imagineCALGARY Receives Award From Canadian Urban Institute
On June 5th, The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) presented imagineCALGARY with its 2009 Natural City Award, recognizing the role the imagineCALGARY Plan has played in creating a sustainable future for the community.
“Calgary’s sustainability plan comes out of a true community vision that shows incredible leadership,” said CUI President and CEO Glen Murray in announcing the award. “This award acknowledges that Calgary is a city and a citizenry determined to reduce its environmental footprint and its carbon emissions, making Calgary an even better city for its citizens in the future.”
The Natural City Award was accepted by The City of Calgary on behalf of the imagineCALGARY Partnership. “Calgary has experienced extensive growth and prosperity in recent years – and that growth deserves a long term strategy,” said Mayor Dave Bronconnier. “We attract people here from all over the world who want to make Calgary their home because they want to live in a vibrant, resilient city. The imagineCALGARY process and plan was designed to create a shared vision of a healthy, environmentally friendly home for their children and their grandchildren.
“This award acknowledges that our extensive community involvement was a leading practice for Canadian cities and is something others can adopt,” Mayor Bronconnier added.
imagineCALGARY’s Natural City Award was presented at the Urban Leadership Awards in Toronto. Yearly, these awards honor Canadian individuals, groups and organizations that have made significant contributions to improving the quality of life in Canada’s cities and urban regions.
During the awards presentation, an imagineCALGARY Partner, The Calgary Public Library, was honored with its own award from the Canadian Urban Institute. The Library’s team of 1,600 volunteers received a Local Hero Award for their work in delivering books to shut-ins, helping new Canadians practice English, supporting youngsters in improving their reading skills, and helping seniors use computers.
“These dedicated volunteers help the Library enrich lives and build a sense of community and for that they are truly heroes to those whose lives they touch,” Glen Murray said.
The Natural City Award is the latest honor for the imagineCALGARY initiative. Previous awards include the Municipal Sustainability Innovator Community Award from the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association and the CH2M Hill Sustainable Communities Award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
