August 2012

Narrated by Royal Roads University graduate, Raphael Shay, Moving Forward is a comprehensive review of the renewable energy technologies being used throughout New Brunswick. Join Raphael as he tours the Province of NB to connect with the people that are developing and paving way for a renewable energy future by exploring and implementing electricity-generating technologies, which rely on water, wind, sun, biomass and biogas.  Click here to access this documentary.

Both the City of Nanaimo and the Regional District of Nanaimo have purchased electric vehicles for their fleet operations in recent years and have installed charging stations for use by municipal fleet vehicles and residents alike. This article features the rationale behind the purchases and results of the vehicles' use in both municipalities. Access the article here.

You can also view previous case studies on our website.

The Centre for Science in the Public Interest is hosting two events in the Fall of 2012, Writing on the Wall and The Third Biennial Championing Public Health Nutrition Conference.  More information on either of these events can be seen below, and click here for registration information.

Writing on the Wall

Experts on New York City’s pioneering menu labelling bylaw will join local experts, policy-makers and health advocates in five Canadian cities to explore effective measures to equip restaurant customers with calorie and sodium information to guide their dining choices and motivate restaurant owners to make the offerings more nutritious. For further information on agendas and speakers, click here.

CSPI’s Third Biennial Championing Public Health Nutrition Conference

The Provisional program CSPI’s 3rd Biennial Championing Public Health Nutrition Conference is a 2-day national conference October 29-30, 2012 in Toronto. Health and food-policy experts, key policy-makers, journalists, and health advocates from across Canada and around the world will explore how to reform public health nutrition policies. We will convene in the Great Hall of the University of Toronto’s Hart House to hear, first hand, from industry leaders at the city, provincial, and international level. For further information on agendas and speakers, click here.

As part of the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC) mission to “Lead and accelerate the transformation to high-performing, healthy green buildings, homes and communities throughout Canada,” the CaGBC is continuing to develop programs and resources designed to support Canadian local governments in implementing sustainability initiatives. To determine what their next steps should be, the CaGBC has created a “Green Neighbourhoods” survey to gather your feedback.

This survey should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Your participation is entirely voluntary. Please take a few minutes to participate, as your feedback will be invaluable in focusing the CaGBC’s efforts on developing tools and resources that are useful to you!

Click here to access the survey.

In Canada (and many other nations), the housing market has outgrown the wage structure to such an extent that even middle-class professionals cannot afford to live in the cities which they serve. The life energy people must expend and the debt required to afford a home in some parts of Canada forecloses ownership except for those with capital or those that got into the market years ago. We can do better, much better. By introducing and scaling existing innovations over time we can reduce household costs, build more inclusive communities, release resources for community investment and start restoring some balance

The Housing Treadmill is the final article in the i4 special series of articles, entitled Housing We Can Afford, produced through the Canadian Centre for Community Renewal. The crucial thing is to realize we are all in this together. We must think and act much more co-operatively and much less individually, for our own sakes, and for the sake of our planet home. After all, we have no place else to go.

Text created by the Canadian Centre for Community Renewal.