Congratulations to 2011 Green Toronto Award winners and finalists!

Winners were announced at the seventh annual Green Toronto Awards ceremony, Friday, April 15 at Exhibition Place.

• Community Project
• Energy Conservation
• Environmental Awareness
• Green Business
• Green Design
• Green Home
• Leadership
• Local Food
• Water Efficiency
• Youth Leadership

Watch the videos from the 2011 Green Toronto Awards ceremony.

Community Project Award

• WINNER: Cultivating Youth Leadership, Afri-Can FoodBasket
  Afri-Can FoodBasket is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to meeting the nutrition, health and employment needs of the African Canadian community; in particular, those who are economically and socially vulnerable. In addition to operating a food buying club and 26 community gardens in priority neighbourhoods, AFB provides youth in the Jane-Finch, Jamestown and Lawrence Heights neighbourhoods with opportunities to develop leadership and job skills, and learn about urban gardening, organic farming and community building.

• Finalist: Auriel Haynes, Malvern Action For Neighbourhood Change
  When the owners of the building in which she lived considered selling off a large portion of land, Auriel Haynes was inspired! Her dream was to create a community and teaching garden for residents and local children. Working with other residents in the Malvern community, the gardens came to life.  And within the gardens, they held workshops to help residents learn how to start seeds, how to use worms for composting and how to prepare healthy foods. Building on this success, the community is looking to create three additional gardens in the neighbourhood.

• Finalist: The Green Awakening Network, Toronto United Church Council
  The Green Awakening Network is a Toronto United Church Council initiative that brings together more than 100 congregations and 16,000 members to create a greener Toronto. Reaching beyond its own community, the Network engages partners, other faith communities and students, and builds the capacity for environmental action through workshops, forums and eco-events.

Energy Conservation Award

• WINNER: Nitta Gelatin Canada Inc.
  Nitta Gelatin's focus on efficiency and reducing waste saw them undertake multiple projects that reduced their natural gas use by more than 3,000 cubic meters per day. In doing so, they avoided the production of more than 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Examples of actions they took to improve efficiencies include increasing the capacity of hot water storage tanks and installing a direct-fired gas burner.

• Finalist: Energy Smart Initiative of GLOBE Inc. and Social Housing Services Corp.
  Through their Energy Smart Initiative, GLOBE Inc. and the Social Housing Services Corporation implemented major electrical retrofits and energy conservation measures at 11 social housing properties. In the process, they also educated staff and residents on the retrofit measures taken as well as broader sustainability practices, and provided support for resident-driven conservation plans. The result was a significant reduction in energy consumption in these buildings.

• Finalist: Planet Traveler
  The result of a vision that saw a once-abandoned building in downtown Toronto transformed into the "Greenest hotel in North America", Planet Traveler generates 75 per cent fewer carbon emissions than a typical hotel, and raises the bar for the hotel industry. Planet Traveller features a geothermal heating and cooling system, roof-top solar panels, and LED lighting building-wide so that lighting the entire building takes less energy than it takes to run a 4-slice toaster.

Environmental Awareness Award

• WINNER: TREC Education
  TREC Education is helping to build a greener Toronto by educating and empowering people. TREC is inspiring the next generation to change their energy habits and attitudes, and to adopt careers in the sustainable energy sector. Through workshops, excursions, an annual festival and online consultations, TREC educates residents about the critical importance of protecting our green energy future.

• Finalist: A Greener Toronto TV Series, created and hosted by Candice Batista for Rogers TV
  A Greener Toronto informs, encourages and empowers the people of Toronto to make a positive difference in the environment. The first and only local green television series in Canada, A Greener Toronto reaches 750,000 Toronto households and raises awareness about topics not normally covered in the mainstream media. The series also gives local communities a voice, having featured more than 600 local people and local stories to date.

• Finalist: Toronto Vegetarian Association
  With a network of more than 300 volunteers, the Toronto Vegetarian Association educates people about the relationship between their food choices and their environmental footprint, and advocates for people to reduce or eliminate their meat consumption. In 2010, Toronto Vegetarian Association empowered more than 100,000 Torontonians to adopt a more sustainable diet through outreach and an extensive online presence at veg.ca.

