City a Finalist for Four International Awards for Liveable Communities

Fredericton (October 18, 2010) – The City of Fredericton is a finalist for four International Awards for Liveable Communities in the LivCom Awards 2010, to be presented in Chicago November 4-8.

Fredericton is a finalist for the Whole City Award, for its community and corporate commitment to sustainability; two Environmentally Sustainable Project Awards, for its Green Matters and Green Shops initiatives; and the Bursary Award, worth up to £10,000 or $16,000 Cdn for its new Green Matters Certified program.

“This is another example of how our community is being recognized on a global stage for its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship”, said Mayor Brad Woodside. “This is an exciting opportunity to share our best practices and successes and learn what other cities around the world are doing to make their communities more liveable.”

Each of the finalists from 50 countries around the world will be given up to 40 minutes to make a final presentation to the judges before the winners are announced during a gala awards ceremony on November 8.

Each year, communities at the finals of The LivCom Awards have exchanged best practices and practical experience, and have joined forces to address mutual challenges related to sustainability and liveability. The partnerships have inevitably led to mutual technical advances and more effective use of resources.

Communities are judged on how they are performing within the cultural, political, economic, geographic and climatic environment in which they are situated.

Three other Canadian cities are also up for awards – Vancouver and Chetwynd, British Columbia, and Montreal, Quebec.

The LivCom Awards were launched in 1997 and are endorsed by the United Nations Environment Program. LivCom is the world’s only awards competition focusing on best practices regarding the management of the local environment.

LivCom is non-political, embracing all nations and cultures. Its goal is to improve the quality of life of individual citizens through the creation of ‘liveable communities’.

Information about LivCom can be found at http://www.livcomawards.com/. For more on the City’s sustainability programs, visit www.greenmattersfredericton.com.