The City of Corner Brook is extending the deadline for a public feedback portion of its Integrated Municipal Sustainability Plan update. The new deadline to complete the survey is January 7, 2022. At this phase of the process, some best practices from similar jurisdictions have been compiled as potential solutions to problems facing the City of Corner Brook. These suggestions are found in the Best Practices Paper, which residents can find here (link). A video presentation and summary of the Best Practices Paper can be found at www.cornerbrookplan.ca. 

After nearly a year of research and consultation, the IMSP Team has determined four key challenges for Corner Brook as it looks forward to the next ten years:

• Climate change, and how it may impact the natural environment we hold so dear as well as the city’s development zones for housing and commercial businesses. It may also influence how we think about things like transportation in and around our City.
• Urban Sprawl and Housing Choice. While new development on the outskirts of the city may provide additional sources of property tax revenue, the City must then take on the costs and liabilities for long term maintenance of infrastructure, and its replacement. As Corner Brook looks to grow, it may be beneficial to focus on building up more than out, with a focus on creating diverse housing options for families to come to our City and flourish.
• Ageing infrastructure. In total, the City of Corner Brook manages:

• 175 kilometres of drinking water pipes; 
• 105 kilometres of storm sewer infrastructure; 
• 137 kilometres of sanitary sewer lines; and 
• 146 kilometres of streets and 52 kilometres of sidewalks.

Much of the above- and below-ground infrastructure is in need of repair. Solving the problem of ageing infrastructure could come from re-balancing growth patterns to maximize the use of existing assets while increasing revenue through intensification efforts.

• Demographic and economic uncertainty. Although economic indicators at the municipal level are difficult to gauge, anecdotal evidence suggests Corner Brook is looking at an uncertain economic future. Many commercial storefronts are vacant and economic changes such as the shrinking of the oil and gas sector could have impacts on the province, the region and the city. Corner Brook also has an ageing population and a shrinking workforce, impacting the overall economy. While land use planning can not create economic opportunities or alter demographics, it can create conditions for viable economic growth, and, thus, attract new residents to move here and thrive.

Are we on the right track in terms of issues and potential solutions? Have your say on these matters and the potential solutions at hand by heading to www.cornerbrookplan.ca/get-involved and taking a short survey. The new deadline to complete the survey is January 7, 2022.

-30-

MEDIA CONTACT:
Ryan Butt
Communications Officer
City of Corner Brook
Office: (709) 637-1662
Cell: (709) 632-8113
rbutt@cornerbrook.com