The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) and the City of Sault Ste. Marie launched the Environmental Initiatives Map on October 30, 2012. Developed by the Community Geomatics Centre the map will raise awareness about local green initiatives.

The Environmental Initiatives Map is a highly-detailed and interactive Cloud-based platform supported by ESRI. The Map highlights green projects and companies throughout Sault Ste. Marie, and is designed to serve as both an educational tool for students and sophisticated awareness-building tool for the community.

The project was funded by the Municipal Environmental Initiatives (Green) Committee whose mandate is to reduce the City’s corporate carbon footprint. With this goal in mind the City has implemented a variety of green projects and the Environmental Initiatives Map provides a detailed inventory of these projects in the community. “

The Environmental Initiatives Map supports the City of Sault Ste. Marie’s claim as the Alternative Energy Capital of North America” said Councillor Steve Butland, Green Committee Co-Chair. “It is a way to showcase the investments made in the community by both public and private sectors in areas like renewable energy, energy efficiency, and waste diversion.”

“Building awareness of the tremendous energy projects in our region, and potential for future growth, is a vital component of the Smart Energy Strategy,” said Tom Vair, Executive Director, SSMIC. “The Environmental Initiatives Map is an important new tool in our communications effort and we look forward to expanding this resource in the future.”

Information tabs on the map include: alternative energy sites and City environmental initiatives, which are broken down by project type, as well as energy related companies, and base maps. The Map also features an interactive search tool and a “Green News in Sault Ste. Marie” section.

Endless possibilities abound for this exciting new tool, including the potential for mapping residential green energy projects in the future.

Visit the Environmental Initiatives Map at: http://maps.cityssm.on.ca, http://maps.cityssm.on.ca (Official Flash Version) or  http://maps.cityssm.on.ca/Default.aspx (Javascript Version). For more information, please contact Madison Zuppa, Environmental Initiatives Coordinator, City of Sault Ste. Marie at (705) 541-7175 or m.zuppa@cityssm.on.ca.