spring 2009 eco newsletter, ecosuperior

8/8/2019 Spring 2009 Eco Newsletter, EcoSuperior

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April 2009

Well Worth It!By Jane Oldale

I am EcoSuperiors Water Guide for theWell Aware Program. Over the past twosummers I have visited over 90 ruralhomeowners, talking with them about theirwells. The home visits help well ownersidentify priorities for action to protect theirdrinking water source. The visits, whichare voluntary, confidential, and non-regu-latory, guide well owners through a self-assessment to help them identify andaddress potential risks to their well water.

For a number of years I had been hav-ing problems with my own shallow dug

well. The water often looked and smelledbad, and samples showed the water wasunsafe to drink.

Older dug wells often do not provideprotection from surface water and otherdebris gaining entry. This can result in totalcoliform counts, occasionally even E coliif a bird or animal leaves droppings on ornear the well. As the well ages and theconcrete weathers,vulnerable areas aroundthe lid and between the tiles are more like-ly to let surface water in. Water is onlysupposed to enter a well from the bottomafter being filtered by the soil.

Homeowners thinking abouttaking advantage of the homerenovation grants available nowhave an even greater incentiveto get started. A March 30announcement from the federalgovernment declared that allfederal grant amounts have beenincreased by 25%. Just dayslater, Ontario followed suit andannounced that the provincewill match the new higher

grants.Its great news for anyoneplanning renovations, saysEcoSuperior Executive DirectorEllen Mortfield. Adding insu-lation, replacing furnaces or airconditioners, new windows all of these improvements areeligible for even more generousgrant amounts. Plus, many of these improvements also qualifyfor the new renovation tax cred-

it as well.In anticipation of the increased demand for the home energy evaluations,EcoSuperioris adding a third energy advisor to their staff. All of our advisors are certified by NaturalResources Canada, with years of renovation experience. We completed energy evalua-tions on nearly 500 homes last year, and are currently booking appointments into earlyMay, with Don Rutledge, Ken Piccinin and Ryan Whatley.

Its important for homeowners to realize that they need to have the home energy eval-uation done before any renovations are started. We need to measure the homes currentenergy consumption in order to get an accurate measure of improvement that can beachieved. The initial evaluation provides a comprehensive report and recommendationsto the homeowner, to help guide renovation plans. It also provides an energy rating forthe home, on a scale of 0 - 100.

The net cost to the homeowner for the service, including pre- and post-renovationevaluations is $350. Grants are available only until March 31, 2011. The homeowner has18 months to complete renovations after the initial evaluation. Further information isavailable at www.ecosuperior.org

Inside Medicine Cabinet Clean Up Month Spring Up to Clean Up

EcoMentors

EcoDriver Rally Story Contest

Coming Events

Improving your R-12 attic to R-50 not only makes your homemore comfortable but also nets you $1500 in grants. Cost of materials or a contractor can also be claimed under the new

Renovation Tax credit, up to 15% of the total cost of this and other home improvements

Continued on page 2

Bigger Grants for Homeowners


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Community Partners

ECO-NEWS EcoSuperior 2

EcoNews is produced by EcoSuperior Environmental Programs. Look for our regular editions inyour Chronicle Journal every spring and fall. All the articles are written by EcoSuperior staff unlessotherwise credited. We are a non-profit organization, providing public education in the areas of water and energy conservation,waste reduction, pollution prevention and urban greenspaces. Our program area includes the city of Thunder Bay and the LakeSuperior Basin. If you would like to comment on our programs, please contact us: 212 Miles Street East, Thunder Bay,

Ontario, P7C 1J6 Telephone: 807-624-2140 Facsimile: 807-622-0005 www.ecosuperior.org [email protected]

The many community programs andprojects that you will read about in this

newsletter would not be possible with-out the efforts of those who financeand contribute to EcoSuperiors activi-ties. Through contributions of ideas,connections, expertise and financialsupport, the following organizationshave played a major role in our suc-cess. We extend our sincere gratitudeto the individuals within these organi-zations that have helped us along theway.

