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Nabil Malik, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Canada
The Canadian Arctic and Sub-Arctic region (the Polar region) is facing a new set of challenges related to sustainable development because of natural resource development and rapid population growth. Here, the role of bureaucratic responsiveness in developing and implementing sustainability planning policy which can address these challenges will be explored.
Since 2007, the Canadian government has significantly increased its investment within the Polar region “to ensure that the [Canadian] North achieves its full promise as a vibrant region” (Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, 2011) through the continued development of natural resources that exist within the region. As such, due to the increased development of mines and oil and gas reserves, the Polar region has experienced “considerable international migration of people seeking work in resource extraction and service sectors” (Heleniak & Bogoyavlenskiy, 2013, p. 1). This has caused the population of the Polar region to grow by approximately 13% between 2000 and 2010, which is “at a faster rate than Canada as a whole” (Heleniak & Bogoyavlenskiy, 2013, p. 1). This level of growth is expected to continue in the Polar region, which is presenting a new set of challenges to sustainable development. This has led the federal government to mandate that all municipalities in Canada develop an Integrated Community Sustainability Plans (ICSPs) in order to provide a policy framework that would guide sustainable development.
The Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP), which has been promoted in Canada since 2005, is based on the premise that global sustainability challenges need a response through actions that are “local and shaped by a strong sense of place” (EACCC, 2006, p. 10). An ICSP is defined in the Municipal Funding Agreement as “a long-term plan, developed in consultation with community members that provides direction for the community to realize sustainability objectives including environmental, culture, social and economic objectives” (Planning for Sustainable Canadian Communities Roundtable, 2005, p. 4). The ICSPs are based on a four-pillar model of sustainability— social, cultural, economic, and environmental—and “seek to integrate and to share knowledge and solutions, [so that] communities can better understand their future and work collectively towards achieving their goals” (p. 6). In addition, ICSPs will help municipalities in Canada “to translate knowledge, concerns and hopes into action,” and “enable communities to plan and manage their assets, services and resources in order to achieve identifiable outcomes, deliver services and address their priorities” (p. 9). Throughout the development and implementation process of ICSPs, there is a significant emphasis on engaging and consulting various stakeholders, particularly citizens. As such, the Planning for Sustainable Canadian Communities Roundtable (20