Author Archives: Anca Pascalau

Energy efficient in the hockey rink of the future

WARSAW – We haven’t met him yet and Brian Millett has already told a joke.

“I’ll be ready to go as soon as I comb my hair,” he says from somewhere back in the Douro-Dummer Township office.

He walks through the door, smiling. He couldn’t be any balder.

Millett manages the township’s recreation facilities. He’s about to lead a tour of the Warsaw Community Centre for a look at some energy efficiency upgrades.

Dave Clifford, the township’s chief administrative officer, has been outlining Douro-Dummer’s progress on an energy management plan, work that began in 2010.

Reducing electricity use is the most effective way for the township to cut energy costs. Five years into the program annual electricity costs have been cut to just under $190,000, a saving of about $30,000

Using 2009 as a baseline, the township set cost reduction targets of 8% by 2014 and 16% by 2018. Clifford says they easily beat the first target and are approaching the second one, two years ahead of schedule.

Energy reduction has since been rolled into a bigger project – cutting back overall greenhouse gas emissions and making Douro-Dummer a greener community.

In that regard, the township is part of a Greater Peterborough Area initiative known as Sustainable Peterborough. The group is developing a Climate Change Action Plan that calculates total carbon emissions – public and private - and sets reduction targets. Sustainable Peterborough promotes, oversees and provides technical support to municipalities and has begun working with the private sector.

On the energy side, Douro-Dummer did an audit that identified its two arenas, Douro Community Centre and Warsaw Community Centre, as prime targets for savings.

A few minutes after we meet, Millett is sitting in his pickup truck outside the Warsaw centre, eager to show us what has changed.

Metal halide bulbs that cast a dim, yellowish light were replaced with brighter, high efficiency fluorescent tubes. They use substantially less electricity, even with two extra lights added over each goal area.

A high-efficiency dehumidifier installed in 2014 runs less often, keeps temperatures stable so the ice-making plant is also more efficient and put an end to the white layer of frost that coated two uninsulated interior walls on cold winter days.

Millett is equally enthusiastic about the upgraded soft drink machine. The old one ran 24 hours a day. This one has has a sensor that shuts off the fan once the temperature is sufficiently cool. Every little bit helps.

Those are among dozens of projects, large and small, in the township’s action plan. Solar panels have been installed where possible and as of November all street lights use LED bulbs.

Some potential improvements will take time. Organic waste pickup could make bi-weekly garbage collection possible, Clifford says, cutting emissions from garbage trucks in half.

One innovation targets township residents who were adding to the cost of recycling by tossing beer and liquor bottles in their blue boxes. Now they can separate out those bottles on their own at transfer stations. The bottles are returned and all deposit money is donated to the United Way – $1,800 since the program began last May.

“It seems like a small thing, but it’s something people can contribute to and it’s going to a good cause,” he says. “It’s kind of a little initiative that I think will grow.”

This is the first of a series of articles commissioned and paid for by Sustainable Peterborough and published in partnership with The Peterborough Examiner. By Jim Hendry, Peterborough Examiner, original article published Saturday, February 27, 2016.

Sustainable Peterborough Partnership Recognition Awards

In order to recognize the numerous sustainable achievements of our partners, Sustainable
Peterborough launched of the Sustainable Peterborough Partnership
Recognition Awards in 2015!

There were eleven winners, one in each of Sustainable Peterborough’s theme areas, and
three honourable mentions. Awards were presented during the Sustainable Peterborough
Partnership Recognition Awards and Climate Change Action Plan Launch Event on March 1,
2016 at Market Hall.

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you for your continued commitment to sustainability:

Agriculture and Local Food

Elmhirst’s Resort – winner

Elmhirst’s Resort is committed to sustainability and displays a strong “living off of the land”
mentality. They strongly believe in providing customers with the freshest food and produce
harvested directly from 240 acres of their land. They provide customers with a seasonal menu
that features hydroponic garden herbs and preserved heirloom tomatoes in the winter, locally
bred and raised cattle and duck, and 100% local grape wines, among other items. Elmhirst’s
strive to involve local farmers and producers from the surrounding community in their food
production processes as much as possible.

By the Bushel Community Food Co-operative – honourable mention

By the Bushel Community Food Co-operative is an innovative co-operative. Small-scale food
producers and processors, dedicated staff and a community of consumers work together
toward rebuilding our relationship to the land, healthy, sustainable, ecologically-responsible
food and community. In 2015, their 13 growers were operating within 100 kms.

