The Leduc Environmental Advisory Board told city council on May 25 how it made progress in 2025 and what it hopes to tackle this year. Chair Wendy Yule presented the update, which included planting 1,170 trees on Arbour Day with help from 128 volunteers.
Two projects the board pushed for are now finished. The city wrapped up a Natural Asset Inventory to better understand and protect spots like Telford Lake. A draft Light Efficiency Feasibility Study was also completed, looking at outdoor lighting ways that could save energy.
For 2026, the board outlined four priorities. It wants a biodiversity study done on the east end of Telford Lake. Another goal is growing the Clean Energy Improvement Program so businesses and multi-family buildings can take part. The board would also like to see an Energy Use and Emissions Inventory finished, plus more effort to get residents involved in environmental programs.
The wildlife group Leduc Wildlife Conservation Society has been raising concerns about development near Telford Lake, saying buffer zones and protections are not enough. That push lines up with the board’s call for a biodiversity study there.
The board pointed to other numbers that show community action on the environment. In 2025, 33 projects were completed through the Clean Energy Improvement Program, a 50 per cent jump from the year before. Ninety per cent of multi-unit properties worked with the city to start recycling and organics collection before the January 1, 2026 deadline. Total rides on Leduc Transit rose 70 per cent last year compared to 2024, while the waste diversion rate held steady at 50 per cent.
The board also stays involved in events like the Spring and Christmas Bird Counts, the Pollinator Garden Challenge, and VolunteerFest. It continues to promote the Spray Smart Pesticide Campaign, which helps people use pesticides safely.
