Launch of the environmental policy project and an awareness campaign on the waste of drinking water
Taking advantage of the celebration of Earth day on April 22nd, the administration of Mayor Liza Poulin officially launched the vast project of the new environmental policy and presented the members of the steering committee responsible for drawing up this document, which will be accompanied by an action plan.
Take a look at the
featured Local Savings
at the bottom of this page!
“On this Earth Day, we are inaugurating a central project of this mandate. More than ever, municipalities must use their powers to contribute to the preservation of our beautiful planet and in this fight against climate change. The steering committee that we are announcing today which is made up of elected officials, municipal employees and citizens has the mission of developing a policy and an action plan that is both bold and will bring about changes in our daily habits. In parallel and within the same action plan, we are launching an awareness campaign on the waste of drinking water as well as a financial assistance program for the purchase and installation of a charging station for electric vehicles. So here are three concrete actions that we are taking on this very special day,” said Mayor Liza Poulin.
Steering committee for the new environmental policy
Mandated by the city council to develop the new environmental policy and its action plan and supported by the organization Nature-Action Québec, the steering committee is made up of twelve people, including seven citizens and citizens of Blainville from various walks of life who will be able to contribute concretely to the work that will lead to the adoption of this policy in the spring of 2023:
Ms. Nicole Ruel, delegated councillor for the environment and ecological transition;
Mr. Francis Allaire, Delegated Advisor for the Environment and Ecological Transition;
Mr. Yannick Proulx, Senior Advisor, General Management and Town Hall;
Mr. Éric Lépine, responsible for the environment, Urban Planning Department;
Advisor for ecological transition, general management and town hall (to be confirmed);
Ms. Gabriela Turnel, member of the Youth Commission;
Ms. Ariane Delorme, representative of the business community;
Mr. Claude-André Fortin, representative of the socio-cultural community;
Ms. Valérie Aubin, citizen;
Ms. Anaïs Boutin, citizen;
Ms. Manon Chartrand, citizen;
Mr. Guillaume Chagnon, citizen.
“We are very proud of this steering committee with which we will be working over the coming months. Once again, the City of Blainville does not hesitate to call on citizens to enrich our discussions and to gather diverse opinions on a subject as vast as the environment. This policy, we hope, will unite the population of Blainville around common objectives. It is our collective efforts that will allow us to achieve these objectives,” said Francis Allaire, Advisor for the Environment and Ecological Transition.
Awareness campaign on the waste of drinking water
Data for 2020 indicates that 26% of the drinking water distributed on the territory of Blainville was used for non-essential purposes, in particular for watering lawns, filling swimming pools and car washing “In a context of climate change where the demand for water is growing, the drinking water network, supplied by the Rivière des Mille Îles, is increasingly weakened. Hence the urgency of changing our consumption habits,” said Nicole Ruel, Advisor for the Environment and Ecological Transition.
In order to protect this precious resource, the City has set up a communication campaign on the theme “We are at the end of the pipe! “. Playing on the expression “Being at the end of your rope”, this campaign aims to raise public awareness of the fact that drinking water is not an infinite resource and that there are direct impacts to waste. Communication actions will be visible in particular on billboards and publications on social networks. The ultimate goal is to reduce the quantity of drinking water distributed by 20%, which is equivalent to 458.5 liters per person, per day.
For example, automatic watering systems generate a major waste of drinking water when they are not used properly. Simple actions can be taken to save drinking water while having an automatic system: compliance with watering regulations, installation of timers or humidity detectors.
Saving drinking water is not only the responsibility of citizens and the City of Blainville is also taking measures to assess the consumption of drinking water on its territory with a view to reducing it. Whether it is the annual search for invisible leaks on the surface or the rinsing of one-way networks, the City is continuing to implement the Québec Strategy for Drinking Water Conservation.
Financial assistance program for the purchase of a charging station for electric vehicles
Finally, the City of Blainville will give $100 to people who purchase and install a station to charge their electric vehicle. A total of 55 subsidies will be available in 2022 to encourage motorists to opt for electric vehicles and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the territory of Blainville. To take advantage of this program, simply complete the form available on the blainville.ca website and provide the invoice for the purchase/installation of the charging station.
