Streicker may travel to conference in Ontario
Coun. John Streicker could be catching a flight to London, Ont.
Coun. John Streicker could be catching a flight to London, Ont. next month to accept the 2015 Sustainable Communities Award the city is being awarded by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
The award was announced late last year, with Whitehorse being one of nine municipalities in the country to receive it.
The city won in the waste category for its Solid Waste Action Plan. Cape St. George, N.L., also won in the same category for its waste reduction and recycling program.
At Monday’s council meeting, a recommendation came forward that council approve the travel expenses for Streicker (who will be acting as deputy mayor) to attend the FCM’s Sustainable Communities conference in London next month.
There, Streicker would accept the award on the city’s behalf. A city staffer is also set to attend the Feb. 10-12 event.
Mayor Dan Curtis said the conference is not only a chance to accept an award, but to share and learn ways to become more sustainable with other municipalities.
Recalling his own experience going to the annual conference, he noted there’s a lot to take in and learn.
“It’s a lot of work,” he said.
Highlighted for this year’s conference are sessions on Sharing Failures: What it takes to learn from what didn’t work; Advanced Training: Instilling A Sustainability Mindset Within Your City Hall; and a keynote address from Jennifer Keesmaat, Toronto’s chief planner, on Building Momentum For Sustainability.
Council will vote next week on whether to approve Streicker’s travel expenses.
Comments (19)
Up 4 Down 0
Trucks Holding Waste on Jan 14, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Hauling out waste as a back haul load is a good idea. But some trucks such as food cannot haul back waste or some open ended truck will have to get a license to haul waste and meet certain regulation of Yukon, BC and Alberta. I might be wrong on this but I know one of the big businesses in the Yukon had talked about this a number of years ago. There is more likely insurance requirements etc. But trying to get the cost down is the right direction to go into. Has there been any research on how we can use the waste in the Yukon like plastic. Plastic was made into plastic lumber just for any example. Need some out of the box thinkers on this one.
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Fracking in Yukon on Jan 13, 2015 at 2:43 pm
Mr. Streicker stated during the hearing on fracking that he could support fracking in the Yukon and he gave his reasons. What does that tell you? He talked about working on environmental projects and he is an engineer. I think he is a good political person too but we all stand by our word and what we believe in for what ever reasons. There is no or wrong answers here just opinions. There was 100's of people in the room when he made his statements. Go look at the video of it.
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Sourdough on Jan 13, 2015 at 11:19 am
This is just another insult on the intelligence of us common people. Instead of making sustainability which includes to a large part recycling, governments in Yukon make it more and more expensive. It is so expensive to ship out recyclable materials when most trucks who deliver goods to Yukon go back empty. Why can't they just charge the fuel cost for the trip back and haul that stuff.
Mr. Streicker is not an environmental engineer, he has a degree in geo mapping, he is not against Fracking, he told me straight to my face Yukon need oil & gas development. Mr. Streicker has a degree in being a Wolf in a Sheepskin. He is a darn good politician he can speak to a crowd for two hours and say nothing. His well paid job as a City Councilor is just a stepping stone for him, or so he hopes.
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Hem on Jan 12, 2015 at 3:55 pm
Thanks, North of 60 for supplying the FCM address, I hope people make good use of it, I did...
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north_of_60 on Jan 11, 2015 at 7:38 pm
TO: Federation of Canadian Municipalities
http://www.fcm.ca/home/contact-us.htm
Before you hand out any awards for proposed solid waste action plans which have not met the stated goals, perhaps you should do your due-diligence and look beyond the self-serving government press releases and glowing reports from government employees who are paid to make glowing reports of government programs. At the very least you should review the relevant articles and comments from readers in the local papers; the Whitehorse Star and the Yukon News. The articles show how the misdirected actions of the City's Environmental Sustainability Department have provided classic examples of inappropriate urban planning in a wilderness city. Here are just a few examples drawn from newspaper articles and reader comments over the years since this so-called 'solid waste diversion' program was implemented.
Solid waste diversion? Well, maybe, sort of... The glass collected for recycling, with the exception of bottles actually re-used by the local brewery, is crushed and buried at the dump. The City used to issue inexpensive 'scavenging permits' at the dump, and many people would collect and reuse a variety of 'waste' construction materials and other useful items. Now the permits are very expensive, and otherwise useful materials are buried.
