Citizen involvement

Municipal initiatives alone cannot ensure successful implementation of Bouctouche’s Green Plan: citizen involvement is crucial. Several activities have been suggested to give everyone the opportunity to contribute to their community’s sustainable development.

• Bouctouche Challenge

  
  A far-reaching awareness campaign was launched in 2008, presenting Bouctouche residents with the “Bouctouche Challenge”. These are 10 simple improvements that can be made in anyone’s home and everyday life to reduce human impact on the environment:
  
  
  
  1. Installing at least 5 compact fluorescent lightbulbs
  
  
  2. Composting at home
  
  
  3. Walking or biking instead of using a car
  
  
  4. Assessing your home and improving its energy efficiency
  
  
  5. Not using pesticides
  
  
  6. Installing low-flow showerheads
  
  
  7. Taking reuseable bags to shop
  
  
  8. Separating your waste into Dry (blue) and Wet (green)
  
  
  9. Eating locally produced food
  
  
  10. Never letting your vehicle idle

  As part of this awareness campaign, a Green Kit was provided free of charge to every household in town, to encourage participation in the “Bouctouche Challenge” by as many residents as possible. Delivered in a reusable bag, the green kit included information on various subjects (composting, energy efficiency assessment, wet/dry waste separation, etc.) as well as blue and green waste separation bags and a fluocompact lightbulb that saves money and energy.




• Pesticide-free lawns

  
  The Town of Bouctouche advocates environment-friendly lawn-care practices, without the use of cosmetic pesticides. To mark their contribution to environment protection, Bouctouche residents can get a “No Pesticides” poster from Town Hall, free of charge, to plant on their lawn.

• Energy efficiency

  
  We strongly encourage Bouctouche residents to question their home’s energy efficiency. Both the provincial government (Efficiency New Brunswick) and the federal government (ecoENERGY) have created grant programs to persuade people to make an energy assessment of their home and to undertake renovations that will improve its energy efficiency.

  In addition, the municipality of Bouctouche has developed a program to refund the cost of building permits for residents building new houses in compliance with R-2000 or Energuide 80 criteria.

  We hope that a maximum number of our citizens will take advantage of these valuable offers.

  Lien à efficacité NB
  Lien aux fonds fédéraux ecoenergy rebate

• Water Conservation

  
  Water resources can be exhausted and that is why everyone is expected to play a part in protecting and conserving water for future generations.

  The following interactive website provides numerous hints and tips to reduce our water consumption at home (e.g. installing low-flow shower heads, toilets and tap aerators).

  http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/reseau/watertips/watertips_flash_f.html

• Active Transportation

  
  
  
  Using active modes of transportation such as cycling, walking, running, skateboarding, etc. can help eliminate pollutants generated by motor vehicles, in addition to improving people’s overall health.

• The Green Toolbox

  
  Go to www.laboiteaoutilsverte.ca for a good source of information for environment-friendly services and products available in our region.