CIT E·Newsletter    Volume 1: Number 3 · June 2006

Welcome to the Communities in Transition (CIT) E-newsletter. It provides info on the latest library resources and recent articles; highlights conferences and events; and offers news about projects as well as partners' activities and research on a monthly basis. If you have news that you would like us to include or if you have comments about the newsletter, contact Sara Muir Owen, Manager of Secretariat Services at info@communitytransition.org. For more information about CIT, including partners and projects underway, visit our website at www.communitytransition.org.

Latest Library Resources and Recent Articles

Visit the CIT website to review the latest resources and recent articles, including:

• Re-orient to Readiness: Overcoming Barriers to Implementation in the Northwest Region of British Columbia prepared by UNBC’s Community Development Institute and Geography Program in collaboration with SFU’s Exploration Program, posted: June 2006
  
  
• Smart Growth at the Frontier: Strategies and Resources for Rural Communities prepared by Barbara Wells of the Northeast-Midwest Institute, posted: June 2006
  
  
• How Growth in the Recreation and Resort Property Market is Driving Change in the East Kootenay Region prepared by Real Estate Foundation of BC, posted: May 2006
  
  
• Best Management Practices for Motorized Recreation on BC's Grasslands prepared by Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia, posted: May 2006
  
  
• Compendium of Best Management Practices for Canadian Urban Forests prepared by Tree Canada, posted: May 2006

In addition to our latest resources, check out our archived resources at CIT Archives or keyword search our entire Web library.

Completed CIT Projects

• Solutions for a Sustainable Future: Final Recommendations for Registration, Licensing and Management of Off-Road Vehicles in British Columbia prepared by Coalition for Licensing & Registration of Off-Road Vehicles in British Columbia, posted: May 2006
  
  
• "Healthy Water, Healthy Communities" Lake Windermere Project — Year 1 reports prepared by Wildsight, posted: June 2006
  

Visit the CIT Projects page for more information about CIT projects underway and completed.

Partner News

CIT 3-Year Strategic Plan
Sara Muir Owen, CIT Manager of Secretariat Services will be working towards completing the 3-Year Strategic Plan. She will contact advisory committee members and partner representatives individually over the next two months to discuss program goals, objectives and actions. On September 21 and 22nd, advisory committee members and interested partners will meet to refine the plan and set the stage for future activities. Contact Sara at info@communitytransition.org with any questions or comments.

BC Wilderness Tourism Association
The Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and Arts and tourism operators, in consultation with stakeholder groups and the public, have developed new Tourism Wildlife Guidelines and related Training Workshops ... more info.

BC Water and Waste Association
2006 BCWWA Annual Conference Technical Presentations are available. Click here. (link to the BCWWA website). BCWWA has a call for papers for the 2007 BCWWA Annual Conference ... more info. The BCWWA & Northern Health have initiated a new pilot project including a Course on Safe Drinking Water for the North: How to Meet Northern Health's Drinking Water Treatment Objectives ... more info.

Grasslands Conservation Council of BC
The Grasslands Conservation Council of BC recently completed The Mitigating Fragmentation and Development of BC's Grasslands Problem Analysis and Strategy. Click here.

Land Trust Alliance of BC
The Land Trust Alliance’s Ecological Gifts Appraisal Assistance Program for 2005-06 is complete. Through support from the Canadian Wildlife Service, Ecological Gifts Program, LTA provides grants up to $3000 for appraisal and other related legal costs to a land trust for registering an Ecogift ... more info.

Real Estate Institute of BC
Colliers International Realty Advisors (CIRA) was commissioned by the Real Estate Institute of BC to provide market data for the Smart Growth on the Ground process for the Town of Oliver. To view their final report, click here.

Smart Growth BC
The Public Participation in the Era of Smart Growth presentation by Rob Barrs, Jodie Siu and Vince Verlaan and Setting Our Site on Homes: Affordable Housing Solutions for Singles and Families presentation by Cheeying are available on the Smart Growth BC website ... click here.

SFU Centre for Sustainable Community Development
SFU’s Centre for Sustainable Community Development has just released a new report:Tax Reform as if Sustainability Mattered: Demonstrating the Viability of Environmental Tax-Shifting in Vancouver's Sustainability Precinct ... more info.

Other News

UN World Urban Forum
The report on the UN World Urban Forum held in Vancouver June 19-23 is available. To download the report click here.

Canada and B.C. Sign Infrastructure Agreement
The governments of Canada and British Columbia have signed a new infrastructure agreement that will provide $102 million in combined funding, over the coming year, to projects in communities across B.C. ...  more info.

Saving Small Towns IV Conference
More than 125 people participated in the Savings Small Towns Conference from Cumberland, BC. CIT Manager of Secretariat Services, Sara Muir Owen, gave a presentation about the Real Estate Foundation’s CIT program. For more information about the Small Towns Conference visit the Town of Cumberland website at www.cumberlandbc.net.

Canadian Forest Service
The Canadian Forest Service requests proposals for the Model Forests Program. The Forest Service intends to replace the existing Model Forest Program with a new five-year partnership program. Six to ten community-based partnership organizations may be selected through competition and would receive CFS funding up to a maximum of $400,000 per year for the five-year period. New partnerships, in addition to existing Model Forests, are encouraged to submit proposals ... more info.

Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program
The Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program is now accepting applications for its 2006 grant cycle. The program provides support to practical projects conducted by NPOs and other private nonprofit groups throughout the world, under the theme of "Environmental Technology and Human Resource Development Contributing to Environmental Revitalization and Conservation". The deadline for applications is July 7th ... more info.

BC Rural Team
The Rural Team in partnership with the BC Rural Network, Service Canada, and the Social Planning and Research Council of BC will support learning events in 15 rural communities covering all regions of BC. The partners will provide funding to cover meeting room costs, lunch, facilitation, some travel costs, and an honorarium for local organizers of learning events. Application deadlines are July 28, 2006. Click here to download an application. Contact Brandon Hughes at hughes.bn@shaw.ca for more info.

Rocky Mountain Institute
Read the Rocky Mountain Institutes latest news, including "Greening a Giant: RMI Takes on Wal-mart ... as a Client" and other articles. Click here.

Upcoming Events

Visit the Events Calendar on the CIT website for more information about upcoming events including:

• CIT 3-Year Strategic Planning Session, September 21-22, 2006, Vancouver. For more information please contact Sara Muir Owen at info@communitytransition.org
  
  
• Water in the City: A 21st Century Approach to Water Issues in our Communities Conference, September 17-20, 2006, Victoria
  
  
• PLACE MATTERS 06 -- tools, processes and people to address land use challenges, October 19-21, 2006, Denver Colorado
  
  
• Oil & Gas Conference, October 3-5, 2006, Dawson Creek

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