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Green Toronto Awards 2010 Finalists |
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Congratulations to all of the 2010 Green Toronto Award winners and finalists.
"You are shining examples of what is possible when we lead by example, and do the right thing for our city, and for our environment. Your leadership is helping Toronto be recognized internationally as one of the greenest cities in North America."
- Mayor David Miller
And the winners are:
Community Projects Award
(sponsored by Loblaw Companies Limited)
The Community Projects Award acknowledges the work of volunteers engaged in community building and conservation.
2010 Green Toronto Award Winner
- Green Change Project, Jane Finch Community and Family Centre
 The Green Change Project, an ambitious initiative run by the Jane Finch Community and Family Centre, strives to green its neighbourhood through a local resource centre that promotes environmentalism and provides green-job training. Through the project, 60 community volunteers were trained to perform environmental audits for neighbourhood residents. The community tracked its environmental footprint and reduced carbon emissions by 2,000 tonnes.
Awards of Excellence
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SKETCH Arts for Street Involved and Homeless Youth
 With a blend of skills training, leadership development and environmental awareness, SKETCH gives street-involved and homeless youth opportunities to creatively participate in the community. In projects related to art, cooking, dance, music or gardening, the environment is key. Activities to engage youth are overseen by almost 300 SKETCH volunteers. SKETCH has provided 1,500 mentorship and apprenticeship connections, and its many alumni lead festivals, planting events and craft fairs.
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The Neighbourhood Solar Project, Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation
 When this small congregation with limited finances set out to reduce its environmental footprint by putting solar panels on its roof, clever strategies were needed. The congregation formed a committee with expertise in finance, promotion, energy generation, green connections and project management. The result? An innovatively financed grassroots project that involves the community, promotes green living, and shares its knowledge with others.
Energy Conservation Award
(sponsored by Ontario Power Authority)
The Energy Conservation Award rewards successful, measurable improvements in operation or production processes that reduce consumption.
2010 Green Toronto Award Winner
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Wilmar Court
 For 15 years, Wilmar Court, a seniors' non-profit housing project, has focused on sustainable environmental solutions, proving that older tenants will not only participate in green initiatives, they will take the lead. Most recently, after three years of planning, partnerships, and educating stakeholders, Wilmar Court installed 24 solar panels to pre-heat its domestic hot water. In 2008, Wilmar Court won the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association Go Green Award.
Awards of Excellence
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Ken Traynor, Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative
 Committed to responsibly growing the solar energy industry, Ken Traynor champions the use of community networks to educate homeowners about the social, environmental and financial benefits of solar power. Ken is the coordinator of Our Power, which offers homeowners advice and customized online home assessments, and helps reliable vendors find customers. He also coordinates community solar projects and speaks at conferences in the GTA.
- University of Toronto
 Using its campus as a living lab, the University of Toronto’s Sustainability Office engages students in vigorous efforts to conserve energy. Recent initiatives include the 100 solar collector panels recently installed on the Athletic Centre roof; reflective roofs on 18 other buildings; a “Ban the Bulb” campaign that reduced incandescent bulb use; and the attainment of U of T’s first LEED Gold Certification.
Environmental Awareness Award
(sponsored by Toronto Hydro)
The Environmental Awareness Award is for an individual, group or company who has helped people understand the delicate balance of the natural and man-made worlds as they interact in the City of Toronto.
2010 Green Toronto Award Winner
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Earth Rangers
 Earth Rangers gives Canadian children—including those in underserved communities—simple tools to make a real difference at home and at school. Its new website hosts a kid-friendly fundraising campaign to protect animals and their habitats, which is a top environmental priority for children. Last year, Earth Rangers launched a permanent, interactive, multi-media live show in its own studio — with broadcast capability — at the Royal Ontario Museum.
Awards of Excellence
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High Park Nature Centre
 High Park Nature Centre promotes stewardship of the natural environment through outdoor experiential education. Staff design and test the innovative activities which they offer year-round, Visitors of all ages—including students from high-needs schools—participate in their programs, and sharing knowledge is key. Through planting events and invasive-species removal, High Park Nature Centre’s volunteers help protect and restore the park’s rare remnant of oak savannah ecosystem.
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Mark Mattson, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
 For years, Mark Mattson has worked to foster a swimmable, drinkable, fishable Lake Ontario. An environmental lawyer, Mark is co-founder of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, a justice charity engaged in some 100 consultation processes at any one time. Mark trains and mentors law students, and co-hosts a weekly talk-radio program that airs on community stations. Last year, he spoke to thousands of leaders, decision-makers, students and citizens at legal hearings and events.
