other Canadian universities, nine other national organizations and 15 municipal governments.	5
National Research Council The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is the Government of Canada's largest research and technology organization. We conduct research, support small and medium-sized companies, and we connect Canadian innovators to leading R&D capabilities. We also enable cross-sector partnership and collaboration here at home.	1
Nature Canada Nature Canada is an environmental charity working to protect nature and wildlife in Canada for 80 years. They engage over a thousand grassroots partner organizations and hundreds of thousands of nature-lovers to help Canadians discover, defend and restore nature.	3
nDesign Human centered design services for products, services, and positive systems change.	8
Northstar Clean Technologies Inc. Northstar Clean Technologies' mission is to be the leader in the recovery and reprocessing of asphalt shingles in North America. Northstar has developed a proprietary design process for taking discarded asphalt shingles, otherwise destined for already over-crowded landfills, and extracting the liquid asphalt, aggregate and fiber. These reprocessed outputs can be used in a variety of applications, including new shingles, road construction, and other industrial applications.	22
Re.Climate Re.Climate is Canada’s centre for climate change communication and engagement at Carleton University. Our team has decades of experience conducting research, developing climate, energy, and sustainability campaigns, and training leaders in how to apply evidence-based best practices in outreach efforts.	20
ReliON ReliON delivers the first comprehensive end-to-end Operation & Maintenance (O&M) platform for EV charging infrastructure, offering complete visibility and control over a network’s operational status and issue resolution to optimize uptime and reduce operational complexity. The platform integrates with the supply chain for streamlined field interventions and parts logistics, delivering a cohesive experience from problem detection to resolution.	25
Rick Hansen Foundation The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) was established in 1988, following the completion of Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour. For over 35 years, RHF has worked to raise awareness, change attitudes, and remove barriers for people with disabilities. Visit www.rickhansen.com to learn more.	26
Spruce Creative Canada Spruce is a full-service creative agency that focuses on city building, human development, Indigenous priorities and sustainability. From brands to websites, social media campaigns to video projects, we support organizations in helping communities achieve their potential.	4
Standards Council of Canada The Standards Council of Canada oversees Canada’s standardization system. We bring people together and foster collaboration to drive the creation of forward-thinking standards, conformity assessment, and accreditation programs that reflect Canadian values and advance Canada’s priorities at home and abroad.	1
Sustainability Solutions Group SSG is the only consultancy in Canada dedicated to municipal climate planning, which includes mitigation, adaptation, land use, and implementation planning. Through our work with nearly 100 municipalities over 20 years, we have defined the practice of climate action planning.	13
Sustainable Forestry Initiative Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is a sustainability leader through our work in standards, conservation, community, and education. As an independent, non-profit organization, we support our diverse network to help address local and global sustainability challenges through forest-focused collaboration.	16
Trane Canada At Trane®, we partner with our clients to understand how energy effects their business, taking into consideration their assets, visions and goals. As a leading global provider of indoor comfort and energy solutions, Trane® offers solutions to unleash the hidden potential of a building.	12
Tree Canada Tree Canada is the non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of Canadians by planting and nurturing trees. To date, with CN and our community partners and sponsors, we have restored areas hit by natural disasters, guided communities in managing their urban forests, greened 660 schoolyards and organized annual urban forest conferences and planted more than 82 million trees.	19
Valores (Coastal Zones Research Institute) Coastal Zones Research Institute is a private non-profit applied research organisation with expertises on - but not limited to - climate change resilience adaptation and mitigation, sustainable development and circular economy. We offer R&D and analyses services focus on resources valorisation.	11

Webinar recording: Making sustainable land use decisions in your municipality

Explore practical tools and strategies for sustainable land use planning

LAND USE

Attachment type: External Link

Watch the discussion and learn about practical tools for sustainable land use

Watch the webinar

As Canadian municipalities grow, local governments are looking for innovative ways to accommodate, service and support new residents and businesses. As a result, the need for strategic, fiscally responsible and environmentally conscious land-use planning is more important than ever. To support municipalities on this journey, we partnered with the Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG), with support from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), to develop two essential tools to help local governments balance housing, commerce and agriculture with long-term climate and financial sustainability.

Hear from experts as they guide participants through innovative tools and strategies, including the Land-Use Impact Calculator (LUIC) and the Guide: Climate and financial impacts of land-use decisions, showcasing practical examples and successful approaches from municipalities across Canada.

This webinar was delivered in English with French simultaneous interpretation.

Watch the webinar recording to learn more about:

How to effectively use the Land-Use Impact Calculator to analyze project implications.
Key strategies from the Land-Use Guide for making sustainable land-use decisions.
Practical steps to apply these tools to your municipality’s specific needs.
Insights from case studies on successful land-use planning.
Methods to integrate these resources into your decision-making process for enhanced sustainability.