The City increased tipping fees at the dump. Since then, more and more residential trash has piled up along trails and old mine areas within the City limits and surrounding areas. Appliances, yard waste, renovation waste, furniture, cars, bags of garbage, etc. all pile up in the bush since the City imposed high tipping fees. Suggestions to take residential waste for free on weekends have fallen on deaf ears. The City will need to get some southern urban consultant to study it before they consider any action. All of these policy changes are presented as waste diversion, but they're not. In many cases they make the situation worse. The accumulation of domestic trash in the Whitehorse wilderness does appear to be ongoing, so in an ironic way they've met their 'sustainable landfill diversion' goal.
Before the City government mandated it's compost program, City residents who lived near wilderness areas and green zones kept their domestic garbage in secure metal cans or "bear proof" plastic ones. Once a week the garbage was collected, and even in the hot summer sun, secured garbage didn't attract much wildlife. To implement a compost program, the City contracted an expensive study by southern urban experts , and based on that study, spent our tax dollars on mandated compost containers which are not even "bear resistant". Compost food waste is now picked up every two weeks and garbage is picked up on alternate weeks. Two weeks of food waste rotting in the warm summer sun in an easily opened dark plastic container has attracted more bears than ever and as a result more bears have been killed. Sustainable? Yes, I suppose so, as long as bears keep breeding, but it's not what most Yukoners expect from their City's 'environmental' staff.
For decades, tax dollars channeled through municipal and territorial governments supported a non-profit organization who successfully operated a recycling center in Whitehorse. Cans, paper, metal, cardboard, all plastics even Styrofoam was collected. The organization not only processed recyclables, but also gave jobs to many people who would otherwise be un-employable. Residents from around town and outlying areas all brought recyclable materials there. For residents who wanted more convenience, a private company offered a curbside blue box recycling pick-up service in town.
Unfortunately, in the past six months the City spent tens of thousands of dollars that should have supported the recycling center, for expensive studies by southern consultants on how to set up a City-operated mandatory curbside blue box collection service including a significantly increased cost for garbage collection. With the new City garbage system the food scraps will likely sit for three weeks in the 'bear bait' compost bins before collection. More bears that wander into neighborhoods will be killed.
Without adequate funding from the City, the recycling center laid-off staff and closed it's public-access recycling bins and now only accepts refundable beverage containers. Materials that used to be recycled now go to the dump with garbage. Whitehorse had a successful recycling center that served all residents and now the City will impose an inefficient and expensive system that only benefits some residents. Yet another failed program from the Environmental Sustainability Department. Instead of spending our tax money to make recycling all materials a viable operation, they've spent more money to make environmental consultant's studies sustainable.
If your organization wants to give Whitehorse City government employees an award for this environmental mismanagement, don't let these examples stop you. Just be prepared to deal with the repercussions when the whole truth, which is already on the public record, becomes more widely known. The award will become a point of ridicule, and the case studies of failed urban planning schemes in a wilderness city will make your organization notorious.
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Smurf on Jan 10, 2015 at 1:36 pm
@Josey: Totally agree. Want another example?
Hey (the COW) start to fill all vacant or new positions with people from down south or east.
No Yukoners (or at least city residents or people who already work for the city)...
What a disrespectful treatment of all the employees, taxpayers and voters!
Is this the right way? No matter how many people you'll bring from "the big cities" - on the other side you'll see a lot of people moving away!
Maybe I'm wrong or I should buy a DeLorean and take a trip into the future...
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Josey Wales to Hippycrytes @ CoW on Jan 10, 2015 at 12:21 pm
I see this thread is creating a few questions....as this one, why do we have a political person whom resides in Marsh Lk. representing the CoW? Personally I'd like to see that changed, if you do not reside here you should NOT be ever trying to represent a community that you pay no taxes to.
What next TFL running for mayor?
City hall is a mere training ground for nobles to learn the craft of malfeasance, fiscal IRRESPONSIBILITY, and how to best use it for personal political gain...hence the term "political correctness".
Folks, all one need do is watch Brave Heart and replace the actors with political people we all know be it civic, territorial, tribal or federal.
Same story really, as they really think WE work for them Vs. how it was and should be.
They have their greedy mitts in every nook of every pocket taking whatever they desire to fund bulls**t like the topic of this thread, legacy projects, and a myriad of non essential things.
IMHO CoW has been outta touch for decades now with the most "zoning out" (pun not intended) being during the hairdresser's time and present day.
How about replacing the beyond laughable wilderness city with..."Entitlement Capital of Canada...thanks for the transfer payments"?
"only thing sustainable about CoW, is the epic stupid that chronically comes outta the nobles castle" OJW
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ProScience Greenie on Jan 9, 2015 at 10:06 pm
"Sharing Failures: What it takes to learn from what didn’t work"
I'm sure the taxpayers of CoW would like to have some input at that conference session.