Climate Change

For Our Grandchildren (4RG) – winner

For Our Grandchildren (4RG) actively encourages younger generations to become more
engaged participants in a greener community and climate change issues. In November 2015,
4RG collaborated with other local organizations to host a community meeting supporting the
Global Climate March and the COP21 conference being held at the same time in Paris. The
meeting encouraged community members to consider decisive actions to reduce the
production of carbon emissions that are contributing to climate change. Citizens who attended
the event were encouraged to take part in a post card writing campaign to be delivered to six
political leaders at all levels of government.

Cultural Assets

Lang Pioneer Village – winner

Lang Pioneer Village serves to protect and promote the rural history of Peterborough County.
The museum has become a regional leader in the preservation and interpretation of our
cultural assets. In 2015, Lang partnered with Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations to
establish the Aabnaabin First Nations site at the museum. Lang also completed a shoreline
naturalization project in partnership with the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority, Tree
Canada and Siemens Canada. They planted 272 trees and shrubs. Species included
shellbark hickory, hazelnut, chestnut, elderberry and chokecherry which were used by early
settlers for food, furniture, shelter, and dyes. Collectively, these projects provide great
opportunities for future programs.

Economic Development & Employment

Transition Town Peterborough – winner

The focus of Transition Town Peterborough is on reducing our dependence on fossil fuels
while increasing local resilience and self-sufficiency with economic localization. In an effort to
build the local economy, they introduced the local currency called Kawartha Loons. In
collaboration with other community organizations, Transition Town Peterborough runs several
successful annual events that bring together the community, food growers and producers, local
artisans, entertainers and health practitioners in order to build and support the local economy.
In 2015, Transition Town Peterborough, in collaboration with Farms at Work, successfully
spearheaded the initiative to declare September as Local Food Month in an effort to bring
awareness to local food providers and strengthen the local economy.

Energy

Township of Douro-Dummer – winner

The Township of Douro-Dummer has consistently been a leader in municipal energy
management. It was the first municipality to implement an energy management plan and
strategy. They have retrofitted their facilities for energy efficiency and, in 2015, completed the
conversion to LED streetlights. Their energy efficiency improvements have resulted in cost
savings and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. The Township of Douro-Dummer continues
to lead by example.

Healthy Communities

Camp Kawartha – winner

Camp Kawartha has been involved in numerous innovative stewardship initiatives over the
past decade. Reaching over 11,000 participants per year, the camp teaches children, youth
and adults about sustainable living, habitat protection and environmental responsibility. New in
2015, the Camp offered 5 one-week environment camps and two weeks of kindercamp at the
Environment Centre. This resulted in an additional 250 campers learning about nature,sustainability and stewardship. Thanks to a grant from the Gainey Foundation and a crowd source funding campaign, new nature playscapes structures were designed and constructed at the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre in 2015.

Seeds for Justice, a Kawartha World Issues Centre Youth Program – honourable
mention

Seeds for Justice is a youth-led program that brings youth together around common interests
and projects, with a focus on empowerment to affect individual lives and local communities
while building a culture of volunteerism and global citizenship. In 2015 over 300 youth had an
opportunity to build confidence, knowledge, skills and experience.

Land Use Planning

Otonabee Region Conservation Authority – winner

In 2015, the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority (ORCA) updated the Watershed
Planning and Regulation Policy Manual. The updated manual resulted in a document that is
easy to understand and to use. It consolidates all of ORCA’s watershed planning and
regulatory policies. This document also provides municipalities, applicants and their agents,
private landowners, special interest groups and ORCA staff with a clear understanding of
ORCA’s role, mandate, responsibilities and requirements regarding permit and planning
applications. At the same time, it offers an updated, comprehensive and complete set of
watershed planning and regulatory policies that can be incorporated into Official Plans and
Zoning By-laws.

Natural Assets

Kawartha Land Trust – winner

Kawartha Land Trust is dedicated to protecting the forests, fields, wetlands and shorelines of
the Kawarthas. Boyd Island, a 1,170 acre island, is the largest undeveloped and unprotected
island in Southern Ontario. It is home to unspoiled wetlands, old-growth forests, wildlife and a
wide variety of plant species. It has rich historic, natural and cultural value to the region, as
well as to the indigenous community which can trace back use of the island some 10,000
years. To ensure the island’s protection, Kawartha Land Trust urged the community to achieve
a fundraising goal of $1,000,000 in 2015. Nearly 600 pledges were received to accomplish the
goal of preventing private development on the island. Now preserved and protected, the island
will remain a great natural asset for many generations to come.

