NLIS 3
June 4, 2001
(Environment)

12th annual Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Awards presented

The 12th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Awards were announced today during a ceremony at the Fluvarium in St. John's. Ralph Wiseman, Minister of Environment, Juanita Lester, past president, Newfoundland and Labrador Women's Institutes, and Gordon Seabright, chairman, Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) participated in the awards' presentation.

Established in 1989, the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Awards program recognizes the individuals, community groups and businesses that work tirelessly to preserve, protect and enhance our province's environment. It is a joint initiative of the Department of Environment, the Newfoundland and Labrador Women's Institutes and the MMSB. The program has grown and developed over the last 12 years and it is now an integral part of the province's Environment Week celebrations. 

"These awards provide a means to acknowledge those people and groups in Newfoundland and Labrador that work to ensure the protection and enhancement of our environment, and encourage others to do the same. I am very pleased to participate in this year's ceremony, and to present the awards during Environment Week," said Minister Wiseman. "I extend sincere congratulations to the 2001 award winners, and I encourage them to keep up the great work." 

Awards are presented in seven categories and this year's winners are:  

• Individual: Madeline Florent, Torbay; and Diana Baird, St. John's

• Community Group/Organization: Corduroy Brook Enhancement Association, Grand Falls-Windsor

• Educator: Sheila Lee, St. Mary's Bay; and Gerald Giles, Clarenville

• Youth/Youth Group: Peter Mallam, St. John's; and Holy Cross Recycling Team, Holyrood

• School: St. Catherine's Academy, St. Catherine's; Honourable Mentions: H.L. Strong Academy, Little Bay Islands; and St. James Elementary, Port aux Basques

• Municipality: Town of Gander

• Business: Newfoundland Power Employees

"I congratulate all the winners of this year's environmental awards program," said Ms. Lester. "The many individuals and groups nominated this year shows the pride that our citizens have for their province."

The Multi-Materials Stewardship Board Green Depot Environmental Award was also announced during the ceremony. This is an annual award for the Green Depot which demonstrates community involvement and commitment to the environment, particularly through the Beverage Container Recycling program. r. Seabright presented this year's award to B&D Enterprises, operated by Bill and Doreen Walters in Wabush. The MMSB will award the depot with $1,000 for advertising and promotions along with a plaque to display.

"It is with great pleasure that I award B&D Enterprises with the Green Depot Award for 2001, and I extend congratulations to this Green Depot for its hard work and dedication to recycling and the environment," said Mr. Seabright.

Media contact:

Diane Keough, Environment, (709) 729-2575
Karen O'Neill, MMSB, (709) 753-0949

Profiles of Award Winners

Madeline Florent, Torbay (Individual)
Ms. Florent has a long list of environmental volunteer work to her credit. She is an active member of the Torbay Environmental Committee, works to publish the semi-annual environment newsletter TREK, and is the liaison between the town council and the Environmental Committee. In fact, Ms. Florent was instrumental in getting the Habitat Management Plan incorporated into the town plan. Each year, Ms. Florent participates in the annual spring clean-up, works on the property beautification awards, and provides education material on the misuse of pesticides and other environmental concerns. She also spearheaded a community steering committee to establish a wetland interpretive centre in Torbay, organized a Backyard Habitat Management Workshop, and worked on the restoration of the Father Troy Trail. 

Diana Baird, St. John's (Individual)
Since 1990, Ms. Baird has been volunteering in the environmental community. Her work focuses on raising public awareness on environmental concerns affecting Newfoundland and Labrador, including waste and watershed management. She is a founding member of Action Environment, a board member of Friends and Lobbyists of the Waterford River (FLOW), and a member of the St. John's Environmental Action Committee. Currently, Ms. Baird is sharing the position of director of St. John's Harbour ACAP.

Corduroy Brook Enhancement Association, Grand Falls-Windsor (Community Group/Organization)
The Corduroy Brook Enhancement Association is a group of concerned citizens from Grand Falls-Windsor who have been working to reclaim, enhance and preserve a brook and wetland in their town. The goal is to expand the development for educational and recreational purposes. Interpretation sites with displays and rest areas have been completed and more are planned. This association is working hard to restore an abused and neglected brook and wetland so that it can be enjoyed by both residents and visitors. 


Sheila Lee, St. Mary's Bay (Educator)
As a teacher at Dunne Memorial Academy in St. Mary's Bay, Ms. Lee works diligently within her school and community to educate and motivate children and adults about the importance of the environment. She initiated a technology project entitled "It's Our World - Let's Take Care of It" which explores many environmental issues, including water and air pollution, recycling, and the importance of birds, fish, animals, and trees to an area. With Ms. Lee's leadership and motivation, Dunne Memorial Academy became the top recycling school in the Avalon West District and one of 10 top schools in the province. She was also instrumental in having a Green Depot established in the area. 

