Quick Poll Results and Learn More
Question: What is your priority for public safety?
- Prevent and deter crime - 22 responses
- Prepare for emergencies - 2 responses
- Rehabilitate and reintegrate criminals - 3 responses
- Apprehend and prosecute crime - 17 responses
- Communicate, inform and educate - 10 responses
Learn more:
There has been a significant move from reactive, to preventative, programs to address public safety. Many people say that “The offender of tomorrow is often the vulnerable child of today.” At the centre of this is the recognition that we need to provide for the physical, emotional and intellectual well-being of children, so that they can become healthy and well-adjusted adults.
Question: In streams, lakes, and rivers, what pollutants are you most concerned about?
Learn more:
A wide range of activities – like the use of hazardous materials in the workplace, pesticide application, and use of household cleaners – can all produce water-borne pollutants. The city’s water supply, stormwater, and sewage systems help manage pollutants and maintain good water quality. Management of pollutants upriver and in areas above the Nechako Aquifer is critical to public health in Prince George, because pollutants can easily migrate from the surface into the aquifer, which supplies water to the City.
Question: Which of the following should we focus on most to improve energy efficientcy?
Learn more:
Energy efficiency is a cornerstone of sustainability. Efficiency is the combined result of technology, design, and patterns of use that reduce the use of energy. Improved efficiency also reduces costs and decreases dependence on greenhouse gas-emitting fuels. Investment in increasing efficiency locally – for example building energy retrofits – creates local business opportunities and jobs. It also frees up capital in industrial and commercial operations to invest in other aspects of the business.
Question: Health can be defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Its most important component is:
Learn more:
Globally, while food is cheap, accessible, and varied, its nutritional value has dropped dramatically over the last 20-30 years, it brings little value to the local economy, and its production is having significant environmental impacts. Local, ethical and organic food production adds to food security, is environmentally sustainable and contributes to the local economy. Stone Soup, a collaborative supported by Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) in Northern Health, is seeking to increase food literacy in the community.
Question: How should Prince George support enough, good quality labour to support the economy?
Results
Learn more:
The Prince George Chamber of Commerce and Initiatives Prince George, through a joint Recruitment and Retention Program, have begun to address the changing nature of labour and the need to develop and attract a work force that will capitalize on future opportunities.
Question: In Prince George, what renewable energy source will be the most important in the next 20 years?
Results
Learn more:
Of the electricity used in Prince George, 90% is generated from hydro-power facilities—a clean source of renewable energy. However, electricity accounts for only 27% of energy use in the City. The other 73% is natural gas, and diesel and gasoline for vehicles. To displace natural gas for heating – the easiest area in which to have an impact, the City has investigated solar hot water and combined heat-and-power systems. Currently, the largest use of local renewable energy in Prince George is in the form of pulping residue and wood waste used to power the operations of pulp plants and mills, and wood burned in woodstoves for home-heating.
Question: Do you currently volunteer with a group in Prince George?
Results
Learn more:
Since the 1950’s the level of social capital in communities has gradually declined. With the rise of individualism, the development of technologies (like television) that compete with more interactive pastimes and urban forms that tend to segregate rather than link, our society has become more privatized and most indicators of social capital point to a decline in social cohesion. Ties to family and friends, political involvement, civic associations, and membership in trade unions are all decreasing. Research points to extremely strong correlations between vibrant social networks and childhood development, safety, education, income, economy and public health. It cannot be doubted that strong social capital is an integral part of strong, healthy communities
Question: To reduce costs and protect groundwater supplies, how should we conserve water?:
Results
Learn more:
Prince George’s per capita residential water use is about 450 L/day. In comparison, the BC average is about 260 L/day per capita, Canada’s average is 325L/day, and many developed countries use far less water than that. To reverse growth in water use, the City is now implementing a Water Conservation Plan that aims to reduce water consumption 15% by 2014 over 2004 levels.
The Evolving Plan -> Environmental -> Environmental Focus Areas -> Drinking Water Supply
Question: What is the most important housing issue in Prince George?:
Results:
Learn more:
By 2038, the population over 65 will rise from 10% to 25% of residents. Reflecting this transition, the recent Quality of Life Survey reported that over half of Prince George residents expected their housing needs to change in the next ten years.
The Evolving Plan -> Social -> Social Focus Areas -> Housing
Question: The future of Prince George's economy will depend on:
Results:
Learn more:
Economic prosperity has traditionally been equated with economic growth. While bringing many benefits, economic growth has also been tied to problems such as income inequalities, air and water pollution, and loss of wildlife habitat. Sustainable economic development can be thought of as economic development that creates shared wealth and health for people while maintaining the health of the surrounding environment. There is a need to build a shared understanding of what sustainable prosperity means in the context of Prince George’s unique situation.
The Evolving Plan -> Economic -> Economic Focus Areas -> Economic Prosperity
Question: Air pollution is a concern because of its effects on health, odours, and visibility Air quality:
Results:
Learn more:
Prince George’s air quality has ranked among the worst of BC municipalities for many years. The geography of the ‘Bowl’ combined with atmospheric thermal inversions can trap pollutants. Industrial sources, residential burning and transportation are major contributors to air pollution, as are some natural sources. Since 1995, a coordinated effort to measure and manage air quality has resulted in improvements to air quality. In particular, industry has made changes that have caused a large reduction in Total Reduced Sulfur (TRS), a measure related to the familiar “pulp mill smell.”
The Evolving Plan -> Environmental -> Environmental Focus Areas -> Air Quality
Question: Kitchen table talks are a chance to learn about sustainability together. Is this a good way to go?
Results:
Question: Should people in a community be involved in planning for the future of their community?
Results:
