Five Year Plan & Sustainability Vision

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Plans, Timelines & Budgets

Given the importance of the Coastal Discovery Centre to the people of Main-à-Dieu and the surrounding communities, we believe that the MCDA should receive guaranteed funding to enable the on-going provision and enhancement of services. We are recommending that such funding be guaranteed for an initial five-year period (to be reviewed and, it is to be hoped, renewed). This will enable the Association to further implement and develop its long-range plan, as well as to better provide the services necessary to ensure the continuance of a strong community.

Operations, Maintenance and Staffing

We recommend the following:

Municipal:

• To facilitate long-term planning, a commitment from CBRM to renew the lease when it comes due (2013) at the same or similar terms.
• A commitment to funding for a period of five years to assist with the operation of the CDC.

Provincial:

• A commitment to funding for a period of five years to assist with the operation of the CDC.
• $10,000-15,000 to install a generator and designate the Centre a ‘comfort’ site in times of emergency. (Currently our designated site is in Glace Bay which is close to an hour drive away.)

Federal:

• A commitment to funding for a period of five years to allow the hiring of a full-time coordinator to oversee the further development and provision of services to the community, and to work with other areas to further develop the tourism and other economic opportunities for the area.

We propose that regular meetings be scheduled between the Association’s Board of Directors and representatives of the three levels of government. These will allow us to be more responsive to the needs of our funding partners, while at the same time allowing us to report on the progress we are making with our own projects. The regular exchange of information is crucial if community development efforts are to occur in a supportive and mutually reinforcing manner.

We recommend:

• quarterly meetings with our councillor
• and biannual meetings with our MLA and MP.

The ‘Green Beacon’: Costs & Savings

Such funding will create much-needed stability, allowing us to work, as the Bradshaw report puts it, “at the level of root causes rather than symptoms.”Without an alternative to the status quo of the fossil-fuel age, the twin problem of pollution and poverty persists. Meanwhile, we transfer ownership of the problem onto future generations.

Renewable sources of energy – from the sun, the wind, the ground and air, and organic material – produce no greenhouse gas emissions, and are, for all intents and purposes, free.

But the technology required for harnessing the energy is anything but: solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal ground or air source heat pumps, and biomass boilers are as expensive as they sound.

In April, the Nova Scotia government made an initial pledge for the purchase and installation of a solar hot water system for the CDC; and in September, the CBRM funded the purchase and installation of a number of convection solar heating units. (The Association has also been eligible for rebates and incentive returns from relevant federal and provincial agencies.)

By making the building more energy efficient (reducing heat loss, for example) and by investing in renewable energy (i.e., solar panels for heat and hot water) the goal is to simultaneously reduce its operating costs and carbon emissions.

The latter is meant to be, or become, part of a larger, regional plan to curb carbon dioxide build-up in the atmosphere; the former translates to increased fiscal self-sufficiency. Together they form the basis for a new model of sustainable community development, and a blueprint for going green – or ‘greenprint.’

Space heating costs, for example, have been reduced by 20% in 1/3 of the building; and water heating costs by between 30 and 60%-a significant savings given the high volume of hot water used by the café during the tourist season.

By combining these measures with anticipated and intended improvements to the building envelope (sealing, insulation, siding) and upgrading of the technologies within (high-efficiency lighting, low-flow faucets), fundraising efforts are able to shift from the tiring and demoralizing attempt to keep up with fluctuating fuel and electricity prices and instead focus on the provision of vital services.

Fundraising & Campaigns

This request does not signal a retreat from our own efforts, either in terms of fundraising or in program development. On the contrary, we are offering a renewed commitment to the following:Community Socio-economic  Development:

• We will seek to further our efforts to assist with the economic development efforts of this area, including a strategy for the use of the space in the Coastal Discovery Centre now vacant as a result of the Credit Union closure.
• We will continue to work to assist with the development of local tourism efforts.

Program delivery:

• We commit to doing whatever we can in response to requests from the three levels of government and other funding partners to assist with program delivery.
• We remain committed to developing programs that provide the residents of the local community with opportunities to participate in events that serve to strengthen their health and well-being (both physical and mental) as well as that of the community as a whole.

Job Training:

• We will continue to work with the three levels of government to assist with summer student projects to ensure the young people of the area gain valuable work skills.
• We will build on our relationship with Service Canada to provide skill development and retraining through our special programs.

Alternative Energy:

• We believe that, aside from reducing the ecological footprint of the CDC, we can increase tourism to the area by becoming a ‘Green Beacon.’
• We will continue to develop resource materials and organize public events to offer information and guidance on environmental sustainability for homeowners.
• We believe that we are well positioned to provide guidance to other rural and coastal community groups seeking to move in a similar direction.

* We commit to raising $6,000/year to assist with program delivery and operational costs.

* And we will continue to seek funds for the retrofit of the CDC, starting with the steps necessary to begin approaching philanthropic organizations.

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Posted by Mike Targett | Email a comment