By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca
Halton Hills council has voted unanimously to partner with Landscape Ontario on a funding application that promises to bring environmental and recreational benefits to the community.
Landscape Ontario is the province’s horticultural trade association, which represents more than 3,000 professionals in sectors such as landscape design, maintenance and snow management.
The association is dedicated to advancing the horticulture industry as well as environmental stewardship.
During the Dec. 8 council meeting, council approved a motion to support Landscape Ontario’s application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) for the Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation grant. The grant provides up to $1 million.
If the grant is successful, town staff will report back to council for final approval of the partnership agreement.
The proposed project involves the development of stormwater management and green infrastructure at Landscape Ontario’s Halton Hills training facility.
According to the motion, the initiative is designed to mitigate flooding, enhance biodiversity, provide accessible recreation opportunities and serve as an educational tool.
Coun. Clark Somerville described the initiative as a “leading edge project” that will be utilized as a case study across the continent.
A key aspect of the resolution is the development of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the town and Landscape Ontario.
The agreement will outline partnership terms, including future collaboration on greening spaces, supporting tree planting projects and promoting Halton Hills as a tourist destination.
Somerville noted that the partnership would allow the town to tap into Landscape Ontario’s expertise for other municipal needs, such as improving streetscapes.
Council expressed strong enthusiasm for the financial structure of the partnership.
There is no direct financial cost to the municipality as the initiative will only require town staff to draft the MOU and monitor stormwater ponds.
Under the FCM’s Adaptation in Action funding stream, the town is limited to two implementation projects as a lead municipality.
Council formally recognized that supporting Landscape Ontario’s application will count as one of these two permissible projects.
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