Town of Saint Andrews
The Town of Saint Andrews is located in Charlotte County along Passamaquoddy Bay in New Brunswick. The town has a population of approximately 3,000 residents and now includes the wards of Bayside and Chamcook (as of January 1, 2023), following the Local Governance Reform. The town’s Historic District is a National Historic Site of Canada, retaining much of its 18th-century character. The town is also referred to as St. Andrews-by-the-Sea and is known to the Passamaquoddy First Peoples as Qua-nos-cumcook. The Town of Saint Andrews is participating in the NB SECA program to develop and lay the groundwork for successful Community Energy and Emissions Plan implementation.
Accelerator Program Services Description
Smart Energy Communities Benchmark Assessment
This assessment considers how a community is progressing across 10 indicators relevant to community energy and emissions planning: Governance, Staff, Data, Financials, Strategy, Land Use, Energy Networks, Waste and Water, Transportation, and Buildings. This process included a pre-survey with initial scoring based on the review of all Municipal Plans, Policies, Bylaws; and interviews with municipal, utility, and government staff. It also included a review webinar and final report scoring. The tool can help identify gaps and pathways forward, and be used for benchmarking and continuous improvement year over year.
These scores are updated following the completion of the NB SECA Program.
Energy Mapping Exercise
This interactive exercise engages diverse local participants to identify strengths and opportunities for energy efficiency, clean energy, transportation, land use, etc., using an interactive map. Results from the exercise can help inform the development of a Community Energy and Emissions Plan.
CEEP Development Workshop
This workshop provides an overview of the key considerations necessary to develop a Community Energy and Emissions Plan. Resources presented help a community develop their CEEP. Resources include QUEST Canada’s CEEP Primer for NB Municipalities.
CEEP Implementation Workshop
This workshop is for communities that need to establish a Governance framework involving multiple stakeholders, as well as develop a communications strategy, a Key Performance Indicator framework, and strategies to implement the measures contained within a CEEP.
Training and Education Resources
- CEEP Course for Planners – This course is designed to build awareness and capacity for energy and climate planning among community planners and the Regional Service Commission (including consultants) to share best practices (i.e. policy, procedures and tools) and improve the quality, consistency and municipal capacity for implementing CEEPs.
- Navigation of additional resources, funding, Energy Advisors or expertise (also known as the “Help Desk”).
- Additional Webinars were provided by QUEST Canada, NB Power, Evergreen, B.C. CEA, EcoOuest, and others.
Networking and Communications Resources
- Municipal Working Group – this virtual working group is hosted by QUEST Canada for one hour every one to two months, and provides opportunities for municipalities to participate in peer-to-peer exchange, improve energy literacy, skills and competencies, learn from expert speakers, and more.
- Powered by Communities – an awareness-raising, communications and media platform that highlights and celebrates local community energy initiatives taking place across the country, from coast to coast to coast. Powered by Communities works alongside local experts, artists, writers, and journalists, to develop high-quality content and journalism that delivers informative stories, showcasing local energy initiatives from across Canada. The platform’s content is shared on QUEST Canada’s website and is often cross-published with various Canadian media outlets.
Community Acceleration Timeline
Community Acceleration Timeline
Get Involved
For updates on the project or to participate in any upcoming community SECA events please contact the community or project leads:
Town of Saint Andrews Website
To learn more about the Town of Saint Andrews, visit the town website.
Environmental Advisory Committee Webpage
Visit the town’s Environmental Advisory Committee webpage to learn more about the committee, its mandate, and related news and information.
Communications
Small Modular Reactors Main Topic at Saint Andrews Council Meeting
The Saint Croix Courier, March 15, 2023
Communities Pass Halfway Mark in the New Brunswick Smart Energy Community Accelerator Program
News Release, March 31, 2022
New Brunswick’s Smart Energy Community Accelerator Communities Enter a New Phase
News Release, Nov. 15, 2022
Announcing the launch of the New Brunswick Smart Energy Communities Accelerator Program
News Release, April 21, 2021