A commitment to a sustainable community
Kawartha Lakes ON – Fleming College’s Frost Campus is ringing in the New Year with a resolution to continue its successful sustainability partnership with the City of Kawartha Lakes.
The City and the college signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sustainability in 2009. Since then the college and the City have taken strides to build upon the existing, successful relationship they share and further formalized the agreement in November 2010.
“It is truly a pleasure to continue to build on our positive relationship with Fleming College. The college brings expertise in the environment, an area that Council has identified as a priority for us. Additionally, the participation of students in our activities allows us to advance certain initiatives in a cost-effective way, not to mention providing a training opportunity for individuals who may become our future employees,” says Jane Reynolds, CAO of the City of Kawartha Lakes.
“We are very excited about all we have accomplished in the first year of the sustainability agreement,” said Linda Skilton, Principal of the Frost Campus. “We are working to create a better, more sustainable community and, at the same time, we are providing valuable learning opportunities for our students. I look forward to increasing our partnership activities in 2011.”
The agreement was developed to officially recognize an active and supportive partnership between the City and the college,
to benefit the community in key areas: economic prosperity, community and social well-being, and efficiency of organizations.
Working toward that goal, the City and college have partnered on a number of initiatives and will continue to do so into 2011. These include:
• The City is undertaking an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, and the college will have representation on the steering committee for that plan.
• City and college staff are working with other partners to develop a concept for a proposed Centre of Excellence for Water Quality.
• A plan is being developed by the City to encourage/promote use of the Green Hub Community Improvement Plan. The college is supporting this plan and providing strategic advice on implementing the plan.
• In 2009-10, students in Fleming’s Ecosystem Management program completed a series of waste audits and waste surveys on behalf of the City’s Solid Waste Division. The audits have provided focus areas for recycling initiatives and advanced the City’s internal corporate waste management strategy.
• City parks staff work with students in the Arboriculture program at Fleming – students gain practical experience in tree pruning/removal and inventory work.
• The college has provided input on the City’s Water and Energy Conservation Strategy and will help promote future conservation programs within the City through community functions and events.
• The college has taken a lead role to launch a community-based education and research centre in 2011, C-Links. The City and a number of community agencies are partners in this initiative.
Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 90 full-time programs in Business and Technology, Continuing Education and Skilled Trades, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Visual Arts, Education, Health and Wellness, and Law, Justice and Community Services. Fleming College has more than 6,000 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 58,000 alumni.
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For more information:
Laura Copeland, Communications Officer, Fleming College, 705-749-5530 x 1370 or copeland@flemingc.on.ca