TODAY'S VISION - TOMORROW'S FUTURE Beautiful by Nature. Diverse by Culture. Vibrant by Choice. Municipal Sustainability Planning Coordinator Introduction: I am writing to introduce myself and encourage you to be an active participant in the development of a Municipal Sustainability Plan for the Town of Peace River. My name is Rachel McKenzie and I was recently hired by the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association to work in partnership with the Town of Peace River and its residents on the creation of a Municipal Sustainability Plan. The Municipal Sustainability Plan will be the strategic planning document that guides the Town of Peace River in our pursuit of being a more sustainable community. Sustainability is development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. A sustainable community is able to meet the social, environmental, governance, economic, and cultural needs of its members’ and can continue to do so indefinitely for generations to come. The process for developing a Municipal Sustainability Plan for the Town of Peace River is an exciting opportunity for its citizens to be actively engaged in the development of a strategic plan that will guide us in our pursuit of creating a sustainable community. The Town of Peace River, Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, and our project sponsor Rural Alberta’s Development Fund are committed to proactively addressing community challenges and moving towards a sustainable future, one where a strong economy and participative governance models protect ecological integrity, contribute to a vibrant cultural scene and a strong social cohesion through encouraging residents to be active participants in the development and implementation of a Municipal Sustainability Plan. Some of you may have participated in the creation a vision statement for the Town of Peace River, an important first step in the process of moving towards sustainability. I want to commend the residents of Peace River for being involved in the process of creating a vision for your community. I would also like to encourage you to continue the work of the Vision Peace River steering committee and make TODAY’S VISION – TOMORROW’S FUTURE. Over the next few months we will be conducting an online survey and I would encourage you to participate: visit www.peaceriver.ca. If you would like a hard copy one can be made available to you. If you have any questions, or would like to meet to further discuss your potential involvement in the development of the Town of Peace River Sustainability Plan, please call me at 780 625 4797. I can also be reached by email at rmckenzie@peaceriver.ca. I look forward to meeting you and working with the Town of Peace River residents as we move towards creating a more sustainable future. Rachel McKenzie

Creating a vision is the first step in creating a MUNICIPAL SUSTAINABILITY PLAN for the Town of Peace River. TODAY's Vision will assist us in planning for Tomorrow's FUTURE.

What is an MSP?

An MSP is similar to a strategic plan: an overarching planning document to assist the Town of Peace River in setting a course that will lead us to a more sustainable future with:

• A Strong Economy

• A Vibrant Cultural Scene

• A Strong Social Network

• A Healthy Environment, and

• Good Governance

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is basically a SUPPLY and DEMAND issue.

• On the one hand there are problems which have to do with the decreasing supply of natural resources and the decreasing capacity of the earth to provide what we call ecosystem services, filtering our water and regulating our climate.

• On the other hand, we are also face with clearly increasing demand for those natural resources and ecosystem services.

Essentially SUSTAINABILITY is meeting present needs without jeopardizing the ability of future generations being able to meet their own needs.

Planning with future generations in mind will assist us in ensuring that the needs of our grand children's children will indeed have a future.

WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF PEACE RIVER TODAY so we can plan for a more sustainable Peace River in the future. Help us plan for a sustainable Peace River, a community with a strong economy, a vibrant cultural scene, a strong social network, a healthy environment, and good governance. We invite you to take the: Municipal Sustainability & Development Survey