Laying the Foundation for a Community‑Owned Sustainability Movement

Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) – City of Kingston / Sustainable Kingston

Role: Dan Hendry

Year: 2009–2016

When I first arrived in Kingston, getting involved in the community was a priority. One of my earliest roles was as a volunteer with Focus Kingston, a multi‑stakeholder steering committee tasked with developing the City of Kingston’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP). This work marked the beginning of what would later become Sustainable Kingston.

From the outset, the ICSP was intentionally designed as a community‑owned sustainability plan, not simply a municipal policy document. The goal was to ensure that sustainability was something residents, organizations, and institutions could see themselves reflected in and actively participate in. The plan ultimately became the foundation for a broader sustainability movement in Kingston, including the creation of an arm’s‑length organization to guide the work over the long term.

As the plan moved from vision to implementation, I transitioned into a role with the City of Kingston, supporting the ICSP while its long‑term governance structure was still taking shape. For several years, before Sustainable Kingston became an independent organization, this work was housed within the City. During that period, my responsibility was to help ensure the plan remained active, visible, and embedded in the community rather than sitting on a shelf.

In my role as Public Education and Promotions Coordinator, I focused on community outreach, partnership development, and public engagement. I worked with local businesses, non‑profits, educational institutions, and residents to help connect the goals of the Sustainable Kingston Plan to their own values and activities. This partnership‑driven approach reinforced a core principle of the ICSP: sustainability in Kingston belonged to the community, not just to City Hall.

One of my favourite early engagement efforts was a creative collaboration with a local high school arts class in Market Square, directly in front of City Hall. Together, we created a large chalked version of the Sustainable Kingston logo across the square. The project offered a highly visible and interactive way to engage residents, give youth a sense of ownership over the city’s sustainability future, and spark conversations with people passing through downtown.

Helping to build Sustainable Kingston in its earliest stages taught me an enduring lesson: plans only matter when people believe in them. By focusing on partnerships, creative engagement, and accessibility, we were able to help transform the ICSP from a planning document into a living community movement one that continues to shape Kingston’s approach to environmental, social, and economic sustainability today.

Related Links & Media:  https://greenmunicipalfund.ca/case-studies/integrated-community-sustainability-plan