Contact Information Changes

Just a quick note that all email addresses within MNL have changed. Since we are no longer the NLFM our new addresses are in the format of "position@municipalitiesnl.com". So for the CCRC the new email is ccrc@municipalitiesnl.com. The website has also changed to www.municipalitiesnl.com.

If you have any problems contacting the office give us a call at 1-709-753-6820.

And a good time was had by all.....

So now it's over and we can start planning for the next one but the 58th annual convention was a great success! Despite one issue taking centre stage there were many issues discussed of high priority to municipalities in NL.

There were presentations on asphalt quality, community scale hydro possibilities, Long term sustainability planning(ICSP) and waste management. There was an announcement on the new branding of NLMEBinc. as Trio, and sessions dedicated to fisheries and Marine Atlantic. There was also the resolutions session where members passed resolutions supporting mandatory winter tires, continuing the revolution of the MNL convention, the creation of a Provincial land use advisory committee, support for the new TODS program, and a fixed link across the Strait of Belle Isle.

Also released was the results of the Municipal Councillor Survey which will be added to the CCRC website shortly along with many of the presentations from the convention.

Now that convention is over the CCRC blog will be updated on a more regular basis so check back soon!

ICSP Training with NLAMA

The CCRC has been engaged to provide some preliminary training on ICSP development by NLAMA during some of their Regional meetings. The first session was delivered in Clarenville back in June when we were still unsure how ICSPs would work for Newfoundland and Labrador. This coming Friday, September 19th in Cow Head we'll take another run at ICSPs. This session will be similar to the Clarenville session but it will contain up-to-date information on how ICSPs will for for NL.

Also included in the session will be some take home materials to help administrators prepare for the ICSP process and an update on the Self-Assessment project and it's links to the ICSPs.

If you are an administrator and are able to get to Cow Head on the 19th then give NLAMA a call and register for what should be a very informative session.

Convention is coming! Convention is coming!

With summer pretty much over and Halloween just around the corner all the signs point to the annual MNL Convention coming to the Pepsi Centre in Corner Brook on October 8th to the 11th.

This year's agenda is full to to brim with great educational sessions on most all facets of municipal life. Of course the one session you can't afford to miss is scheduled for Friday morning at 8:30. Yes it's the CCRC session and jokes aside you should be in attendance.

This year there will be three presenters for the CCRC session. To start the sustainability wheels turning we'll have Sarah Breen speaking on small scale local level hydro possibilities in the province. Next will be Steve Quintin, the Project Coordinator of the Self-Assessment project and he will provide an update on the project including trends that have been identified in the results to date. I will be the final speaker and my time will dedicated to talking about ICSPs and what's will happen over the next year and a half for all municipalities receiving gas tax funding. I (Ryan Lane) will also briefly cover general CCRC activities but for this coming year the issue of priority will be ICSP development. I'm hoping to provide a rough timeline as well as identify some support mechanisms that will be in place to help those who need it.

Hope to see you there!

ICSP......continued

While MNL, CCRC, NLAMA and the Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA) work together to determine the future direction of the ICSP process for NL there are resources that have been developed around the country that can be useful in preparation for developing your own ICSP.

The CCRC has recently added a page of ICSP resources compiled from various sources. Check it out here. Check back regularly as it will be updated as new resources and information becomes available.

Economic Development and the Cooperative Approach

In two weeks MNL will be hosting another Economic Development workshop in its series around the province under the Local Action for Developing Regions(LADR) program.

LADR WORKSHOP, ST. ANTHONY AUGUST 21 & 22
MNL’s LADR Economic Development Workshops are more popular than ever! They bring business leaders to a discussion with municipal leaders on critical economic development issues all over the province. The results have been beyond our expectations. The last session in St. John’s attracted over 70 participants. On August 21-22 we will bring LADR to St. Anthony.

This will be a great opportunity for municipal leaders from the Great Northern Peninsula to discuss the critical economic issues facing their communities and how they can play a meaningful role in addressing them. Of course we encourage participation from across the province and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at this exciting event. Space is limited, Call 1-800-440-6536 today to register

One of the unique aspects of the LADR workshops is that they are designed around the specific issues of the host region while still delivering general information that is broadly applicable. The presentations usually include the areas of various natural resources, tourism, funding and support programs and of course regional and/or municipal cooperation on economic development. There are growing examples of cooperation on the economic development front and the CCRC will be focusing on some of these examples at the St. Anthony workshop.

Registration is not costly and space can fill up quickly so call now to secure your spot 1-800-440-6536.

Rural Matters!

July 5th to 8th in Edmonton the AAMDC held a conference dedicated to issues on communities of rural Canada called Rural Matters! The exclamation point is important because it drives home the point that in this age of urbanization and population shift toward the cities it is the rural areas that continue to support the urban areas.

The conference included education sessions on rural diversification, rural-urban interaction, regional governance, green energy, capacity building and community based development organizations. As there were 9 sessions running concurrently for 4 sections this is just a short list of the opportunities available at the conference. Those sessions included speakers from rural areas around the country including from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Beyond the education sessions there was a long and distinguished list of keynote speakers including Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Dr. Mark partridge (economist), Dr. Patrick Moore (founding member of Greenpeace) and the Honourable Mike Harcourt ( former May of Vancouver and former Premier of BC). Despite this impressive list the only speaker to get 2 standing ovations was Newfoundland and Labrador's own Rex Murphy. Rex spoke with such passion and first hand knowledge of rural issues that he brought the crowd to their feet each time he spoke. Rex mentioned the need to recognize the contributions that rural areas make to urban areas and the symbiotic relationship that exists between city and county areas. Despite his reputation for using large words and complicated phrasing he spoke with such simple elegance that those in attendance could not help but be moved.

Two issues to note: First there were workshops that focused on creating specific goals that could be passed on to the FCM for action and Second there was discussion around the idea of holding a rural conference on a regular basis to ensure that rural issues remain at the forefront.

By the end of Rural Matters! those who attended at least had a better understanding that rural issues were just as important in Ontario as they are in Newfoundland and Labrador.