Annual Report 2019: Letter from the Chair

Climate and Energy Livable Cities Pollution Water

This marks our final annual report, as the Commission comes to the end of our five-year mandate. In 2019, our work focussed once again on carbon pricing — a topic we first addressed in 2014 and have returned to regularly. Since our launch, the political landscape around carbon has changed significantly — and so has […]

User fees for water and wastewater encourage wise behaviour

Water

Canadians are a water-loving people and are very proud of our freshwater resources. Canadians also benefit from world-class municipal water and wastewater services. These systems deliver clean drinking water to our taps and treat the wastewater that goes down our toilets and drains, and they are directly connected to the lakes, rivers and streams we […]

Getting environmental solutions and answers for Canadian municipal

The answers municipal governments have been looking for?

Livable Cities

by Rachel Samson Municipal governments are facing multiple, growing, and overlapping challenges. Yet, there are tools available to address these challenges that are not being used to their full potential.  Market-based policies such as well-designed user fees can help reduce traffic, cut water use, and improve solid waste management, while generating revenue that can be […]

Water works in Okotoks: Lessons from a small, fast-growing Canadian town

Livable Cities Technology and Innovation Water

Smaller Canadian municipalities face unique challenges when it comes to sustaining healthy water and wastewater systems. To reduce the pressure, many of them are taking multi-pronged approaches to conservation and cost recovery. As we discuss in our latest report, well-designed user fees (i.e., water rates) are effective at curbing water use, but they’re not the […]

Why stormwater user fees can reduce flooding risk and improve municipal finances

Stormy fees: Stormwater user fees can reduce flooding risk and improve municipal finances

Water

Ecofiscal’s latest report assesses how well-designed user fees for municipal water and wastewater services promote conservation, generate revenue, and improve water quality. The report, however, scoped out the third pillar of municipal water systems—stormwater services. This blog fills the gap by looking more closely at stormwater services and how user fees can reduce flooding risk […]