Niverville is the latest community to commit to electrifying their gas-powered vehicles and equipment in the name of environmental consciousness and sustainability.
The town posted a notice on their website last week informing residents of the plans.
"This process has already begun," the notice reads, adding the ice maintainer at the Community Resource & Recreation Centre was the first piece of equipment the town acquired which is battery powered. The town has also installed four electric vehicle charging stations as part of their sustainability commitment to the town.
Mayor Myron Dyck said the town plans to convert all their equipment with the plan hinging on available grants provided by the provincial and federal government.
"Costs of purchase and costs to operate will be presented to council at our annual planning sessions. If it makes sense in a given year to change our equipment/vehicles and council decides/votes to make that change than that is when it will happen," he said in an email to The Carillon. A total changeover may take years to achieve, Dyck added.
Niverville is not the first community to commit to lowering their environmental impact; in 2018 the City of Selkirk adopted a Climate Change Adaption Strategy to provide a practical and cost-effective plan for the city to move towards sustainable fleets and municipal services. Last year, the city hired an Energy Efficient Advocate to work with the city and residents towards becoming a more energy efficient community.
Dyck said cost to switch the town’s fleets and equipment to become more sustainable would be "more or less" the same as it would be to replace current, gas-powered assets when they come to the end of their life.