Andrea Reimer, executive director of the Wilderness Committee (and a SharedVISION Visionary last December), is seeking a Vision Vancouver nomination for city council. The former Green Party school trustee has some “Big Ideas” for Vancouver: to make it the “Greenest City on Earth,” a “City of Compassion and Opportunity,” and a “City of Strong Communities.” Visit Andrea’s recently launched campaign website at andreareimer.ca .
The Camp Moomba Yogathon & Blissfest raised more than $100,000 to send children with HIV/AIDS to summer camp. The July 12 event, held on a gorgeous, sunny day at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium, attracted 1,400 people. Participants in the yogathon hit their mats to do 108 minutes of sun salutations, forward folds, and downward facing dogs for a noble cause. campmoombayogathon.com
Port Coquitlam residents are kicking their banana peels and eggshells to the curb—at the request of the city. PoCo became the first city in Metro Vancouver to allow kitchen scraps in its curbside green waste collection program, in an attempt to divert organic waste from landfills. The waste is then composted or turned into energy. city.port-coquitlam.bc.ca
The NDP wants the Campbell government to axe the gas tax. If you’re one of the, oh, 60 or so per cent of British Columbians who agree, a petition awaits your e-signature at letsaxethetax.bcndp.ca . NDP leader Carole James says the tax, implemented July 1, puts the burden on ordinary people while letting big polluters off the hook.
Metro Vancouver says it’s time to wean ourselves off the bottle—the disposable plastic water bottle, that is. “Our water is the best in North America and all you have to do is turn on the tap,” says Metro Vancouver director Tim Stevenson. A 20 per cent reduction of bottled water purchases by 2010 is one of the targets of the city’s new Sustainability Framework. Read all about the framework, which outlines the city’s vision and implementation of everything from reducing garbage to increasing actively farmed land, at metrovancouver.org .
Packing the kids off to camp is a longstanding (and for some parents, much-anticipated) summer tradition. But if you want your brood to learn more than just how to make a lanyard, send them to a FUN camp. FUN (Friends Uniting for Nature) Camps is a series of week-long environmental leadership day camps for kids ages 11 to 15. Happy-camper activities include learning how to fix a bike, building a solar-powered car, and planting an herb garden. Cost: $185/week (scholarships available); at UBC’s Point Grey Campus, till month’s end. funcamps.ca
The Co-operative Auto Network is adding 20 low-emission cars to its car-sharing organization, thanks to Metro Vancouver. Replacing 35 existing city-owned vehicles, the CAN cars will be used by city employees for work-related travel needs during business hours. On evenings and weekends, the cars will be made available to CAN members. More than 4,000 drivers are part of the B.C.-based CAN network. cooperativeauto.net
Four B.C. teens have been honoured with Youth in Motion’s Top 20 Under 20 awards. Each year YIM, a not-for-profit focusing on developing life skills of young people, recognizes outstanding youth across Canada in the areas of science, volunteerism, social justice, and more. Congratulations to Natalya Alonso, 17, of Salt Spring Island; and Cassandra Fong, Sean Husband, and Jacqueline Ng, all 17, from Vancouver. They’ll attend a week-long conference in Toronto, receive a $2,000 bursary, and—new this year—have the honour of being mentored by Order of Canada recipients. youth-in-motion.ca
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