The mayors of Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle have agreed to cross develop and promote a green innovation sector.
The agreement entails working together to market, conduct research and attract investment in the Cascadia Region.
The three mayors signed the letter of intent during the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Sustainable Communities conference and trade show.
“Green innovation and the clean-tech sector truly marries our quality of life with quality of opportunity,” said Mayor Dean Fortin.
“Vancouver has a lot of momentum as a global hub for the green economy,” added Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. “Partnering with the cities of Victoria and Seattle ... makes us more competitive on the world stage.”
This is the first time the annual conference has left Ottawa. The four-day event ran Feb. 8 through 11 and brought about 500 delegates to Victoria. Victoria was twice recognized at the event.
Victoria took away a prize for its secondary suites program, which provides grants to homeowners interested in renovating their home to include a suite.
Victoria also placed first among small cities in this year’s Sustainable Cities Rankings conducted by Corporate Knights magazine.