WINNERS OF THE 2010 CHALLENGE
Grovenor and Southwood both went beyond the criteria minimums and completed exceptional retrofits and educational programs. The consistent and comprehensive green programming held at Grovenor all year brought their standing to the top and they took home $4000 and Southwood was awarded $1000. Read their submissions
WINNERS OF THE 2009 CHALLENGE
Parkallen was awarded the full $5000 prize. Though they completed notable retrofits, their Local Motion Project that was completed in cooperation with the City of Edmonton proved how a neighbourhood can mobilize to reduce their carbon footprint! Congratulations! Honorable mention: Montrose Community League
WINNERS OF THE 2008 CHALLENGE
Eight of the 2008 participants in the Green Challenge finished five or more of the criteria and qualified for the $5000 retrofit prize money. The lucky winning league was Ottewell and accepting on their behalf was Bob Hutchison. The upgrades they performed were exceptional:
- Complete energy audit - except air audit
- Change ballast and bulbs. Used half the power and recieved twice the light.
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Place "turn out the lights" stickers on switches
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Re-landscape rink and put rinks on separate meter
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Install programable thermostats
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Our own innovative "green" ideas
- Replaced hot water tanks with an on demand water system (no pilot light and less gas used)
- New roof system installed instead of tar and gravel extra R14
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Register with Core Carbon Reduction Strategy
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Councillor Ben Henderson presents Ottewell's Bob Hutchison with their 2008 Green Challenge Award at EFCL's AGM, APril 27, 2009
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On Saturday, April 19th, 2008 the EFCL Annual General Meeting attracted good numbers for informative presentations, great news, and good inter community interaction.
The show opened with Godo Stoyko, of Carbon Busters, who gave us laughs, information, and good news about global warming. Each of us can play a part and do some easy things to contribute to carbon emissions reduction in our own community league halls. Point in fact, three leagues, Aspen Gardens, Strathcona, and Riverdale then shared their experience of going green. The whole experience of retrofitting their league halls, and taking measures to reduce their environmental footprint built community and educated whole neighborhoods.
“We expected to have to fight for this change and were amazingly surprised with the support. Our motions to make these green changes were voted in unanimously by the league.”
The three leagues proposed a Green Challenge complete with 2008 Criteria whereby all leagues in the city meet criteria that saves them money and participates in greening up our city. Simple changes like energy efficient light bulbs or modern thermostats can go a long way in a very short time to recover costs. There is a lot of support to help leagues succeed.
Our final AGM presentation speaker, Brenda of CO2RE, The City of Edmonton's project for reducing carbon emissions, encouraged registration on the CO2RE Website to receive $500 rebates for furnace upgrades, links to eco tips, and more. They also offered up a $5000 prize to help with league green upgrades. Leagues who complete the criteria of the challenge are entered to win.
Check out Green Challenge documents and Press Releases in Resources - Urban Wellness and use the links on this page to explore great sources online.
In the Greenies Speak Forum find the forum to which all Green Challenge leagues are invited to submit comment. Please register and send communications an email that your community league would like to participate in the forum and you will be granted permissions and notified.
below left - Networks grow at Montrose below right - Parkallen Local Motion
above- Enviro Perfect Solutions creates a maintenance free lawn with an amazing root system suitable for our climate
PAST EVENTS:
Grovenor - March 15, 2011
The Way we Green Evening - Representatives from the Office of Environment will be there to talk about energy and climate change. There will be discussion about community action – what we can do at the community level, and what the best ways are to raise awareness and spread the word.
The Grow Forward Grovenor Team
Queen Mary Park -
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Josh Hundert from Eat Local and The Good Food Box will talk about ordering food through their organization.
February 22, 2011
10844 - 117 Street, 7:00 pm Go Green: Neighbourhood Eco Group Speaker
A renovations consultant and product specialist from Eco-Renovations will speak about energy audits, energy savings renovations and rebate programs available in Edmonton. This is your opportunity ask an expert all your questions and to learn the ins and outs of energy renovations and which ones give you the most results for the cost.
Grandview Heights - December 2
12603 - 63 Avenue, 7:00 pm Refreshments, & presentations followed by discussion.
Permaculture: Dustin Bajer
2nd speaker: to be announced
Transition 1.0 – film showing
Local Motion: the movie ... and what's next? Parkallen - November 18
In June 2009, Parkallen residents participated enthusiastically in Local Motion, a pilot project of the City of Edmonton and the Parkallen neighbourhood, designed to reduce car use and promote more sustainable forms of transportation: bicycling, walking, and using public transit. The program helped them win the 2009 Green Challenge.
A documentary film about Parkallen's experience of the Local Motion project will be screened at the Parkallen Community Hall, 11104 - 65 Avenue
on Thursday, November 18, 2010, at 7 pm. Light refreshments will be served.