Panelists:

Jeremy Murphy, Sustainability Solutions Group
Noah Purves-Smith, Sustainability Solutions Group

The Land-Use Planning Tools initiative is delivered by FCM through our Green Municipal Fund, in partnership with the Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG) and supported by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Webinar recording: Climate data in action

Strengthening municipal adaptation initiatives

CLIMATE ADAPTATION

Attachment type: File

Learn how climate data can support municipal adaptation projects

Watch the webinar

Discover how climate data can drive your municipality's adaptation initiatives. As key players in climate adaptation, municipalities across Canada are uniquely positioned to leverage climate data to strengthen adaptation efforts. This one-hour webinar explored how climate data could inform and support your municipality’s climate adaptation efforts.

Speakers:

Casey Clunas, Policy Analyst, Canadian Centre for Climate Services, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Sara MacRae, Manager of Climate & Energy, County of Dufferin
Jillian Prosser, Leader, Climate Adaptation Team, City of Calgary

This webinar is ideal for municipal staff, climate adaptation professionals, and community leaders seeking to enhance their understanding and implementation of climate data-driven adaptation strategies.

FCM’s Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative is delivered through our Green Municipal Fund and funded by the Government of Canada.

A steady approach to levels of service in Flagstaff County

Managing roads, water and sanitation assets in rural Alberta

ASSET MANAGEMENT

Alberta

Background

The rural municipality of Flagstaff County in east/central Alberta is home to around 3,600 people across a few small towns and villages, along with two hamlets that came on board in 2016. With help from a Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP) grant, the county is progressing on its asset management journey, having:

Developed an asset management policy and roadmap to identify next steps
Conducted a strategic risk assessment
Identified levels of service and conducted condition assessments for roads, water and sanitation services

From 2017 to 2024, MAMP funded 148 asset management grants for municipal projects across Alberta and provided training and education through MAMP-funded partners to more than 215 municipalities in the province.

Highlights

Compiling current levels of service information in one place was a good starting point for this rural municipality
Identifying and addressing gaps in geographic information system (GIS) data made setting levels of service easier
A strategic risk assessment identified issues that were impacting service delivery and decision-making
Connecting with another county led to sharing an app to assess gravel road conditions

The challenge

Flagstaff County took a methodical approach to setting levels of service by starting with its three main asset classes: roads, water and sanitation services. Roads in particular are crucial in this rural municipality that has no buses or taxis and relies on arterial roads for vital services such as moving grain to elevators. To effectively plan for the future, Flagstaff County knew it needed to start with a comprehensive understanding of what assets existed across the county, what condition they were in and what was required to maintain them.

“We’re taking a more systematic approach to service delivery across the municipality. Assessing our service levels helps connect program costs and operational activities to performance, making it easier for council to evaluate the trade-offs between services and costs when making decisions.”
~ Debra Brodie, Corporate Services Director, Flagstaff County

The approach

Resources and training

Staff used the Alberta asset management handbook and toolkit along with in-person and online training resources from the Government Finance Officers Association of Alberta and MAMP case studies, among others, with the aim of discovering what similar-sized and similar-resourced communities were doing. They also held a workshop to determine future needs and self-assessed using MAMP’s Asset Management Readiness Scale (AMRS).

Staff and council buy-in

A consultant helped with planning and bringing together an internal asset management committee to help coordinate the work. Council proved to be very keen, especially after learning that Flagstaff County was at pre-level 1 on the AMRS; the province had legislated an asset management approach, so it had to be done; and having robust data about municipal assets would enable better planning and decision-making.

Staff from different departments were included from the beginning, and many discussions were held to explore concerns about how asset management might affect their responsibilities. This helped everyone understand the intent of the work and see the bigger picture.

Risk assessment

Staff undertook a strategic risk assessment to identify issues that were impacting the county's ability to deliver services and make decisions. Through this process, they identified a set of priorities and risk mitigation strategies to be used to assess the county’s progress in integrating the levels of service and risk assessment into decision-making and the annual budget process.

Current and target levels of service

To identify current levels of service, the county took an inventory of its policies, standards and maintenance programs for each service area, and compiled all information related to service levels into a concise format. Performance was evaluated based on staff knowledge, council input and data from the county’s complaint management system. Staff proposed performance targets based on provincial and federal regulations, codes of practice, standards and guidelines, and these were then confirmed by council. As an example, the county’s Road Classification and Level of Service policy categorizes the road network system by road classifications (e.g., arterial, collector, local, undeveloped) using specific criteria, road specifications and level of service to ensure roads are designed, operated and maintained based on service needs, type of use and frequency of use.

While the county did not conduct a new public survey for its levels of service work, staff and council input was sought to identify the attributes of each service that mattered to residents. Information from previous public surveys was also used.

A gravel road across a newly replaced bridge, with soil on both sides, fields and a winding tributary.

Barriers

Early on, Flagstaff County realized it had inaccuracies in its GIS data stemming from how the data were captured and stored. For example, it had multiple data sets for water, which occurred when the hamlets were incorporated into the county. This impacted the accuracy of its levels of service work.

