Project: Public Outreach Campaign - Airshed Management Plan
Client: City of Kamloops

 

How do we encourage citizens to have their say on airshed management now and in the future?

By creating opportunities – in person and online - to learn, be heard and influence outcomes in an interactive, municipal planning process.

In 2011 the City of Kamloops committed to developing its first Airshed Management Plan. The goal was to maintain and, where possible, improve local air quality through collaboration between government, industry, businesses and residents. At the same time, air quality was becoming a key issue related to a proposed new copper mine within the City limits. Communication Solutions created a public education and outreach strategy for the City which, for a six month period, guided numerous communication tools and channels as well as a public consultation process.

Heightened interest in air quality was embraced as a catalyst to encouraging residents to participate in developing strategies and actions that could help ensure air quality targets were met. The process informed residents about the biggest sources of emissions and explained which government agencies hold responsibility for air quality management. It incorporated multiple opportunities for in-person engagement and duplicated these opportunities to contribute online to maximize citizen access. At the end of the consultation process, an open house showcased a series of strategies and actions being presented to city council, highlighting those that were generated from the public.

Services provided

Communication Strategy
Outreach Planning and Management
Media Relations Counsel
Facilitation  

Results

• In-person participation/exposure to message from more than 2,000 residents through a variety of opportunities including community group presentations by City staff, booths at public events, facilitated workshop and open house.
• Close to 500 online and in-person surveys completed on strategies and actions the City could take to improve air quality.
• More than 2,000 unique visits to the City's Airshed Management Plan web page during the public consultation period.
• More tan 130,000 unique visits to the City's home page, which hosted airshed information and calls to action on how to get involved in process.
• 50,000 estimated impressions on facebook and twitter through a combination of posts and tweets/retweets, January through May.

Return to our work