Gerald Giles, Clarenville (Educator)
Mr. Giles is committed to introducing innovative environmental programs to his students at Clarenville Primary School. He organized the school recycling program and developed a grassroots project entitled "Environmental Awareness," for which he won a Canadian Association of Principals Recognition Award. His grade four students wrote and produced their own recycling advertisement and performed an environmental musical for the community. In addition, Mr. Giles has taught the Fish Friends program for the past eight years and he is currently developing a block project on trees which involves Clarenville Primary, the community, the College of the North Atlantic, and a school in Costa Rica. 

Peter Mallam, St. John's (Youth/Youth Group)
Peter Mallam, a student at Bishop's College in St. John's, is committed to ocean conservation. While a junior high school student, Mr. Mallam was the catalyst for developing Ocean Net's Junior Directorship Program. He was appointed the first junior director, and I.J. Samson Junior High formed the first junior chapter. He also helped develop the annual Ocean Net youth conference and hosted both the 1999 and 2000 events. Currently, Mr. Mallam remains an active Ocean Net junior director at Bishop's College and continues to work towards positive attitudinal change about ocean conservation.

Holy Cross Recycling Team, Holyrood (Youth/Youth Group)
The Grade 5 class at Holy Cross School has taken a true environmental leadership role. The students in this class use their recess and lunch breaks to visit other classes to talk about the importance of caring for the earth. These students believe in leading by example with daily recycling collections including sorting through classroom garbage to ensure that all recycling materials are retrieved. The students are also organizing a demonstration for the school to explain the importance of good conservation practices. 

St. Catherine's Academy, St. Catherine's (School)
St. Catherine's Academy has established a diverse range of environmental projects and initiatives. In establishing partnerships with various organizations, St. Catherine's Academy was able to capitalize on its location on the Salmonier River to introduce conservation and environmental projects. The partnerships formed resulted in the construction of a multipurpose trail which is used by classes as a outdoor learning centre. The school also introduced a school recycling program which expanded to include the surrounding community, and resulted in a $6,500 scholarship fund for St. Catherine's Academy. The school's Cadet Corps is involved in the Adopt-A-Highway program and several classes participate in annual clean-ups of the Salmonier River and the salmon egg hatching program. 

Town of Gander (Municipality) 
Over the past few years, the town council of Gander has been actively working to make Gander more environmentally friendly. It implemented programs which reduced the energy required to pump water by 30 per cent and the energy required for street lighting by 20 per cent. The town participated in household hazardous waste days, introduced the collection and recycling of car wrecks, and was the first community to sign a Wetlands Conservation agreement. It also supported the Eco Team program and sponsored four Green Team youth projects. The town actively supports community clean-ups and the Thomas Howe Demonstration Forest and is a participant in the provincial Tidy Towns program and the national Communities in Bloom program. 

Newfoundland Power Employees (Business)
In November 1997, the employees of Newfoundland Power founded the Environmental Commitment Program. To date, this program has initiated more than 100 environmental partnerships with community groups and schools throughout the province. Each year, it hosts EnviroFest � A Celebration of the Environment. In addition, Newfoundland Power employees support environmental enhancement by participating in three corporate sponsored programs, Fish Friends, Tree Canada, and Action by Canadians. 

H.L. Strong Academy, Little Bay Islands (Honourable Mention, School)
With a population of 13 students, H.L. Strong Academy is taking a leadership role in developing good environmental practices for their community of Little Bay Islands. This year marks the second year for its recycling program. Each month students take turns collecting recyclables in the community. Last year they collected 4,400 items, and this year they have collected over 9,000. In addition, the students create environmental posters to display in local establishments and they also participate in the annual community clean-up.

St. James Elementary, Port aux Basques (Honourable Mention, School)
Over the last seven years, the students of St. James Elementary have been active in a variety of environmental projects. In fact, the school is one of only 67 schools in Canada to have completed over 1,000 environmental projects. The students started with an initiative to keep school grounds litter free, and their programs eventually expanded throughout the entire community. They are credited with playing an instrumental role in establishing a recycling depot for the Southwest Coast. 

Multi-Materials Stewardship Board Annual Green Depot Environmental Award
B&D Enterprises, Wabush
Throughout the year, B&D has shown its commitment to the community and environment in many ways. Operated by Bill and Doreen Walters in Wabush, this Green Depot is actively involved with the schools in Wabush and has given tours and presentations to hundreds of school children . The depot has also established recycling credit accounts with charity and fundraising groups. Last year, the depot worked with 200 non-profit groups which raised more that $10,000 through recycling beverage containers. 


2001 06 04                                                12:30 p.m.