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June Jackson on Jan 9, 2015 at 3:25 pm
I think it would make quite an impact at a "Sustainable Communities" gathering if one of the recipients used one of the many communication/net services out there to give his acceptance speech. Did Streiker get chosen so he could be the lucky recipient of a lot of well deserved criticism?
To: Election Year in Yukon: You had me agreeing right up to Doug Graham. Mr. Graham has done nothing but spend like a drunken sailor when he was on City council and as a Minister of Health his record is abysmal and had 104 contracts removed from the public registry..so much for transparency and a lot for secrecy.. He spent 6.9 MILLION dollars just for design work on the new continuing care concept..he SAID seniors should be helped to stay in their homes, but in reality he does every single thing he can to get them out of their homes and into Yukon housing where the gov can track their money and finds ways to get it away from them. It is Graham behind the Means Tests being forced on seniors if they want to access some of the seniors programs. Suffice it to say.. Graham is a Conservative through and through.
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north_of_60 on Jan 9, 2015 at 1:39 pm
The Councilor from Marsh Lake wants to jet off across the country to collect some 'sustainability' award? That's just ludicrous. Especially considering how much fossil fuel he burns driving into town and back again nearly every day.
Learn to teleconference. THAT would be showing some sustainable responsibility.
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Mark Southerland on Jan 9, 2015 at 1:17 pm
Some travel is required for networking thus I have no problem with John's travel.
Many people I know are very disappointed with mayor and council over other issues like motorizing the Millennium trail for the sake of one user group and approximately 4 local businesses and their generous use of our taxes- ie agressive spending .
We (myself and people I know) hope that council will make some good decisions in their final year- at present only 2 council members have our support and we are concerned that many want to go into territorial politics.
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melba on Jan 9, 2015 at 12:24 pm
"A city staffer is also set to attend the Feb. 10-12 event." My bet is this person is our 'Sustainability Manager'. The same one who hires consultants to figure out how to do a recycling blue box program instead of doing the research, work and leadership herself. She should send a consultant to party down east and pick up the big award too. Naw, she's got that one covered.
Up 55 Down 2
Seriously? on Jan 9, 2015 at 12:20 pm
Here's the link to the information http://www.fcm.ca/home/awards/fcm-sustainable-communities-awards/2015-winners/2015-waste-program-co-winner-1.htm
I suggest the FCM wait to see if the 'plan' is actually successful before making an award. In the meantime, the thought of 2 people flying to London to receive this award is appalling (my opinion only)
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Mr. Streicker is an environmental engineer on Jan 9, 2015 at 12:02 pm
Mr. Streicker is against fracking to locate fuel to supply the aircraft to fly. We all want to lower green house gases so why doesn't Mr. Streicker stay home? Mr. Streicker you are environmental engineer please do what is right and stay home.
Good move Mr. Streicker.
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Election year in the Yukon Great year for change on Jan 9, 2015 at 10:18 am
The Yukon will more likely have 3 elections this year. Municipal in October, Federal either the spring or more likely the fall and Yukon Government. So voters for the COW let's remove the mess in City Council. The Yukon right now lacks leadership in the COW and the Yukon Government. Good people please step up and run. I like to see Doug Graham come back to the COW because we need him.
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More Waste of tax payers dollars on Jan 9, 2015 at 10:12 am
No need for an elected official to go - waste of money.
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Josey Wales on Jan 8, 2015 at 6:15 pm
What FP said....aaaand, more elitist travel to pick up an award for social engineering/greenwashing initiatives?
I had a meeting with King Dan a mere few days ago, adding my IN PERSON criticism as to how outta touch the nobles are and why NONE of them will get a vote from me.
Folks I'm giving great thought into leaving a town I've resided in for over 20 years, as this town is a mere wee sliver of what it used to be when it was a community.
Decades of thoughtless plans, every noble on council seems to hit the bong.
Rick and his crew of imports...gee what a great dis service THAT did to our local hires?
This town is now the entitlement capital of Canada as I see it, socially engineered to have government employees do well as we non govy types feed on the scraps they leave.
The only thing here sustainable, is the epic levels of stupid that seems to breed in that ol' clap trap castle they cannot wait to replace.
IMHO nothing has changed since the 15th century when the kings men came collecting from the peasants whom toiled for the nobles.
If you call yourself a northerner, you should be totally ashamed of this socialist experiment and it's epic fail.
...speaking for myself, I certainly am...ashamed that is!
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Sandy Helland on Jan 8, 2015 at 5:11 pm
Who pays for the city staffer expenses? Tax payers again.
Why does a city staffer go along??? To do the work part.
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francias pillman on Jan 8, 2015 at 3:11 pm
Sustainable means accepting this award over Skype. You owe some carbon credits.