Year of Report: 2017

Author: Gail Adams

Description:

The purpose of The Collaborative Environmental Planning Initiative (CEPI) and its objectives was set in motion a decade ago by the environmental protection vision of Charlie Joe Dennis. His contribution to bringing the four levels of government together to work towards the for the greater good of the Bras d’Or Lakes was brought to action with the initial workshops that were held by CEPI titled, “The Spirit of the Lakes Speak”.

Over the past ten years the focus for CEPI with regards to the development of Bras d’Or Lakes has been focused on environmental planning. The vision for the 2016 conference was to move the discussion for the Bras d’Or Lakes beyond planning and put in place actionable practices that would allow industry sectors to grow without harming the environment. The focus of the conference is to bring people of the region together to discuss best practices for sustainability in the industry sectors and to identify projects and development that can positively impact economic development in the region while helping to build more sustainable communities in Cape Breton.

As well, the organizing committee identified six industry sectors that would be considered with respect to their current/future impact on economic development for the region if projects are developed sustainably. These six sectors included agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, forestry, mining, energy, and tourism.

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