Sustainable Neighbourhoods: A Year in Review

Group of people outside holding umbrellas in the rain

A Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan, or SNAP, is a comprehensive approach to urban renewal and climate action. Working with community members and partners, we’re implementing sustainable solutions at the neighbourhood level.

We launched our first SNAP, the Fletchers Creek SNAP in 2019. It’s a partnership between the City of Brampton, Region of Peel and local community. The action-oriented plan addresses local environmental challenges and community interests. This year, we brought the program to Georgetown. The Hungry Hollow SNAP  is a partnership between Town of Halton Hills and local community. The plan is tailored to this community and addresses its unique environmental challenges and opportunities.

Person fixing a bike in front of four people
Sonia from BikeBrampton repairs a Brampton family’s bike.

Milestones from Fletchers Creek SNAP

Engaged community members have made the third year of the Fletchers Creek SNAP a big success. Incredibly, 645 community members participated in 23 online and in-person events and planted over 1,100 native trees and shrubs and almost 200 wildflowers in Fletchers Creek SNAP. Residents restored the urban forest at Chris Gibson Park, Fred Kline Park and Cowton Meadows.

We hosted number of events including a series of online gardening workshops, a litter cleanup event, a tree photography walk, guided neighbourhood walks and webinars about neighbourhood nature and Brampton’s urban forest. Several community groups led exciting initiatives with support from CVC and Regional Councillors Rowena Santos and Paul Vicente, including a litter cleanup by People Against Littering, bike repair pop ups by BikeBrampton and tree planting events with We The Environment and Community Climate Council.  The Community Climate Council also adopted Fred Kline Park as part of City of Brampton’s adapt-a-park program.

This year also marked the start of CVC’s Community Tree Project in Fletchers Creek SNAP which focused on raising awareness of climate change and the cooling benefits of trees. Together, we planted nearly 3,000 trees in parks, yards and corporate grounds. The Community Tree Project is funded in part by the Government of Canada with support from the City of Brampton.

Group photo of residents at an event
Community champions plant trees in Fred Kline Park to add cooling canopy in Brampton.

Milestones from Hungry Hollow SNAP

Over 500 SNAP residents have participated in activities in the Hungry Hollow SNAP project. In the first year of implementation, we’ve already planted over 3,000 trees and shrubs.

To mark the official launch of the project, Hungry Hollow SNAP residents submitted photos of their favourite wildlife and natural assets during our Nature in your Neighbourhood campaign. Ten lucky winners received $50 gift cards to local Georgetown businesses.

Group of residents wearing hip waders
Town of Halton Hills Trail Stewards and SNAP residents work to remove invasive species

Community partners have played a key role in helping us get started in the Hungry Hollow SNAP neighbourhood. We collaborated with the Town of Halton Hills Trail Stewards program and Trees for Halton Hills on several tree planting and invasive species removal events.

Other community achievements in the neighbourhood include town tree planting along Silver Creek in Cedarvale Park, The Halton Hills Butterflyway project, the new Trees for Halton Hills Arboretum and the ongoing educational and stewardship work of Willow Park Ecology Centre.

This year, thanks to the Greenbelt Foundation, we deepened the appreciation and discovery of urban nature. Together, we developed pocket neighbourhood guides with handy maps of local natural assets in each SNAP. Residents can use them to explore nature close to home.   

Event participants standing on a bridge waving to the camera
SNAP residents and CVC staff enjoying the Hungry Hollow Ravine Nature Hike

Thank you!

This year’s milestones would not have been possible without the ongoing support of our watershed residents, volunteers, community leaders, partners and funders! Thank you to everyone for their ongoing participation and commitment to making local neighbourhoods cleaner, greener and ready for climate change.

Stay up-to-date with upcoming SNAP news and events by signing up for the Fletchers Creek or Hungry Hollow newsletters.

Comments (1)

  1. I am very appreciative of the efforts to educate and enlighten the residents of my SNAP with the webinars and programs offered by the CVCA. The ability to take part in the sustainability and conservation programs, as well as the opportunity to populate my property with native pollinator plants, bushes, and trees, is something I hope more folks will take advantage of as climate change and invasive species become more prevalent. Thank You!!

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