Nashwaak, New Brunswick – From Overwhelmed to Climate Action

​For administrators of small municipalities, ‘overwhelmed’ is a reasonable descriptor for everyday life. They’re responsible for everything from pothole repairs to policing, to recreation, all under constant budgetary pressure. Then along comes a new priority, climate action.

QUEST Canada’s services have been designed specifically to help resource-limited municipalities address that priority. They’re an affordable combination of workshops, exercises, templates, reports, and follow-up working groups that aim to ease the burden on municipal leaders and staff, and offer clear direction going forward.

So how is that working on the ground in the real world? Perhaps the recent experience of a small Canadian municipality tells the story well.

Nashwaak, New Brunswick is a new, sprawling rural community located just north of Fredericton. New, because it was created by the amalgamation of several entities as part of 2023 local governance reforms. Sprawling, because it encompasses 1,000 square kilometers, dominated by farmland, forest and the pristine Nashwaak River. Rural, because it has a population of just 8,000.

To guide and assist

Nashwaak recently started working with QUEST under the guidance of Shane Thomson, Senior Project Lead, who brings more than a decade of municipal administration experience. “New Brunswick’s Climate Change Action Plan directs all municipalities to have a greenhouse gas reduction plan in place by 2030,” he explains. “QUEST Canada was engaged by the Department of Environment and Local Government to guide and assist smaller municipalities in the creation and execution of their plans.”

“This is good timing for us,” says Bethany Ryan, Nashwaak’s Chief Administrative Officer. “We’re settling into our new community structure; we’ve developed a climate adaptation plan; and our staff has been newly-trained on climate adaptation.”

And, she adds, “From the perspective of a small community’s administrator, sustainability is a bit overwhelming. It’s important, but it’s hard to get to amid all of our other priorities.”

She’s hopeful working with QUEST will help the community realize not just emission reductions, but also significant energy savings – in particular at the community’s aging arena facility. “I’ve been on the Board there, and I’ve seen the power bills!”

Actions that can be taken

Nashwaak’s first event with QUEST was a Community Energy and Emissions Mapping Workshop held in March. Participants were provided with a large map of the community, and invited to identify all the assets, resources and emission reduction opportunities within their boundaries. They were then invited to imagine and suggest actions that could be taken.

“I enjoyed it and thought it went really well,” enthuses the community’s Clerk Anouchka Hawkes-O’Hara. “I especially liked the mapping exercise. Placing those dots on the map made it real, and helped us see all the opportunities right before our eyes.”

“It opened my mind to different solutions, things we could implement to save money and reduce emissions,” she continues. “Overall, our community is green-minded and seeking solutions – but when it comes to sustainability, people often feel lost and don’t know what to do. This mapping exercise helped provide focus and direction.”

“I liked the conversations we were having,” adds Bethany. “Like, for example, about installing EV chargers at community facilities. Transportation is a big part of our emissions footprint, so that’s something we can do.”

Programs and incentives available

Other opportunities identified in the mapping exercise included conducting energy audits of all municipal buildings and installing solar panels to help offset municipal power bills. Attendees also heard a presentation by Save Energy NB about programs and incentives available to help them achieve their energy saving goals.

Information obtained through the mapping exercise will now be used to develop an emissions reduction plan for Nashwaak. The process will be led by Shane, with input and oversight by Bethany.

“It’s my hope that this report will help boost support and buy-in for climate action, both on council and in our community,” she says. “If we can identify areas where significant savings are possible, that will get attention. If we can use the report to unlock and access new funding, that would be very appealing to Council, and would really help make good things happen.”

“I hope the report will serve as a roadmap, helping us save energy and become more resilient,” Anouchka reflects. “But I also hope this process will lead to greater awareness of climate change in our community, and the need for us all to be more environmentally conscious.”

“When people think of our environment, often the first thing that comes to mind is our Nashwaak River. It’s central to our community for sure – but I hope this process will help us all see that the environment is much more than that too.”

Report “a huge benefit”

Working with QUEST has helped ease the barriers that typically impede climate action in small communities, Bethany acknowledges.

“For us to be able to get together, identify assets and discuss what we can do, and then have Shane go and condense everything into a report to council with clear goals and priorities? That’s a huge benefit.”

It’s her hope that suggested actions backed by compelling paybacks will give Council the assurance it needs to allocate budgets and other resources accordingly.

And to another municipality feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude and uncertainty of emission reduction planning, she doesn’t hesitate to recommend following the path Nashwaak is following. “The cost of this entire process is minimal compared to hiring a consultant, and it’s making things a whole lot easier for us!”

“QUEST’s mission is to help establish coordinated local action on energy and emissions,” assures Shane, “and on the ground, help a community move from overwhelmed, to achieving their climate objectives.”

And early signals from the rural community of Nashwaak, New Brunswick suggest it’s working.

À propos de QUEST Canada

QUEST Canada is a registered Canadian charity that supports communities in Canada on their pathway to net-zero. Since 2007, we’ve been facilitating connections, empowering community champions and advising decision-makers to implement energy use and emissions reduction solutions that best meet community needs and maximize local opportunities. We develop tools and resources, convene stakeholders and rights holders, and advise decision-makers — all with the goal of encouraging, assisting and enabling communities to contribute to Canada’s net-zero goals.