Time and capacity were additional barriers. It took time to build staff understanding and develop the policy, as well as to define the levels of service and conduct the risk assessment, especially in the face of competing priorities. Covid was also a factor, as staff couldn’t meet in person and those working from home often had network issues.

While some of Flagstaff County’s policies alluded to expected levels of service, it was necessary to evaluate whether its policies and practices were in sync and make adjustments if needed.

The results

With training, input from the consultant, ongoing discussion and seeing the results in action, staff and council have a better understanding of how asset management can enhance the quality of municipal services. Council has endorsed the asset management policy and allocated a budget to implement the roadmap. The county has also moved up on the AMRS in both the Policy and governance and Planning and decision-making competencies.

Armed with its policy and maintenance program inventories and a process to address gaps and missing information, Flagstaff County revised its policies to match desired levels of service, creating a foundation to improve its data management practices and update its database. The county is now better positioned to monitor levels of service and feed information, such as risk and performance data, into maintenance and capital planning. It is also creating a process map to integrate risk and service level data into operational and capital budget cycles, and has developed an asset risk table that includes build/repair/replace information.

The county collaborated with nearby County of St. Paul to share experiences and solutions and has started using a condition assessment tool developed in St. Paul to systematically and affordably assess gravel road condition.

Flagstaff County is also considering ways to build climate resilience, with drought being a key concern. The local Agricultural Service Board has a good conservation plan, and the county is looking at how to manage watersheds and is part of a shelterbelt program for trees, with the county paying half the cost and the customer paying the other half.

Having up-to-date policies, defined levels of service and solid performance data gives staff more confidence that they’re doing what’s needed rather than what’s wanted when it comes to managing county assets. Although it was a long and at times slow process with many moving parts, Flagstaff County expects subsequent phases for other asset classes to be faster now that everyone knows the whys and wherefores. The recent hire of a full-time Asset Management/GIS Coordinator is expected to keep asset management front and centre.

Lessons learned

Don’t give up. It seemed overwhelming at times, but with Council support and a good plan, Flagstaff County achieved its objectives. They found that as staff and council’s understanding of the benefits of asset management grew, so too did their willingness to allocate time to it.
Network. Flagstaff County found its collaboration with the County of St. Paul to be a valuable source of information and support.
Build good data. Having current information about what services it was providing, as well as what assets it had and their condition, made it easier for Flagstaff County to establish accurate and complete levels of service and conduct risk and condition assessments.

Next steps

Flagstaff County will follow its annual review cycle for its levels of service and risk assessments for roads, water and sanitation services, and for other asset classes as they are added. It established an annual review to ensure the work wasn’t done once and not looked at again.

Related resources

CP012 Asset Management
PW016 Road Classification and Level of Service policy

Contact

Debra Brodie, Corporate Services Director
Flagstaff County, AB
(780) 384-4109 | dbrodie@flagstaff.ab.ca

This resource was developed by the Municipal Asset Management Program(MAMP)

MAMP was designed to help Canadian municipalities strengthen their infrastructure investment decisions based on reliable data and sound asset management practices. This eight-year, $110-million program was funded by the Government of Canada and delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. It was implemented in partnership with municipal, provincial and territorial associations and other key stakeholders.

Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.

Visit the projects database

Setting levels of service in Conception Bay South, NL

The benefits of formalizing and tracking asset management processes

ASSET MANAGEMENT

Background

Conception Bay South is a town of over 27,000 people located near St. John’s on Newfoundland and Labrador’s Avalon Peninsula. In 2021, it received a Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP) grant to establish an asset management committee and policy, acquire and populate asset management software, and set levels of service and conduct condition assessments for 240 kilometres of roads and close to 70 parks and recreation facilities. It was also able to include 36 sewage lift stations.

From April 2016 to October 2024, MAMP funded 133 asset management grants for municipal projects across Newfoundland and Labrador and provided training and education through MAMP-funded partners to more than 229 municipalities in the province.

Highlights

Motivated staff helped drive initial efforts
E-learning courses and customized workshops and templates built understanding and buy-in, and fostered group ownership
Common definitions for "adequate” level of service created shared understanding and expectations
Climate change considerations are being incorporated into infrastructure planning and upgrades
A dedicated asset management student and mandatory training for new staff helped maintain focus and progress

The challenge

The town was built with a piecemeal approach over hundreds of years, and there was little information about infrastructure installed before the town was incorporated in 1973. The Senior Capital Asset Accountant position was created in 2014, asset management was more of a buzzword than a reality, and the asset management activities that were taking place were not necessarily defined or documented as such. As the town grew, it started looking for a more structured approach to planning and decision-making.

The approach

After 2014, asset management quickly became a collaborative effort between council, the asset management committee and staff. The committee had many roles, including spreading awareness, sharing information across departments and streamlining asset management to avoid duplication and ensure everyone benefitted from each department’s work.

The town began with roads, parks and lift stations. Motivated recreation staff, who were interested in how asset management could contribute to maintaining recreation facilities, made parks and recreation facilities a natural inclusion. Roads were included as they are a crucial municipal asset for residents and the most expensive to maintain. Since the town already had preliminary water and sewer data, the cost to include lift stations was not excessive.