Green Business Award

• WINNER: LoyaltyOne
  LoyaltyOne's award winning Call Centre features the largest solar roof-top installation in Canada, with more than 800 panels feeding energy back into the grid. With a commitment to the environment at the heart of their business, LoyaltyOne's many environmental initiatives include green procurement and sustainable fleet programs, as well as ride share and work-at-home programs for their associates.

• Finalist: Green Circle Salons
  Offering waste recovery and environmental solutions for the beauty industry, Green circle Salons is both a company and a community of salons and spas committed to leading green change. As a result of their leadership, salon patrons pay an eco-fee which helps offset the cost of waste recovery systems, and hair is being donated and made into oil absorption booms which are used to clean up oil spills in our oceans.

• Finalist: Woodbine Entertainment Group
  Woodbine Entertainment Group's installation of a new state-of-the-art Polytrack racing surface, at a cost of more than $11 million, reduces water consumption by 66 million litres annually, reduces diesel fuel used by maintenance equipment by 40  per cent, and improves storm water management. This significant investment is just one example of their commitment to being responsible corporate citizens and protecting our environment.

Green Design Award

• WINNER: Sackville-Dundas Apartments, Regent Park Revitalization Phase 1 – architectsAlliance
  When architectsAlliance was commissioned to design the first project in the Regent Park Community redevelopment, they integrated sustainable design at every level including building form, siting and orientation, materials, building systems, landscaping and construction. Through the centralized energy system alone, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 8000 tonnes a year during phase 1. Over 30 years, the saving will be about 400 000 tonnes — the equivalent of taking more than 66,000 cars off the road for a year.

• Finalist: Leon’s Furniture Limited, Leon’s at the Roundhouse
  In creating its new concept store for the urban market, Leon’s at the Roundhouse proved that a historic building can be restored and find new purpose in a sustainable way. Leon’s objectives included restoring and preserving a heritage landmark in Toronto, allowing the public to access and enjoy the building and incorporating sustainable design and construction to meet the requirements for LEED Canada Commercial Interiors Certification.

• Finalist: Modrobes Inc.
  With 25 per cent of the world’s pesticides created for use in the manufacturing of textiles, Modrobes is pushing the fashion industry toward better practices through their commitment to creating and using fabrics that are more environmentally sustainable. They operate a retail and wholesale business with an entirely sustainable product line including jackets made from recycled pop bottles and sport tees made from eucalyptus trees.

Green Home Award

• WINNER: Anthony Ketchum, Ketchum’s Retirement Project
  In 2005, Mary and Anthony Ketchum subdivided their Toronto lot and built a two-storey sustainable home. From three drill holes, each 53 metres deep, ground source heat supplies heating and domestic hot water. Operating at 300 per cent efficiency, their home's only source of energy is electricity; their annual electricity bill is about $800. A cistern installed in the basement collects rainwater which is used for toilets and laundry.

• Finalist: John Tabone
  When John Tabone added a second storey addition to his home, he considered the environment in every decision. John's home features vertical loop geothermal heating, a tankless water heater, water efficient toilets, wall and ceiling insulation and ENERGY STAR rated windows that exceed requirements, passive solar heating, environmentally friendly flooring, lighting and more. John actively shares what he’s learned with others.

• Finalist: Lynn Brandy
  With a desire to reduce her carbon footprint, create a nourishing home and lead by example, Lynn reduced her consumption of electricity, gas and water and reduced her home's greenhouse gas emissions by 2.2 tonnes per year. Lynn’s home is Bullfrogpowered and features ENERGY STAR rated windows, Canadian sourced eco-flooring, LED lighting, a fully naturalized indigenous garden with rain barrels front and back, a high efficiency boiler, hot water radiators, a solar hot water system and more.

Leadership Award

• WINNER: Civic Action’s Greening Greater Toronto
  In 2010, Greening Greater Toronto, in partnership with Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA), issued The Living City Report Card, which raised awareness of what organizations, governments and residents need to do to reduce their environmental impact. In addition, through three major programs they helped reduce energy use in commercial buildings, increase the sustainability of purchasing decisions made by organizations, and helped create a fund through which large Canadian corporations invest in community emission reduction projects.

