WHISTLER, British Columbia

When Whistler welcomes the world to the 2010 Olympic Games, lucky visitors can catch a glimpse into the future: 2020. That’s the target year the Resort Municipality is using for envisioning, enabling, and entrenching its idea of a sustainable future. Whistler2020 uses The Natural Step’s backcasting approaching to consider where the city wants to go and evaluate progress on the journey towards that goal. The municipality shines in its web engagement platform, http://www.whistler2020.ca—an informative stop for anyone wondering how the project is progressing.

OKOTOKS, Alberta

In one of the country’s fastest growing provinces, the town of Okotoks has decided to limit its growth. Recognizing the capacity of its local watershed, Okotoks established an urban growth boundary and population cap in 1998 to protect the community’s quality of life and ecological integrity. In turning the conventional development model on its head, Okotoks has embraced a holistic approach to community well-being which has yielded meaningful improvements in housing options, water use, and commuting decisions. The town also boasts North America’s first solar community, Drake Landing, where a district energy system distributes a summer’s worth of sunshine to meet 90 per cent of residential space heating needs during the winter months.

CRAIK, Saskatchewan

While many agricultural communities worry about making ends meet, Craik, Saskatchewan is thinking long term. When accepting his Canadian Geographic Environmental award, local environmentalist Dr. Lynn Oliphant noted, “rural communities die because of economic leaks. First the money goes, and then the people follow." Oliphant is plugging the leak with straw bales. Craik is a leader in straw bale construction. The town’s new Eco-Centre showcases this innovative building technology and serves as the nexus for community meetings, educational opportunities and planning focused on sustainability.

LONDON, Ontario

While the Forest City is making great strides to enhance its canopy (London has increased its annual tree planting commitment by 350% since 2003), London shows its greatest strength in monitoring and reporting sustainability metrics. The city’s Environmental Leadership Report Card showcases key findings that help to inform policy decisions. Hard-to-find indicators like retail sales of gasoline and diesel and preservation of agricultural land keep London’s citizens and decision makers in the know.

WATERLOO, Ontario

Canada’s technology triangle is innovating in more than just high-tech. Sustainable Waterloo (SW), a not-for-profit group, is fortifying local green enterprise and guiding the region towards a more sustainable future. Orchestrating collaborations between industry, local government, academia and NGOs, SW supports these groups in the measurement and reduction of their carbon emissions. Sharing success within the region and with other communities, SW is catalyzing change in the way businesses approach carbon reductions.

MARKHAM, Ontario

When envisioning a sustainable community, Markham may not jump to mind immediately. But lend an ear to the rumblings coming out of this GTA municipality and you may change your mind. Markham is currently considering a growth management strategy that would freeze development on prime agricultural land. Preserving a “foodbelt” around the municipality and focusing “thoughtful intensification” along major corridors, Markham stands to be a leader in smart development strategies.

ANTIGONISH, Nova Scotia

Whoever said Maritimers suffer from a defeatist attitude has never been to Antigonish. Growing out of the town’s strong co-operative heritage, local NGO Antigonish Sustainable Development (ASD) is pursuing high and low level strategies to address community sustainability. On a regional level, ASD is partnered with the Atlantic Canada Sustainability Initiative to coordinate sustainable progress amongst many municipalities. On a more local scale, ASD supports local organizations in developing and achieving their vision for sustainability. The result is a network of shared learning that fortifies engagement and positive outcomes.

Go to our Sustainable Cities ranking here.