Training was critical. The asset management committee took the Canadian Network of Asset Managers’ eLearning courses. Subsequently, staff and council participated in a customized, in-person workshop from the Atlantic Infrastructure Management (AIM) Network, which they described as “very successful, informative and engaging,” and a turning point in their efforts. Because the sessions focused specifically on Conception Bay South, they were instrumental in building acceptance and buy-in. With the facilitator, workshop participants also customized the AIM Network’s levels of service template to meet the needs of Conception Bay South, taking the guesswork out of deciding where to start.

Early on, the town hired a university student for the summer who was dedicated to asset management. He sat on the committee and provided consistent communication to staff to keep asset management front of mind. One of his main responsibilities was to consolidate asset inventory lists from each department and create a master list. When a master list for one category of assets was done, the committee would start working on levels of service for that category, using the AIM Network’s level of service template, internal policies, and results from annual public surveys. Council and senior management also provided input, stimulating discussion and a sense of ownership among the team, which in turn helped drive interest and commitment.

Conception Bay South consulted with the community to ensure their viewpoints were incorporated into its levels of service work. It also facilitates an annual public survey to collect information on how residents would prefer to spend the variable budget. The survey includes questions about what levels of service are satisfactory to residents, and these results will be used to inform ongoing discussions about levels of service.

Two people sitting high on a bluff, looking out at the coastline as the sun sets over the ocean.

Barriers

Asset management implementation can often present challenges, and conjure concerns related to the limited capacity of resources such as funds and staff availability. Conception Bay South was able to alleviate such concerns through open communication, discussion and training. Staff, senior management and council started to understand the benefits of making data-driven decisions that could be supported by analytical figures, even in the face of having to learn new concepts and terminologies and change established processes.

Discussions among staff and council during the workshops and afterward revealed that “adequate” level of service meant different things to different people, making it hard to determine which level of service was being met. This realization highlighted the need for defined and documented definitions.

The results

The town developed an asset management policy; created an asset management committee with cross-team representation; acquired and began to populate its asset management decision support tool; and set levels of service for its roads, parks and lift stations.

Staff and council now see the town’s asset management processes as important communication channels to obtain information for decision-making and planning, and to report asset conditions and financial needs. Council and senior management are eager to review asset management reports and see the potential for cost savings. However, some decisions must still be made based on available funding rather than following the asset management plan to the letter.

New staff are expected to take asset management training, to build a common understanding and highlight asset management as a priority. Although there has been some turnover since the beginning of the project, one of the original parks and recreation champions continues to be involved, sitting on the committee and motivating other staff by ensuring asset management is an integral part of discussions and decision making.

“When it comes to asset management, there’s strength in numbers. We keep the momentum going by encouraging new staff to become involved and using our champions to boost interest internally and throughout the municipality.”
~ Suzanne Grouchy, Senior Capital Asset Accountant

Staff have started incorporating asset management tasks into their day-to-day routines. For instance, the town’s Geographic Information System (GIS) Technician developed a process to log condition assessments for various assets, whereby field workers doing regular maintenance can complete an online condition assessment on a mobile device. The information is automatically uploaded to the GIS system that is linked to the town’s asset management software.

Conception Bay South is also beginning to integrate climate considerations into its planning. Being on the coast, it experiences ongoing losses from storm surges that damage roads and breakwaters. The engineering department and external consultants are looking at new designs and methodologies for construction specifications for infrastructure upgrades that can better withstand climate change.

Lessons learned

Involve council and senior management early, and ideally right from the start. Although Conception Bay South was lucky enough to have built-in champions, work was still needed to get everyone on board, and the town now views that time and effort as well worth it in the end.
Take advantage of outside resources. For Conception Bay South, participation in the AIM Network workshop and using the customized template was invaluable in laying out the rationale for and kick-starting the levels of service work.
Keep the momentum going. Conception Bay South found that enthusiasm dwindled at times as other priorities arose, highlighting the need for consistent focus and ongoing monitoring. Focusing on the net benefits has been helpful in this regard.

Next steps

Conception Bay South is now looking to set levels of service for water, sewers and buildings, and will expand its assessment and reporting schedules to monitor the extent to which its agreed-upon levels of service are being met.

It also plans to start sending managers monthly condition reports to inspire discussion and maintain momentum.

Related resources

Contact

Suzanne Grouchy, CPA
Senior Capital Asset Accountant
Conception Bay South, NL
(709) 834-6500 ext. 209

Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.

Visit the projects database

Accelerating community energy systems

Grants, peer learning and expert guidance to help you advance community energy systems (CES) in your municipality.

LOCAL ENERGY GENERATION

Other renewable community energy systems

Read the guide for more information on creating a successful application. Please note that this will lead you to the Net-zero Transformation application guide.

Read the application guide

Please note that applications closed on March 31, 2025.

