Sustainability is about living and working in ways that meet economic, environmental, and social needs without compromising the well-being of future generations. The transition to sustainable development benefits today's society and builds a more secure future for our children. The Municipal Sustainability Plan was established under the principles of sustainability in order to provide a balanced quality of life in a pristine environment.
1. ECONOMY
The economy is one of four key aspects of sustainable communities. Economic activity in a community creates ripples that affect other sectors where the results may be positive or negative. It is necessary that the Town consider the economy in its decision making process in order to create a viable and sustainable community. Below are the economic areas of focus within the Plan:
- Economic Diversification
- Workforce
- Promotion of the Town
2. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things. It embraces the interaction between all living and non-living things. The difference between a natural environment and a built environment is that one is strongly influenced by human-based activities. Slave Lake's Municipal Sustainability Plan identifies the followings as being extremely important environmental focus areas:
- Water Quality
- Air quality
- Landscape Quality
3. BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Built environment refers to human-made surroundings. That includes infrastructure, streets, buildings and so forth. Slave Lake's Municipal Sustainability Plan identifies the following elements as being important as we work toward a sustainable future:
- Infrastructure
- Housing
- Downtown Revitalization
- Public Facilities
4. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
The Social dimension is extremely important. It ensures the creation of an energetic community that has a strong sense of identity and belonging. The Cultural aspect on the other hand, is extremely important as it recognizes and preserves the historical and cultural context of the society. It also increases the sense of identity and belonging. The following are the Social and Cultural areas of that have been identified for the Plan:
- Health & Wellness
- Police Services
- Affordable/ Special Needs Housing
- Substance Abuse/Family Violence
- Cultural Heritage
- Childcare/Youth/Seniors
For more information, please contact Laurie Skrynyk, (Laurie@slavelake.ca) Supervisor of Planning and Development for the Town of Slave Lake at 780-849-8000
