Huntsville is a beautiful place to live, full of charm, incredible family-friendly events, and wonderful people. We also have great community resources and services, many of which strive to help meet our current needs without hindering the needs of our future generations. This is right in line with our town motto, “Touch the past, embrace the future.” The historic charm of Huntsville is what attracts many visitors, while our modern amenities and services help people meet their needs and enjoy life here. The Town of Huntsville embraces the future with its approach toward sustainability, which includes a 3-pillar consideration of economic, environmental, and social impacts. Listed below are some of the ways Huntsville has been working towards building a sustainable community.
The Town of Huntsville is expanding its support of active transportation for residents and visitors alike. The more active type of transportation used, such as walking or cycling, the healthier our community is, and the more prosperous. People on foot or bike spend more at local businesses compared to those in vehicles. Foot and bike traffic is also less damaging to the environment overall. The more we utilize active transportation, the better our roads are, which can lead to savings in repairs and service costs. The first ever Mayor’s Bike Ride held last August is a great example of how Huntsville is encouraging more people to use pedal power over gas power. The community was able to come together in a fun and healthy way and learn about transportation alternatives.
When it comes to spending in Huntsville, the Town Council has been making some great strides where public lighting is concerned. Beginning last year new, energy efficient lights have been installed along many of our streets. The current focus of updating our public lighting is to upgrade to the more cost-effective option of LED lighting. With the latest technology these lights are now not only more energy efficient, but they also save money in the long run as they last much longer. While the council wants to update all of our public lights, we won’t see our more decorative fixtures along downtown and in neighbourhoods changed yet. Currently to replace these architectural features is cost prohibitive, but this is only temporary. Emerging technology should allow for these lights to be upgraded while retaining the charm of Huntsville.
There are already several public buildings in Huntsville with solar panels in use. The Town Council is looking to increase this number significantly over the coming years. Last year the council applied to install solar panels on the Canada Summit Center. While we are pending the approval, if the application is accepted, Huntsville will have a 250 kilowatt solar generation system, 25 times more than is already in place. This increase could not only help our environment with a cleaner energy resource but also help generate revenue for the town. Being our own provider of renewable energy would be a big step towards our sustainability today and for years to come. These are just a few of the sustainable actions the Town of Huntsville is investing in. These investments are part of what makes this town such a wonderful place to live.
If you are ready to buy or sell a property in the Huntsville or the Muskoka region, the Wearing & Parrott Team is the team you can trust. They put their expertise in real estate, and their knowledge of the area to work for you. Get the most out of your move, contact Rick and Sandra today by phone: 705-788-3535, or by email at Info@WearingParrottTeam.com