Funding Snapshot

Maximum Award:

$200,000

Grant up to 50%* of eligible costs

Open To:

The following organizations are eligible for GMF funding:

Canadian municipal governments (e.g., towns, cities, regions, districts, and local boards)
Municipally owned corporations (e.g., a municipal utility)
An Indigenous community is an eligible lead applicant if they are partnering with a Canadian municipal government on an eligible project, or if they have a shared service agreement with a Canadian municipal government related to municipal infrastructure, climate change or adaptation.

Expected Output:

A study that identifies opportunity areas for low-carbon community energy systems (including renewable and district energy systems) within your community and develops mechanisms to support implementation.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT:
Selected communities will benefit from joining a peer-learning support program, receiving skills development training and connecting with national leaders in community energy systems.

Types of support you can expect to receive includes but is not limited to:

navigating financial and ownership model decision-making
learning and assessing technical conditions required for a CES project
embedding CES into development and planning processes

Application Deadline:

The application deadline is March 31, 2025.

Eligible Costs:

See list of eligible costs.

* The following applicants may qualify for a grant of up to 80 percent of eligible project costs:

Municipalities (or their partners) with a population of 10,000 or under;
regional governments or groups of municipalities where the average population of the member municipalities is 10,000 or under;
eligible Indigenous communities; and,
northern communities.

Northern and eligible Indigenous communities that are applying to GMF for the first time may qualify for a grant of up to 100 percent of eligible costs.

The North is defined as the three territories and the northern extent of seven provinces. This includes portions of the following provinces defined by Statistics Canada codes: Newfoundland and Labrador (10), Québec (24), Ontario (35), Manitoba (46), Saskatchewan (47), Alberta (48) and British Columbia (59).

What we fund

We fund studies that:

identify, evaluate and prioritize opportunity areas for low-carbon community energy systems (CES), (including renewable energy and district heating and cooling systems); and,
assess and develop mechanisms to support implementation.

These studies are intended to lay the groundwork for more focused work on a community energy systems initiative, such as developing a business case, conducting a feasibility study or implementing a capital project.

Your study will need to:

Identify, evaluate and prioritize opportunity areas for community energy systems (CES) within the municipality (if this has not already been done). This should include a geospatial analysis to identify which neighbourhoods are likely to have the optimal conditions (e.g., density, land uses) to support successful implementation. The analysis should consider:
- development density (existing and planned)
- energy-intensive land uses (e.g., industrial parks, data centres—existing or planned)
- potential "anchor" loads for district energy systems (e.g., pools, arenas—existing or planned)
- potential thermal energy sources (e.g., paper mills, wastewater treatment plants)
- proximity to existing or planned district energy systems capable of expansion
- availability of municipally owned land
- ease of access and other constraints (e.g., environmental)
Model the anticipated baseline energy demand in each of the priority areas, including:
- current and projected energy consumption of land uses
- anticipated seasonal load profiles
Articulate concrete next steps for each prioritized area to develop new community energy systems and increase connections to existing systems where applicable (e.g., completing a feasibility study for a municipal community energy system; assessing CES ownership models and contracting arrangements; partnering with a local industry or business park). This step must include a policy review to identify any barriers to implementation.
Develop a robust and inclusive stakeholder engagement strategy that aims to identify key stakeholders, build buy-in for community energy systems and lay the groundwork for partnerships.
Identify, assess and prioritize implementation mechanisms that will help accelerate community energy development within the priority areas and/or municipality at-large (e.g., property tax rebates, fast-tracked approval processes, increased density allowances, committing to connecting municipally owned buildings to district energy systems, setting up a municipal district energy utility).
Advance one or more of the prioritized implementation mechanisms (e.g., by articulating the legal, financing, technical and regulatory requirements).
Develop municipal land-use policies which enable community energy systems, such as spatially identifying and creating policies for CES land-use zones.
Conduct market research to:
- gauge general awareness and/or support for district energy system deployment from identified audiences and key stakeholders
- understand availability and readiness for industry, and interest in various partnership opportunities

Studies designed to create a thermal decarbonization plan for the municipality by identifying CES opportunities and other options are eligible if the scope includes the specified elements above.

As part of your study, you will need to conduct an equity assessment that answers, at minimum, the following questions:

Which equity-deserving groups might benefit the most from the project, and/or be burdened, directly or indirectly, by the project or decision? How are these groups positively or negatively impacted by the project or decision?
What strategies can be used to address barriers or mitigate negative impacts?
What data sources, reports, or mapping resources can help illuminate equity issues in your local context?

What your project needs to achieve

Only projects that meet the criteria on this page are eligible. Please note that we consider several factors in making a funding decision. We strive to fund the most innovative and impactful initiatives, so not all eligible projects will be approved for funding. Note that applicants must commit to actively participating in the learning cohort to be considered for funding.