The film will be followed by a short discussion session around what Parkallen residents can do next, to move our community further away from fossil fuel dependence, towards local resiliency. The discussion will be led by Robert Kirchner, Sustainability Coordinator for the Parkallen Community League.
GREEN CHALLENGE MEETS TRANSITION
On October 13, 2010 at EFCL offices green minds from around the city, with talents in everything from horticulture, to permaculture, to artificial intelligence development, to engineering and neighbourhood design, to medicine, and more, met to help design the ideal community.
The picture was beautiful with the sky as the limit and they were inspired by the stories from leagues already beginning this journey.
Several leagues have been doing these kinds of projects for many years. Others are just launching great green projects under the guidance of a newly appointed sustainability director. The outcomes so far include Grow Forward Grovenor - a project that has in a very short time launched a community garden and developed ongoing educational programs. Westmount has launched a cooperative project with the neighbourhood school for a community garden, and additional bikeability and walkability initiatives to mention a few of the many things this league has their fingers in. After retrofitting their hall to be carbon neutral, Riverdale has now elected a vibrant sustainability director who has started a film series organized around resilience.
EFCL GREEN CHALLENGE COMMITTEE extends an invitation!
Exciting Evening in Edmonton: Edmonton’s Amazing Green Projects to Empower your Community
On March 19, at Montrose Hall, this action packed information evening packed the house.
6 presenters gave 20 slides each in 10 minutes for a full hour (and 15 minutes) of the highlights of their projects.
- Transition Towns – Live local with simple sound sustainability that is already in practice around the world. Excite, Engage, and Involve all the assets in your neighbourhood, including everyone from businesses to gardeners to artists. Gain new members, and grow a resilient community with a program that is worked in hundreds of neighbourhoods around the world. Presented by Marlon Davis www.transitionnetwork.org
- Eco Equity – finance your hall / home / business retrofit with a loan and pay for it with your energy savings – programs and grant information for everyone Presented by Myles Kitigawa www.ecoequity.ca
- Light Pollution – health & wellness and energy reduction programs to improve quality of life in your neighbourhood Presented by Donald Darnell, Light Efficiency Coalition Link to light article
- Local Motion – C02RE program in Parkallen produces a reduction rate in car trips beyond expectations! Presented by Ian Hosler, City of Edmonton, and Robert Kirchner, Parkallen CL
- Enviro perfect Solutions - Environmentally sound maintenace free, green green lawns –Make the right choices for your garden, park, and ground maintenance. Presented by Tim Penstone
- Little Green Thumbs, Community Gardens & City Farm – Greening programs to start in your neighbourhood Presented by Susan Penstone, http://www.edmcommunitygardens.org/
more pictures of the Montrose Event compliments of Mike Thomas
Gordon Howell, Solar Energy Expert
- NET ZERO ENERGY PROFILE FOR RIVERDALE HALL
On November 21, we invited our league members and the general public to join us in an informative and entertaining evening at Riverdale Hall which has already undergone retrofits and continues its commitment to lower its carbon footprint.
- CO2RE tantalizes leagues with the $5000 prize to be awarded in April
- Edmonton Solar Energy Society presents
- Gordon Howell presents on the Green Movement, Solar Energy, and the Energy Grid
The Green Challenge hosted an information evening on November 21 at Riverdale Hall. The conversation and idea sharing flowed along with the wine among the 62 attendees, and two more leagues signed up for the challenge now bringing the total of Leagues that have made a commitment to lowering their carbon footprint to 42!
There are some basic changes required to become “solar ready” that can be done at a much lower cost than the solar panel purchase. However, it is Gordon Howell’s prediction that by 2013 the switch to green renewable power will be the unavoidable economical choice; it already is the ethical one.
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Brenda Osborne & Colin Beddoes
from CO2RE
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Gordon Howell says “My best move was to replace my fridge, but if I told you I was going to talk about replacing my fridge tonight, you wouldn’t have come."
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Rob Harlan of the Edmonton Solar Society indicates that Alberta has a Great Solar Resource
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Bullfrog power illuminates the crowd on wind energy.
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Bull Frog Power, CO2RE, and the Edmonton Solar Society were available for one on one questions at booths and our presenters all brought some fresh information and interesting figures that really helped to make sense of rising energy costs and carbon. Please visit the links below. Thanks to our sponsors.
¨ See the CO2RE website for the tips that Brenda Osborne, Director of the CO2RE elucidated.
¨ Robert Harlan of the Edmonton Solar Society Solaralberta.ca had his facts straight about the coal energy we use to power our city. View videos, about existing projects and find your providers for solar heaters and panels.
The interest in this subject area and follow up emails we received indicated that we are primed for a repeat performance in mid - winter. Stay tuned to the EFCL ENews and efcl.org Green Challenge Page for event information. If you would like to participate in the promotion of the Green Movement or if you have a seminar you would like to present at one of the information evenings or sponsor an evening please contact us at communications@efcl.org We will host an organizational meeting in early to mid December so register at the above email with your area of interest.