Transportation

Peterborough County/City Paramedics – winner

In 2015 Peterborough County/City Paramedics have demonstrated leadership in sustainable
transportation initiatives by implementing the ECO-run system in vehicles to reduce idling time.
The ECO-run system enabled them to reduce excessive idling time by 26%, thereby saving
1,918 litres of fuel, 8,717 pounds of CO2 and amounting to a cost savings of nearly $2,500.

Waste

The Food Forest – winner

The Food Forest Café’s produces less than 1 bag of garbage per week! Since the restaurant
is plant-based, they are able to compost 100% of leftover food and scraps. In 2015 they
expanded their composting program by donating nearly 90 gallons of kitchen scraps per week
to local farmers and gardeners, including St. Peter’s Secondary School for their garden.
Furthermore, the Food Forest is able to compost all paper products, since they exclusively use
unbleached biodegradable paper products and napkins. In renovating their new downtown
location in 2015, they re-used and re-purposed pre-existing materials. They continue to
encourage customers to bring their own takeout containers or charge a small fee for
biodegradable containers.

Holy Cross Secondary School – honourable mention

In 2015 Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School earned a Platinum level certification from
Ontario EcoSchools. In partnership with Calvary Church, the school maintains a community
garden that has helped the school reduce their amount of green waste, as cafeteria and
garden green waste is being repurposed and used in the form of compost.

Water

GreenUP – winner

In 2015, GreenUP ran the Depave Paradise project with support from Green Communities
Canada, RBC Blue Water Project, Sammy and Sons Ltd, the City of Peterborough, other local
organizations and volunteers. In the parking lot of Wireless Solutions over 250m2 of asphalt
were removed and a large rain garden with 730 native plants and trees was planted. The
project aids in storm water management and water quality improvement by allowing 178,000
liters of water per year to be diverted from the grey stormwater infrastructure by soaking into
the ground and naturally removing 23kg of contaminants annually. Depave Paradise is helping
to reduce risks of flooding while creating habitat, green space and building community.

Age-friendly Peterborough Consultation Findings

The Peterborough Council on Aging (P.C.O.A) is pleased to announce the completion of public consultations for the Age-friendly Peterborough Plan.

The P.C.O.A is leading the development of a local Age-friendly Plan for Peterborough following guidelines from the World Health Organization. The Age-friendly Peterborough Plan will outline strategies to promote healthy aging across Peterborough City and County.

Starting early last year the P.C.O.A launched a public consultation process to hear from older adults, caregivers, and service providers about their experience of aging in the Peterborough region. The feedback provided will be used to inform the development of our local Age-friendly Plan.

A summary of the findings from the consultation process can be found on the P.C.O.A website at http://peterboroughcouncilonaging.ca/.

Never miss your waste collection day again!

The below media release from the City of Peterborough was just distributed!

The City of Peterborough has made it easier than ever for residents to stay connected about waste management collections and programs.

Visit our website www.peterborough.ca/waste and search your home address in our new “Collection Events” calendar tool. You can then:
– Sign up for waste collection reminders by email, phone call, or text message
– Sign up for schedule changes due to weather, upcoming events and seasonal campaigns
– Download your collection schedule into your iCal, Google calendar or Microsoft Outlook calendar
– Print your collection schedule.

Not sure how to properly dispose of something? Visit www.peterborough.ca/waste and use our new “What Goes Where” tool to find out if a material can be reused, recycled, composted or disposed of as garbage.

“The residents of our city do a great job recycling, composting, and diverting waste away from landfill,” remarked Mayor Bennett. “It’s now even easier to learn about solid waste management in our community with our new online tools. Sign up for collection day reminders and never forget to put out your recycling again!”

This information is also available on the City’s website at www.peterborough.ca.

Got Green Plates?

Your green licence plate is a sign of your commitment to a cleaner Ontario. Until June 30, 2016, electric vehicles with green plates will be granted access to HOV lanes on 400-series highways and the QEW, even if there is only one person in the car. HOV lanes are otherwise reserved for vehicles carrying two or more people.

For more details visit http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/vehicles/electric/green-licence-plate.shtml.