Preference will be given to initiatives that:

have the potential to lead to significant GHG reductions
benefit from strong support from political leaders, senior municipal staff, the local community, and implementation partners (e.g., utilities, developers, landowners)
are supported by at least one of the following: an official plan, a secondary plan, a community energy plan or a climate action plan (or their equivalent)
are led by a multidisciplinary team, representing key departments (e.g., planning, sustainability, finance, energy, climate, land development, operations, facilities)
are conducted in collaboration with key implementation partners (e.g., utilities, developers, landowners)
are conducted in collaboration with equity-deserving groups or with an Indigenous community
demonstrate a strong integration of multi-solving approaches such as:
- maximizing environmental and socio-economic benefits (e.g., increased housing supply and diversity, supporting transit-oriented development, fostering the creation of compact, complete neighbourhoods)
- advancing equity, diversity, inclusion and Reconciliation objectives
- increasing climate resilience

Equity considerations

GMF recognizes that many urgent social issues are interrelated, and that climate action and sustainability initiatives need to be designed to ensure fair distribution of benefits and burdens, across all segments of a community and across generations. Projects will be assessed on their potential to result in improved socio-economic outcomes and a more equitable distribution of benefits and burdens among the community, for present and future generations. While projects can be eligible without incorporating these considerations, preference is given to projects that:

integrate principles of Reconciliation, anti-racism, equity and inclusion
apply inclusive community engagement practices
implement social procurement
generate significant socio-economic benefits, such as increased accessibility, improved outdoor spaces, and inclusive employment and apprenticeship

As you develop your project approach, consider the following questions:

How can you design an engagement approach that would enable you to consider the diverse needs, experiences, and voices of all stakeholders and rights holders in this project?
Which equity-deserving groups might benefit the most, and/or be burdened, directly or indirectly, by this project? How are these groups positively or negatively impacted?
Are there opportunities to address or mitigate negative impacts?
Are there opportunities to rectify existing or potential biases, discrimination, or exclusionary practices in your project planning, design, funding, and implementation?
How can you maximize the socio-economic benefits that your project generates?
How can you leverage your procurement practices to generate more positive social, economic and environmental outcomes within your community and region?

Required documents

To apply for GMF funding, you must submit:

a pre-application form
an application form
a project workbook
all required supporting documents specified in the application guide

A GMF project officer will be your point of contact throughout the process and will review your file and provide feedback. You may be asked to revisit some steps to help you submit a complete and high-quality application.

Application process

Phase 1: Pre-application submission

You must submit a pre-application form through FCM’s funding portal. To do this, create a client profile and follow the steps in FCM’s funding portal to submit your pre-application form.

Phase 2: Eligibility determination

A GMF outreach officer or advisor will review your pre-application form. They will determine whether your organization and initiative are eligible to proceed to the next stage of the application process. You will receive a response within 21 business days of the date we receive your pre-application form.

Phase 3: Full application submission

If your organization and initiative are determined to be eligible to proceed to the next stage, your GMF outreach officer or advisor will inform you that the full application form is available through FCM’s funding portal. They will also provide you with an Excel project workbook template to complete and submit with the full application form.

It is important to note that even if a project is deemed eligible to move forward with a full application, it does not guarantee full application eligibility or that the project will be approved for funding.

As you complete the application form, contact your GMF outreach officer or advisor if you have any questions. Once you’ve filled out the application form and project workbook and attached the required supporting documents, submit it to GMF through the FCM funding portal.

Phase 4: GMF project officer review

Once the full application form is submitted a GMF project officer will be assigned to your file and will review your application for accuracy and completeness and will work with you to resolve any remaining questions.

Phase 5: Peer review and internal review

An external expert peer review panel evaluates all capital and study applications. There will also be an internal analysis to provide a funding recommendation to GMF’s managing director, the GMF Council and FCM’s Board of Directors.

Phase 6: FCM funding decision

For plans, pilots and studies, funding decisions are determined by GMF’s managing director. The average time for a funding decision is three to five months after your full application form submission.

For capital projects, FCM’s Board of Directors approves the funding recommendation made by the GMF Council. The average time for a funding decision is four to six months after your full application form submission.

Please note that applications closed on March 31, 2025.

SIGN UP, LEARN MORE, STAY UP TO DATE

Need help to see if this is the right funding for you?

Contact our Outreach team who can answer any questions you have relating to this funding opportunity.

1-877-417-0550

gmfinfo@fcm.ca

Book a meeting with a GMF advisor

Related Resources

Case study: Saint John explores options for district energy system

Case study: Edmonton develops a sustainable, carbon neutral live-work community

A first-of-its-kind geothermal community in Markham: The Berczy Glen Geoexchange Community Energy System

A neighbourhood in Markham, Ontario, will be the first net-zero community in Canada to connect all of its houses to a geothermal energy system.

Resources: How to document and maintain municipal levels of service

Tools and strategies to help you provide high-quality services to your community

CLIMATE ADAPTATION

Levels of service (LOS) are specific parameters that describe and measure the extent and quality of services provided by local governments to stakeholders. Successfully defining LOS is achieved through considering a blend of infrastructure, resources and capacity. Common infrastructure for which LOS are usually set include roads, bridges, drinking water and sanitation services.