City of Thunder Bay Environment Canada Thunder Bay District Health Unit Ontario Ministry of the

Environment DriveWise Driver Education Ontario Ministry of Natural

Resources Ontario Power Authority Ontario Ministry of Energy

Ontario Power Generation Green Communities Canada Ontario Trillium Foundation Union Gas AbitibiBowater The Chronicle-Journal Dougall Media NewCap Radio Zero Waste Action Team

ReCool Canada Shell Environment Fund EarthWise Thunder Bay Volunteer Thunder Bay Fisheries and Oceans Canada North Shore Steelhead Association

The paper you are reading is manufactured by your friends and neighbours who work at AbitibiBowater Inc. Thunder Bay Operations

It contains 30% recycled content.

In addition to the list above, we mustthank the many local businesses whomake it possible for people to makethe right choices; the local media thathelp us spread the word, and manyvolunteer and committee memberswho provide invaluable assistance.

About Eco-News

Last July I hired a local contractor licensed by the Ministry of theEnvironment to work on dug wells. He upgraded my well, bringing it upto todays standards. This involved excavating around the well andremoving a damaged tile, and adding another half tile to finish the wellabove grade, as the old well was finished barely above ground level.

He used rolls of sealant (green nontoxic adhesive caulking) betweentile joints and poured bentonite clay in the annular space (the area aroundthe outside of the well casing) to seal the exterior. The well cap wasupgraded to a green plastic dome inset into concrete. This cap is gasket-ed to keep insects and debris from entering the well. It is easy for one per-son to manage, allowing access to the inside of the well for inspectionand repair.

After a few dry months in late summer, followed by heavy late fallrains, my water was still not looking good in early winter. Settling of theground after the major excavation has taken several months. Not instantgratification, for sure! However, by February the water had cleared upconsiderably. Three tests taken this March have shown no significant evi-dence of contamination. There are no filtration systems in place, I did notinstall an ultra-violet light to kill bacteria, and I have not had to use chlo-rine bleach in the well. It is always better to remove the source of the con-tamination than to treat the water. I will continue to test my water regu-larly, at least three times a year, especially during the upcoming springrunoff when wells are most vulnerable. I am now able to use the water forall household purposes.

A drink of water, straight from the tap, never tasted so good!

Did you know that nearly 1.5 million barrels of oilenough to run 100,000 cars for a whole yearare used to make plastic waterbottles every year? And even more fuel is used to transport all those cases of bottled water around the world. Plus, the majority of thoseplastic bottles never get recycledthey go straight to landfill. Invest in a good quality water bottle and fill up at the tap. If you dontlike the taste, choose a water bottle with a built-in filter.

Well Worth It!

Choose the Tap

Soil is sloped away from the well for proper drainage, and a newmanufactured well cap provides easy access while sealing out poten-tial contaminants.

Continued from page 1

Well Aware is a project of Green Communities Canada and has received funding support from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.Our local partners include the City of Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

Well Aware guided self assessments will be available starting in May. There is a fee of $10 tohelp cover mileage costs. (Mileage fee can be waived if you sign up a neighbour on the same day.)Visits are available to residents of rural Thunder Bay and in the townships of Neebing, OliverPaipoonge, Gillies, OConnor, Conmee, Gorham, Ware, and Shuniah.

All those who have a Well Aware visit will have their names entered in a draw to win a dual-flush toilet installed by Axels Water and Plumbing Centre. Low-flush toilets are great for ruralhouseholds relying on well water. Reducing water use not only conserves well water, but it is bet-ter for septic systems and saves energy used to pump water too.


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The Green On Jean team of Hugh & Ellie were the winners at our November 2008 EcoDriver Rally,achieving a mileage rate 27% higher than the NRCan rating for their 2001 Hyundai Accent.

The current land speed record is 1,228km/h, in a vehicle with two Rolls Royce jetengines and a fuel use rate of 5,500 L/100km. Definitely not the vehicle you want todrive between gas stations! Gas prices go upand down, but the fact is that the steadytrend is up. Currently 90 cents a litre soundsokay, but only 4 years ago when gas was 70cents, the price of 90 cents sounded insane!

