Canada's greenest communities

The green plan
The sewage plant has been upgraded to turn sludge into compost. New homes are built to environmental codes set by the town, mandating such features as low-flow plumbing fixtures. Home builders are even voluntarily implementing other water- and energy-saving initiatives. All the houses in Okotoks are on water meters, and there is a watering schedule between May and October that is tied to the climate and the water levels in the Sheep River. During drought conditions, there is an outright ban on outdoor watering.

Recycling within the town has also been ramped up. "You're allowed to have only three bags of garbage a week, unless you pay for special tags for extra bags, and there are two drop-off areas for recycling," enthuses Kevin. "We take our recycling there every week. People are always doing it."

Since the green plan was put into action, the town has conducted community surveys every three years to gauge the community's commitment as well as annual surveys with residents. "Our plan contains hard targets," adds Quail. "For example, water conservation objectives, solid waste limitations at curbside, use of pesticides, which are continually revisited and refined in consultation with the citizens." He adds that as Okotoks grows, the town wants to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions. So far, it has been reduced by more than 15 per cent while the population has grown by almost 50 per cent. The town's population currently sits close to 20,000, or about 67 per cent of its population cap.

Solar power
To top it all off, in the early 2000s Natural Resources Canada invited Okotoks to be part of a program to show how solar power could be used in residential communities. The town responded with an enthusiastic yes. Last summer, the 52 new homes in the Drake Landing Solar Community were all tied into the solar-thermal system. In 2005, Drake Landing comprised the largest concentration of solar panels in Canadian history. Solar-thermal panels on the garages are designed to meet a minimum of 90 per cent of Drake Landing's space heating requirements, storing solar power during the summer in the ground for use in the winter.

Jennie Willings is a resident of Drake Landing, and she is pleased with her new home. "We love the idea and the cost advantages of heating with solar energy." It seems many others do, too – the houses were all scooped up as soon as they went on sale, and they have increased in value.

The community is moving confidently along the green route it has charted. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has called Okotoks "the greenest community in Canada, maybe the world." Resident Jeanette Rae is more modest when she describes what she thinks about her town and her neighbours: "We have a sense of pride in knowing we are all taking care of our community."

Page 2 of 6 -- Why are the Poplar River First Nations people worried about 8,000 km of pristine boreal forest? Learn what threatens the land on page 3.