Green Design Award
(sponsored by Enbridge Gas Distribution)
The Green Design Award rewards the efforts of a company, project or group working with infrastructure, architecture or industrial design.
2010 Green Toronto Award Winner
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One Cole - Diamond and Schmitt Architects, The Daniels Corporation
 Proving that a high level of environmental stewardship is compatible with commercial success, One Cole built this condominium despite the additional costs of green construction, neighbourhood stigma and a sluggish economy. With features such as low-VOC materials, in-suite heat recovery ventilators, and a 1,200-square-foot Living Wall Bio-Filter that draws air through a wall of living plants before distributing it through the ventilation system, One Cole is built to LEED Gold certification standards.
Awards of Excellence
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Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds
 Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds designs natural-environment playgrounds with fallen logs, hills, valleys, boulders and native plants so that children can enjoy and explore their connection with nature. Outdoor musical instruments and art enrich the playgrounds and provide a space for imagination to blossom. Working in partnership with the community, government and other companies, BNP is dedicated to ensuring that children have the opportunity to connect with nature so that they value and protect it as adults.
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The Green Grind
 Like the little café that could, Green Grind does everything to minimize its environmental impact. Working toward LEED Gold certification, Green Grind is ullfrogpowered and features vintage furniture and attractive coffee-stained floors. Beverages and baked goods are organic fair trade, served in reuseable or biodegradable takeout containers, and self-guided tours allow customers to see how their patronage helps the environment.
Green Roof Award
(sponsored by Investco)
The Green Roof Award recognizes an individual, company or project contributing to a healthy and beautiful city through the environmental, economic and social benefits of green roofs and walls.
2010 Green Toronto Award Winner
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ESRI Canada's Garden in the Sky
 ESRI Canada, which provides geographic information systems to organizations, transformed a large paved terrace at its rented office into a rooftop garden. Inspired by a study showing that green roofs reduce urban heat, ESRI partnered with its landlord to create their urban oasis. In addition to improving air quality and reducing energy consumption, ESRI created an additional 7,500 square feet of useable space which is enjoyed by tenants and the surrounding community.
Awards of Excellence
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Drum Artz Community Centre
Avenue Road Roofing, Xero Flor Canada
 Drum Artz Canada, a non-profit organization, offers programming in a low-income, formerly industrial neighbourhood. Collaborating with HGTV's Green Force & Tricon Films, Avenue Road Roofing and Xero Flor Canada in 2008, it transformed its dilapidated roof into a green recreational space and environmental classroom. The new roof reduces stormwater pollution, cools the building and surrounding vicinity, and provides green space for art workshops, meetings, education and gardening.
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YMCA of Greater Toronto
 When the time came to replace its leaking roof, Toronto’s Metro Central YMCA saw an opportunity to go green. What began as a simple retrofit grew into a community event with a public design forum, corporate support, and 150 volunteers engaged in construction. Meditation and exercise spaces constructed of recycled materials, a tranquil water fountain, and renewable photo-voltaic technology benefit members, and reduced ground-level smog benefits the whole community.
Leadership Award
(sponsored by Toronto Community Foundation)
The Leadership Award rewards an individual or company's effort that goes above and beyond the norm. The winner will have a track record of excellence in their contribution to the state of the city's environment.
2010 Green Toronto Award Winner
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Evergreen
 With a 10,000-strong volunteer base, Evergreen has helped 1,600 schools to green their grounds. The non-profit has planted more than 50,000 trees and shrubs since 2007, and helped 140 youth from priority neighbourhoods turn 18 barren plots into wildflower gardens. Last year, they delivered $688,000 in small seed grants. Evergreen is also working to transform Don Valley Brick Works into a thriving environmental community centre.
Awards of Excellence
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Partners in Project Green, Greater Toronto Airports Authority
 Driving the Greater Toronto Area towards environmental sustainability and economic success, Partners in Project Green helps businesses reduce energy and resource costs, uncover new business opportunities, and address operational challenges in a green and cost-effective manner. GTAA’s leadership in making environmental stewardship a cornerstone of its mission led to the development of the Pearson Eco-Business Zone, which is gaining international recognition for its innovation and environmental performance.
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Toronto Environmental Alliance
 Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) has been helping Torontonians adopt environmentally friendly practices and policies for more than 20 years. Advocating at City Hall, TEA has campaigned to ban the cosmetic use of pesticides, introduce the green bin program, improve public transit, and take action on smog and climate change. Last year, the group focused on preserving the Greenbelt, and environmental outreach to low-income tenants and ethnic populations.