When gas prices do take a dip, its not forlong, so its a good idea to get the best fuelefficiency from your vehicle so you can keepcosts down. And improving your fuel effi-ciency also helps out the environment. Butdo you know how to maximize your vehi-cles fuel efficiency? Find out, withEcoSuperiors ecoDriver program.

We can show you tips for driving tech-niques and recommended maintenance aswell as easy ways move beyond single pas-senger transit. We can provide a fun presen-tation for your office group or church orcommunity group. But having ideas present-ed to you is only part of the education.Actually getting behind the wheel and test-

ing the techniques is the best way to learn.And heres an opportunity for you to do justthat.

On Saturday May 30, 2009, EcoSuperiorand DriveWise will kick off EnvironmentWeek by hosting our 2nd annual ecoDriverRally. Register your rally team (familiesand backseat drivers welcome!) and vehicle,then meet us at the rally start (Westgate HighSchool). Youll be provided with a list of checkpoints you must visit but youchoose your own route, keeping in mind thefuel efficiency tips weve provided. We use adevice called a Scan Gauge to measure yourfuel consumption for the trip. The team thatbeats their vehicles fuel efficiency rating bythe highest percent wins the coveted GreenKey Award. Lots of prizes, lots of fun! Planto join us May 30. Entry fee is a donation tothe City of Thunder Bay Tree StewardshipProgram. Registration will be available atwww.ecosuperior.org in early May.

For more information on the ecoDriverprogram or Rally please contact DerekTessier @ 624-2655.

Thats right, EcoSuperior isnow on Facebook. Keep up todate on EcoSuperior hosted events, sessions, and programsthroughout the year. Just search for EcoSuperior onFacebook and become a fan!

Blue BagsGet set for a yearsworth of recyclingwith rolls of 50clear blue bagsfor just $10.No packaging ready to use!

Rain BarrelsPlastic rain barrels are instock now, andavailable to Thunder Bay residents with acurrent water account for $40.

Outdoor Water Saver KitsJust $10 for a top quality sprayer nozzle,rain gauge, faucet timer, hose repair end, andmoisture meter.

Aimers Organic SeedsStart growing your own with a full line of vegetable, herb and wildflower seeds, allfrom certified organic growers. While yourehere, browse through our library for moreinformation on organic gardening.

CompostersThe Earth Machine composter is available tocity residents for just $25. We can also helpyou out with advice on any compostingquestions or problems.

Kill-A-Watt Meter Borrow this device for a one-week term totest appliances and find out the operatingcost and electricity consumed. A $20 depositis required, returned to you when you returnthe meter.

Whats for sale? Drop into our resource centre 212 Miles Street East for the following items. We are openweekdays from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Your Renewable Energy Experts in Northwestern OntarioSpecializing in the Custom Design & Professional Installation of

Solar & Wind Electrical Systems Experienced Troubleshooting Personalized Service

RR 3 Thunder Bay ON P7C 4V2Phone/Fax (807) 964 2050

Outside Thunder Bay area call toll-free 1 888 SUN WIND (786 9463)email: [email protected]

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Do somethingabout the price of gas!

Join us for EcoDriver Rally 2009


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Mountain of Butts

Think Outside the Bank

142 S. Algoma Street Phone: 345-7612 Fax: 345-8939

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577-0411

Renovating?Roofing?New construction?Moving orSpringclean up?

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Well deliver a temporary bin to your location

when your project is finished, our drivers

will remove the bin and the contents in it!

10% off with this Ad

By Heather Donaghy

For my family, Spring Up to Clean Uphas been an annual event for us since 2000.Its a family tradition. Every year, all fourof us Mom, Dad, my little sister Bonnieand I get out our black and blue bags andgardening gloves and trek out to theHillcrest hill, conveniently located rightbehind our house, and spend the next fewhours trying to undo the damage thateverybody else caused from the yearbetween. We usually cover the slope of thehill, the crest of the hill, the park and theSunken Gardens. This year, Mom wastelling us about this contest and I got anidea. The parking lots at the top of the hillare always absolutely covered by cigarettebutts, so many we usually ignore thembecause its just a lost cause wed neverbe able to pick them all up. But, I said,Why dont we gather up as many cigarettebutts as we can and make them into a pic-ture that we can send in to show how grossthis is? Everybody else thought it was agreat idea and we decided to do our regularclean-up, and then come back with broomsand take the (enclosed) picture of the butts.

