Newfoundland and Labrador’s Environmental Leaders Celebrated

The accomplishments of a number of environmental leaders were celebrated today during a ceremony recognizing the 2012 Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Award recipients. The Honourable Terry French, Minister of Environment and Conservation, hosted the 23rd annual awards ceremony at the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club in Manuels.

“I congratulate the award recipients and the many individuals who are making outstanding contributions to preserve and protect our environment and natural heritage,” said Minister French. “I also congratulate the municipalities and business community who are making environmental stewardship part of their day-to-day operating principles, as well as the dedicated educators who inspire the youth of our province and provide an understanding of the environmental impacts we have on our province.”

The environmental awards are a joint initiative sponsored by the Department of Environment and Conservation, the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Women’s Institutes. The event is held during Environment Week each year to showcase the accomplishments of environmental leaders and raise awareness of the individuals, groups and businesses that are taking action to protect and sustain the environment.

Winners were announced in five categories, with each recipient receiving a plaque and $1,000 honorarium from the MMSB to further their own environmental projects or to donate to an environmental cause of their choice.

The 2012 recipients are:

• Philip Gavell, Conception Bay South – Individual;
• Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador – Community Group or Organization;
• Bishops College, St. John’s – Youth, Youth Group or School;
• Curb It Recycling Program, City of St. John’s – Municipality or Regional Waste Management Committee; and,
• Scotia Centre, St. John’s – Business or Industry Leader.

“Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have made it known that the environment is a top priority, and we should all be proud of the environmental initiative taken by this year’s winners,” said Leigh Puddester, MMSB Chair and CEO. “The MMSB is honoured, once again, to be involved in recognizing our province’s environmental leaders and we are pleased to provide a $1,000 honorarium to the winners to further their environmental projects or donate in their name to an environmental organization or cause.”

The Newfoundland and Labrador Women’s Institute continues to be a proud supporter of the initiative to recognize environmental ambassadors in the province.

“On behalf of the Newfoundland and Labrador Women’s Institute, I take great pride in acknowledging those who give their time, efforts, and enthusiasm to promote and protect our environment,” said Jean Budden, President. “We are proud to be a part of the environmental awards and thank all individuals and groups who participate in this program.”

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BACKGROUNDER
2012 Environmental Awards Recipients

Philip Gavell - Individual
Philip Gavell is currently Vice-chair of the Chamberlains Park Action Committee. He was instrumental in incorporating the park committee and has worked tirelessly in all aspects to ensure that the 16 acres of wetland, meadow and forest that form the park is preserved. Based on his strong ethical conviction that this area be kept a pristine park in the eastern end of Conception Bay South, Philip continues to organize cleanups, supervise the planting of tree seedlings, and work with youth and local green teams promoting the natural environment within the park.

Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador - Community Group or Organization
The Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing youth with training and employment in the fields of environmental and cultural heritage. For 20 years, the Conservation Corp has strived to enhance the province’s environmental resources by recognizing the importance of conservation and is well known for its Green Team Program. Since 1993, the program has seen over 2,000 youth participate in approximately 400 environmental projects in more than 132 communities throughout the province. Some of the organization’s projects have focused on river development, trail and habitat enhancement, waste management and beautification projects, to name a few. The Conservation Corps continues to provide the best training to youth, transferring skills and providing important work experience in the environmental and cultural fields.

Bishops College - Youth, Youth Group or School
Students, staff and the Youth Action Committee at Bishops College have shown tremendous initiative in undertaking environmental and conservation activities to enhance and protect the environment. Many environmental initiatives have been put into action to increase awareness and education at the school level. The school has established a recycling program, organized recycling blitzes, placed blue and green bins in each classroom, and sells reusable water bottles. The school joined the Climate Change Challenge to improve environmental stewardship within the school. To eliminate the purchasing of bottled water, students raised money to install a hydration station so reusable water bottles can be refilled at the hydration station with clean, cool filtered water. In partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the staff and students established the Bishops College Legacy Project to protect and preserve a special place, as well as a natural garden on the school grounds, which acts as an outdoor classroom. Through fundraising activities, students have set a goal to fund-raise $5,000 to donate to the Nature Conservancy of Canada to help secure a parcel of land to protect for future generations.

Curb It Recycling Program, City of St. John’s - Municipality or Regional Waste Management Committee
This City of St. John’s is known for its Curb It Recycling Program. In order to implement a successful curbside recycling program, the city recognized that it would have to launch a comprehensive communications campaign to inform and educate residents about the new program and what can be diverted from the landfill. The Curb It Recycling program was successful at doing just that. With a participation rate of 70 per cent after the first year of the program, the residents of St. John’s diverted eight million pounds of recyclable material from the landfill. The program continues to educate residents and promote participation in curbside recycling as the city strives to attain the provincial target of 50 per cent diversion by 2015.

Scotia Centre - Business or Industry Leader
The Scotia Centre, an office tower of 700 people in downtown St. John’s, has become an industry leader in environmental practices. Scotia Centre didn’t just get their waste to half, they reduced it by 72 per cent. From toner cartridge recycling to requiring contractors to recycle building materials, Scotia Centre is leading the way. When a tenant had a 360 litre waste bin of binders, a school recycling program was born. Now, all excess office supplies including binders, computers, photocopiers and furniture are donated to schools across the province. The centre is also known as the first non-government building in the province to achieve a Level 3 in the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Building Environmental Standards (BESt) program. Scotia Centre continues to seek other environmental initiatives to reduce waste, reduce energy consumption and protect the environment.

2012 06 06             11:55 a.m.