The process of documenting LOS encourages municipalities to seek innovative ways to reduce the whole life cost of service delivery. To get started on or to continue your work to document LOS for your municipality, you are invited to access the resources below, which include:

A presentation that you can customize to raise awareness of the importance of LOS
A step-by-step infographic that helps you visualize the process of documenting LOS
Resources and real-world case studies so you can learn how other municipalities are addressing LOS challenges

Presentation: Using LOS as a crucial accountability tool

Use this customizable presentation to brief elected officials or other interested parties on the importance of documenting LOS. The presentation also describes how documenting LOS can improve decision-making and advance your municipality’s asset management journey. Designed especially for municipalities that are new to developing LOS, it demystifies the process by outlining questions to be considered and highlighting the benefits.

Download the presentation today.

Step-by-step infographic: How to document LOS and pathways to action

To begin documenting LOS, your municipality must clearly identify its strategic objectives and the community’s needs. Once these are identified and communicated, your municipality is ready to embark on the following phases:

Identify services and assets
Describe current levels of service and identify performance measures
Prepare an action plan
Measurement and reporting

Key cross-cutting themes that should be embedded throughout the process include climate change; Reconciliation and anti-racism, equity and inclusion; and public consultation. In addition, it is important to recognize the association between LOS and risk processes and how increasing risk can also impact service levels.

Download the infographic.

Explore practical examples: Case studies, workshops, and tools

Below you’ll find select case studies, tools and other resources, including information about hands-on workshops, that share tips and strategies to help you move ahead with your LOS learning and processes.

Municipal LOS case studies

Tools and resources

Learning journey: Climate resilience and asset management
- Resources to integrate climate resilience into asset management, including LOS and risk assessment
Northwest Territories Association of Communities’ (NWTAC) levels of service toolkit
- A customizable template and guide to help northern municipalities begin the LOS process
Atlantic Infrastructure Management (AIM) Network’s Level of service assessment tool
- A customizable template to document locally applicable customer LOS statements
Asset Management BC’s (AMBC) levels of service tool
- A customizable tool that includes examples of LOS statements for common asset types — can be used as a ready-made resource or adjusted to suit specific needs
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities' asset management resource library
- Tools, guides and more related to a variety of asset management focus areas, including LOS

Factsheet: Why equity matters in municipal climate adaptation

Explore the importance of taking on equity-centred climate adaptation work

CLIMATE ADAPTATION

The impacts of climate change are experienced differently within and across communities. This web-based factsheet is intended to demystify what is meant by “equitable climate adaptation.” It outlines important terminology, explains why equity matters and discusses why a multi-solving approach that centres equity is essential to successfully reduce climate risks.

What is equitable climate adaptation?

Municipalities are uniquely positioned to undertake climate adaptation work right where climate impacts are experienced and with the people being affected on a daily basis. Equitable climate adaptation means taking action to address the impacts of climate change and to build resilience in a way that advances equity and inclusive community engagement. This includes recognizing and understanding the history and context of existing systems and identifying systems of privilege and inequality as well as building and fostering collaborative relationships and partnerships in climate adaptation work, with a particular focus on equity-deserving and marginalized communities.

Glossary

Climate change adaptation: Actions that reduce or ameliorate the negative impacts of climate change while taking advantage of potential new opportunities. It involves adjusting policies and actions to address observed or expected climate change effects. Adaptation can be reactive (in response to climate impacts) or anticipatory (before impacts are observed). In most circumstances, anticipatory adaptations will be more effective than reactive adaptations and result in fewer damages and lower overall costs.
Equity: An allocation of resources that prioritizes those who have greater needs due to the systematic marginalization of certain groups.
Equity-deserving and marginalized communities: Groups of people who, because of systemic discrimination, face barriers that prevent them from having the same access to resources and opportunities as other members of society, and who need those resources and opportunities to attain just outcomes. These communities are often underrepresented in decision-making processes. In Canada, these groups often include Indigenous people, newcomers, people of colour, women, people with low income and people with limited mobility.
Equity-informed: An approach or strategy that considers and addresses systemic inequalities, historical injustices and power imbalances to aim for fair and just outcomes, particularly for those who have been marginalized.
Inclusive engagement: Identifying and engaging with equity-deserving groups that have an interest in the project or that are or will be impacted by changes. Inclusive engagement reduces barriers to participation, empowers diverse groups within decision-making and builds ongoing relationships and connections.
Meaningful engagement: An intentional process with the purpose of working in inclusive and respectful ways with all stakeholders and rights holders to shape decisions, actions, impacts or change.

It is important to recognize that every organization, region and municipality is unique, and that barriers and inequalities will differ from one community to another and from one individual to another. Reconciliation and anti-racism, equity, inclusion practices come as a part of an ongoing learning process that requires reflexivity, collaboration and relationship-building with genuine regard for humanity and social justice.

How do I identify equity-deserving groups?

A few things you can do:

Look at equity strategies developed by municipalities in your region or local context.
Review demographic data from Statistics Canada or other sources to see who lives where and which groups face the highest rates of social disadvantage.