Local Food Award
(sponsored by Ontario's Own)
The Local Food Award recognizes leadership in increasing food security by creating, administering and promoting programs that increase the availability of affordable food for neighbourhoods, communities and residents.
2010 Green Toronto Award Winner
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Debbie Field, FoodShare
 Under Debbie Field’s leadership, FoodShare has become Canada’s largest community food security organization, creating sustainable systems, building communities and driving change. Its vision—good and healthy food for all—led the organization to deliver 800 student nutrition programs in 2009 alone. The programs, which are distributed universally to remove the stigma of poverty, feed 125,000 children and youth. Classroom programs about growing food, composting and reducing our ecological footprint, reached 7,000 students last year.
Awards of Excellence
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Afri-Can FoodBasket
 Many people in economically and socially vulnerable neighbourhoods in Toronto turn to Afri-Can FoodBasket (AFB) for help. AFB helps people create community gardens and deliver fresh, organic, culturally relevant vegetables to local food banks – with 60,000 plants grown in 26 community gardens since 1994. Through the lasting partnerships it has formed with community members, food activists and funding agencies, AFB also helps resolve other neighbourhood challenges.
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David Cohlmeyer, Cookstown Greens
 Since 1988, Cookstown Greens has been demonstrating to farmers, top chefs and consumers that providing high-quality local food year-round can be profitable. Founder David Cohlmeyer, a leader on the food scene since 1983, shares his knowledge widely through magazines, e-letters, seminars and farm tours. Constantly improving practices, he helps other farmers, gardeners and would-be producers tap into Toronto’s growing interest in ecological local foods.
Water Efficiency Award
(sponsored by Toronto Water)
The Water Efficiency Award recognizes efforts to reduce and sustainably manage water use and promote water conservation.
2010 Green Toronto Award Winner
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University Health Network
 University Health Network (UHN) gives top priority to recycling, energy and water conservation, pollution prevention (phasing out hazardous chemicals), green procurement and sustainable construction. With two full-time staff in its Energy & Environment department, UHN reduced its annual water consumption by 120 million litres between 2006 and 2009. Staff training programs, energy awareness campaigns, and feedback surveys help maintain behaviour changes. UHN also shares its knowledge widely.
Awards of Excellence
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Oriole Landscaping Ltd
 By installing a cistern to collect rain water for the ornamental plants in its nursery, Oriole Landscaping cut its water consumption in half. Oriole leads by example, teaching its clients about the need for effective, efficient landscape watering. The company has grown its roof-garden work by 50 percent over each of the past three years, and has contributed volunteers to horticultural events for some 10 years.
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Wynford Place & SMART Watering Systems
 After retrofitting toilets and showerheads, this condominium’s property manager was convinced that water consumption could be even further reduced. An extensive and thorough audit of the irrigation system was ordered. The outcome? Potable landscape water use dropped more than 75 percent, and irrigation run-off was eliminated. By sharing their success and knowledge with others, 10 other properties have since adopted similar initiatives.
Youth Award
(sponsored by TD Friends of the Environment)
The Youth Award highlights the efforts of young people who show leadership in greening projects.
2010 Green Toronto Award Winner
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Green Collar Corps, Toronto Community Housing
 Offering year-round environmental education, community service and outreach, Green Collar Corps (GCC) creates green-job pathways for teens living in Toronto Community Housing. Participants in GCC's Eco-institute and paid summer Eco-internship program complete an environmental literacy curriculum, develop and conduct educational activities-their Recycling Trade Show and Eco-Fashion show won accolades-and commit to demonstrate conservation behaviours in their homes and communities.
Awards of Excellence
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Maplewood High School's Green Team
 It’s no wonder that Maplewood’s EcoTeam achieved gold status as a Toronto District School Board EcoSchool. With environmental responsibility integrated into every aspect of school life, Maplewood has significantly decreased electricity consumption and garbage. Students grow vegetables on site for their Food School program, and the school’s innovative composter, built from recycled materials, has been adopted by 11 other schools. A school for students with special needs, Maplewood prepares students for independent—and green—living.
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Martingrove Collegiate Institute's EcoTeam
 Last year, Martingrove Collegiate Institute’s EcoTeam—which earned gold as a Toronto District School Board EcoSchool—collected and folded more than 180 milk bags so that they could be made into children’s sleeping mats in developing countries. Students trade used batteries for baked goods at Battery Bake Sales, sell biodegradable Valentine’s Day cards embedded with flower seeds, and organize Caretaker Appreciation Breakfasts which students hope will catch on at the schools they mentor.
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