Canada/Sustainable development: cities join forces with a university

The cities of Mercier and Varennes will participate in the development of a sustainable development reference framework with the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR).

"This municipal guide will facilitate the application of sustainable development principles, the achievement of sustainable development objectives and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Eventually, the City of Mercier will be identified in the guide as a collaborating municipality," explains Marie-Claude Perron, Mercier's environmental advisor.

The University will produce self-assessment grids for municipal sustainable development practices, a strategy guide and training workshops for municipal managers and elected officials. The project will be carried out in conjunction with a post-doctoral researcher from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.

Mercier will contribute $2,500 to the project. From May 2025 to May 2027, it will also volunteer for interviews, workshops and information sharing. "The City of Mercier's involvement in this project once again demonstrates its commitment to sustainable development and ecological transition," says Ms. Perron.

The reference framework will be based on the BNQ-21000 standard designed for businesses. The 2-year project is co-directed by UQTR's Chaire de recherche municipale pour les villes durables and the Université de Sherbrooke.

17 cities

A total of 17 cities are taking part in the project. "Varennes has signed an intermunicipal agreement with the City of Contrecoeur to establish the partnership and delegate management of the project with the universities," explains Pierre Guy Dallaire, Director of Communications for the City of Varennes. Nine other towns are joining the agreement with Contrecoeur, including Candiac, according to the resolution adopted at the Varennes council meeting on March 10.

Le Reflet was unable to obtain additional information from the City of Candiac. "This matter is currently being studied internally, and we are not in a position to provide any further details at this time," says Jacinthe Lauzon, Candiac's Director of Communications and Citizen Relations.

Source: www.lareleve.qc.ca/