How equitable climate adaptation helps build stronger communities

Climate impacts are not uniform. They affect people across communities, across Canada and across the world in a variety of ways. In addition, how a climate impact is experienced has to do with existing social, health, physical and systemic barriers or privileges and can exacerbate inequities. Equitable climate adaptation is crucial for building stronger communities for several reasons:

Inclusive resilience: By ensuring that all community members can access resources and support, equitable climate adaptation helps everyone withstand and recover from climate impacts. This inclusivity fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Health and well-being: Equitable adaptation strategies prioritize the health and well-being of all citizens. This includes addressing the specific needs of Indigenous communities, low-income residents and other equity-deserving, at-risk and/or marginalized communities, thereby reducing health disparities and improving overall community health.
- Example: Watch this video explaining how mobility-related disabilities can endanger an individual during disasters that require evacuation.

Environmental justice: Equitable adaptation ensures that the benefits of climate resilience are shared fairly, preventing certain groups from bearing a disproportionate share of climate-related burdens. This approach promotes fairness and justice, which are foundational to strong, cohesive communities.
- Example: Climate-related disasters can place LGBTQ2+ people at a greater risk of violence and discrimination.
Enhanced infrastructure: Investing in resilient infrastructure that serves all community members equally helps protect against climate impacts like floods and extreme weather. This not only safeguards physical assets but also ensures that essential services remain accessible to everyone.
- Example: Poor-quality housing, housing insecurity and lower insurance coverage can increase individuals’ vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Those who are experiencing homelessness or are precariously housed are more vulnerable to extreme weather events. Flooding, extreme heat and wildfires are examples of climate-related events that will increase housing insecurity.
Economic stability: By supporting local economies and workers through targeted adaptation measures, communities can better withstand economic shocks from climate events. This stability encourages investment and growth, leading to more robust local economies.
Community engagement: Equitable adaptation involves engaging with all community members in planning and decision-making. This inclusive approach ensures that diverse perspectives are considered, leading to more effective and widely supported adaptation strategies.

Equitable climate adaptation not only addresses immediate climate risks but also builds a foundation for long-term community strength and resilience.

How can your community benefit from an equitable climate adaptation approach?

By embedding equity into governance systems, processes and initiatives, municipalities are working toward a more resilient future in which we:

Address and mitigate systemic and physical barriers for those Canadians most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Ensure all Canadians can benefit from and contribute to adaptation actions.

Consider and address the realities of the most vulnerable communities.

Lessen burdens on groups facing compounding barriers, such as insufficient housing in locations experiencing extreme heat.

Reduce costs by proactively preparing for the impacts of climate change.

Share risk, expertise, resources, interest and ability to take action amongst a variety of community stakeholders.

Deliver on the guiding principles of Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy, including respecting jurisdictions, upholding Indigenous Peoples’ rights and advancing climate and environmental justice.

Contribute and/or deliver on national and international commitments such as Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy, the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Did you know?

Embedding equity is a core principle of the Leadership for Local Climate Adaptation (LLCA) initiative. FCM designed this offer to aim for long-term climate resilience by supporting Canadian municipalities in implementing multi-solving climate adaptation action and integrating equitable and inclusive climate adaptation into plans, processes and management systems, such as asset management systems planning. Explore what FCM's LLCA initiative can offer.

Going further

Listed below are key resources and examples of next steps you can take to centre meaningful equity and engagement in your climate adaptation efforts.

Pagination

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Mani Rajendran

Megan Leslie

Sheila Murray

Skylar Franke

Ursula Eicker

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SCC 2025: Exhibitors

Webinar recording: Making sustainable land use decisions in your municipality

Webinar recording: Climate data in action

A steady approach to levels of service in Flagstaff County

Background

Highlights

The challenge

The approach Resources and training

Staff and council buy-in

Risk assessment

Current and target levels of service

Barriers

The results

Lessons learned

Next steps

Related resources

Contact

Setting levels of service in Conception Bay South, NL

Background

Highlights

The challenge

The approach

Barriers

The results

Lessons learned

Next steps

Related resources

Contact

Accelerating community energy systems

Please note that applications closed on March 31, 2025.

Funding Snapshot

What we fund

What your project needs to achieve

Equity considerations

Required documents

Application process

Phase 1: Pre-application submission

Phase 2: Eligibility determination

Phase 3: Full application submission

Phase 4: GMF project officer review

Phase 5: Peer review and internal review

Phase 6: FCM funding decision

Please note that applications closed on March 31, 2025.

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Related Resources

Resources: How to document and maintain municipal levels of service

Presentation: Using LOS as a crucial accountability tool

Step-by-step infographic: How to document LOS and pathways to action

Explore practical examples: Case studies, workshops, and tools

Municipal LOS case studies

Tools and resources

Climate-Ready Plans and Processes

Funding Snapshot

What we fund

What your project needs to achieve

Project examples

Eligibility requirements

Required documents

The approach

Resources and training