The City of North Vancouver is one of Canada's three most environmentally friendly cities, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
North Vancouver, Edmonton and Surrey have been selected from 11 Canadian cities to join a host of international municipalities competing for the WWF's title of Earth Hour Capital 2014.
North Vancouver was singled out for encouraging energy-efficient building retrofits and a 20-year plan to encourage cycling, electric vehicles, and car sharing.
"It just makes me feel so proud as a mayor that our city and our residents get it," said North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto.
Municipal heat utility Lonsdale Energy Corporation was criticized after needing a $12 million loan from the city, with Coun. Guy Heywood referring to the LEC as a "specialized utility."
The recognition from the WWF serves as an affirmation for the good work the LEC is doing, according to Mussatto.
Surrey has taken note of the LEC, Mussatto added. The WWF praised Surrey for using waste to heat buildings.
"They are copying us," Mussatto said with a laugh.
While Surrey might seem like an odd choice as a green city, Mussatto credited the stewardship of Mayor Dianne Watts for countering urban sprawl with medium and higher density development.
In terms of learning from other cities, Mussatto mentioned Vancouver's decision to allow a singlefamily home, a secondary suite, and a secondary house on a single lot.
"Maybe we look at that someday," he said.
North Vancouver's handling of stormwater has also aided their green reputation, according to Mussatto.
"In the old days we would just take the stormwater and take it off the street and put it into a culvert. Now we do bioswales. .. where we actually capture the rainwater and it seeps into the ground slowly so you don't get this massive surge of water into our creeks and streams," he said.
The awards are intended to inspire international change, according to Earth Hour City Challenge lead Carina Borgström-Hansson "Despite their commendable efforts, cities can't do it alone. If we are to protect the world from dangerous climate change while meeting human needs, a radical shift in investment must take place. In addition to local governments, national policy-makers, businesses and major financial institutions must be a part of this transition," she stated in a press release.
Canada's winning city is scheduled to be chosen by an international jury March 27.