• Finalist: Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
  CAPE has contributed to two victories that help protect Toronto residents and our environment. Their efforts contributed to the Province's decision to ban more than 250 toxic pesticides. And, due in part to a campaign they launched in 2010, the province is closing four coal-fired electricity plants. The emission reductions from these closures will be equivalent to taking up to 2 million cars off the road.

  
  
  
• Finalist: Not Far From The Tree
  Not Far From The Tree’s residential fruit-picking program puts fruit that would otherwise go to waste to good use. Volunteers pick the fruit and it is distributed equally among volunteers, homeowners and community food programs such as food banks, shelters and drop-in meal programs. In 2010, 750 volunteers picked a whopping 20,000 pounds of fruit, and 25 social services agencies received donations for their 8,000 clients.  

Local Food Award

• WINNER: The Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative
  The Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative helps protects bees that are threatened world-wide and raises the profile of their plight. With beehives at the Royal York Hotel and Downsview Park, Co-op members help build a culture of beekeeping through outreach, public education and training. In 2010, the Co-op produced more than 1,200 pounds of honey, 30 pounds of beeswax and eight pounds of pollen.

• Finalist: The Healthy Butcher
  With the goal of increasing the sustainability of Toronto's food chain, The Healthy Butcher supports local agriculture, educates customers about the value of healthy food, creates a link between farm and fork, and supports over 75 local farmers around the GTA. Leading by example, The Healthy Butcher also became the first retail store in Ontario to become OceanWise Certified to help consumers make environmentally friendly choices.

• Finalist: Wally Seccombe, Everdale Environmental Learning Centre
  Built on the belief that hands-on, practical education is the key to building sustainable food communities, Everdale Organic Farm and Environmental Learning Centre operates several award-winning educational programs for children and youth, new farmers and local food communities. In 2010, Everdale launched an Organic Farming Certificate program which teaches the ABCs of organic farming, as well as a kids farm camp, and they continue to inspire hundreds of visitors to the farm each year.

Water Efficiency Award

• WINNER: Kraft, East York Bakery
  Kraft’s East York Bakery reduced its water use over five years, withdrawing 58 percent less water from the city water supply in 2010 than it did in 2005, and surpassed Kraft Foods global reduction target of 35 per cent. Technological and business practice improvements included replacing cooling units and modifying its products and processes to reduce water use. The East York Bakery shared their successes with other Kraft Plants.

• Finalist: Citizens for a Safe Environment, in partnership with Schollen & Company Inc.
  The primary goal of the Residential Rainproofing Project was to disconnect residential downspouts and install complementary landscaping so that rain water would be redirected into a rain garden, rather than run off into the sewer system. In addition to securing the participation of households in the Riverdale area, the initiative helped raise awareness of the benefits of downspout disconnection,

• Finalist: Sustainability Team, Kraft Lakeshore Bakery
  In 2010 the Sustainability Team at the Kraft Lakeshore Bakery reduced water use in the facility by 26 per cent over 2009, exceeding the plant’s ambitious goal of 20 per cent. Leaving no stone unturned they metered or estimated consumption and water flow at every user point, eliminated water leaks, and improved cleaning and other practices.

Youth Leadership Award

• WINNER: Youth Mentors, Greenest City
  Youth Mentors is a group of high school students from the Parkdale neighborhood who have taken on a leadership role with “Growing the Future”, a free after-school program focused on food and the environment for 13 to 15 year olds. In 2010, they committed more than 500 volunteer hours to lead program activities and act as peer mentors to younger participants, teaching them how to grow and cook sustainable foods.

• Finalist: Dovercourt Junior Public School
  Four years ago, environmental issues were barely on the radar at Dovercourt Public School. Today it is one of the top EcoSchools in Toronto. Their initiatives included expanding their vegetable and wildflower gardens, and raising funds to create an outdoor classroom which had been a dream of the school for years. In 2010, Dovercourt Public School achieved EcoSchools’ Platinum certification and is one of the top 10 EcoSchools in Toronto.

• Finalist: Fariha Rahman
  Fariha's goal was to help her school become a Platinum certified EcoSchool, with the help of her fellow Environmental Council members. As a result of her leadership—which included sourcing, promoting and initiating the sale of reusable water bottles at her school—Fariha was asked to make a speech at a Toronto District School Board conference. Fariha also extends her leadership beyond her school by volunteering at eco-events such as the Kids World of Energy Festival.