The Municipality developed its Integrated Community Sustainability Plan over eighteen months, starting in 2008.

A draft ICSP was released to the public and the province in September 2009. A final document was presented to and adopted by Municipal Council in March 2010.

A key component in the plan development process was to engage the public and identified stakeholders at particular times, to help formulate the ICSP's long-term strategic goals and, as crucially, the key priority action items for the next four years, that make up the body of the 2010 ICSP.

The key priorities in the public consultation process was to:

• properly inform the public as to why the Municipality is concerned with sustainability planning.
• receive any feedback concerning the priorities of local residents regarding their vision of what successful 'sustainable development' would look like for the many communities found within the Municipality. 

The Municipality undertook a three step process in its plan development:

An investigative stage concerned with exploring and understanding:

1. What vision - and what role - does the Municipality hold for itself, in achieving a 'sustainable' future.

2. What strategic priorities, as identified by local residents, can be recognized as Strategic Goals within the ICSP.

3. What existing municipal activities addressing sustainability might be identified, and how can the Municipality look to best build on such activities through its ICSP process.

A concept stage concerned with describing:

1. What particular actions can be implemented by the Municipality to meet its strategic goals.

2. What measures should the Municipality use, in order to ensure that implementation of any ICSP action is effective over the long-term.

A review stage that will:

1. Provide residents, Council, and the provincial government with a completed draft document to consider.

2. Determine how the proposed objectives and actions of the Municipality can best be integrated with the relevant actions and policies of possible partners, including the federal and provincial governments.