So we set out, at about 11 am, andstarted on the hill. It was a big job, and wesplit up Dad and Bonnie went in thedirection of Hillcrest Park, and Mom andI went towards the Sunken Gardens. Tomake a long story short, we met up ataround 1:30 at the Sunken Gardens, withseveral large bags each and many otherpictures of the garbage-strewn wastelandwe were cleaning.

Then we went back to the house todrop off the bags and Bonnie and Dad,who were tired and didnt want to helpwith the picture. So it was just Mom and I.We grabbed a fresh garbage bag for thebutts we werent going to sweep themup and then just leave them there, obvi-ously and the brooms and dustpan andwere off, back up the hill.

We swept both parking lots, eventhough we could only take a picture of thebutts in one of them. When we got to thesecond to take the picture, only about half of the butts ended up getting put in the pilein the end, because it wouldve takenhours to get them all, there were so many.But, what a pile it was! It was a stack of nicotine, paper, gravel and other stuff that

reached over the top of the curb and stillhad a pretty big base! It was gross. Weswept it up into the bag, headed backhome (we picked up the garbage that hadsomehow accumulated since wed been by

an hour ago as we went), threw that bag inwith the others, and went inside to washour hands.

And that is the story of the enclosedpicture, the Mountain of Butts.

Spring Up to Clean UpPhoto and Story Contest

We want to see and hear about your spring clean-up experience. Send us a photograph (digital or film) ordrawing from your clean-up, along with a short story (about 500 words) describing your event or something you

experienced during your registered clean-up. Entries will be judged on quality and creativity.The winning entries will be posted on the EcoSuperior website and in the EcoNews next spring. The two winners

(one adult and one youth) will each win a Mountain Bike donated by Tim Hortons.If you have any questions, please call Karen at 624-2148. E-mail your entries to [email protected], or mail to:

Spring Up Contest, c/o EcoSuperior,101-212 Miles Street East,Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 1J6

Read on for one of the great entriessubmitted last year by Heather Donaghy

Contest Sponsors:


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Spring Cleaning?Check it Out Before You Throw it Out

Invitation to Workplaces

13th Annual Spring Up to Clean Up: May 09

If you have ever wondered if we really are a wasteful soci-ety, a trip to your local landfill site is all it takes to confirm it.Mountains of stuff, much of it in usable or at least fixable con-ditionsome things in their original packagingnever evenused! All of this material is destined to be buried, never to beseen again in our lifetime. It can be pretty depressing. We usedto think we were just burying garbage, but now were beginningto realize that we are actually dumping a lot of valuableresources, many of which are in limited supply.

So when you are doing your spring cleaning this year,remember you can make a big difference by doing some sortingand making a few phone calls or deliveries. Here are some tips:

Have a yard sale: Who couldnt use a little extra cash thesedays? Organize your own yard sale or join one that has beenplanned already.

Share your unused bicycles with Bicycles for Humanity,Thunder Bay: B4H-TB salvages well over 1000 bicycles eachyear from Thunder Bay and surrounding area. Eighty percent of the bicycles are prepared for shipment and then shared, alongwith the shipping container the bikes were shipped in, with peo-ple of great need in poverty stricken Africa. Bicycles that arenot appropriate for use in Third World conditions are refur-bished and used to help meet our own areas domestic trans-portation needs. The Rotary Shelter House, Faye Petersen,Salvation Army are just a few of the helping others organiza-

tions that B4H-TB supplies bicycles and mechanical services tolocally. For information on bicycle drop-off or pick-up, pleasecall 622-3737 or 624-7811. Bikes can also be dropped off atHabitat for Humanity,660 Squier St. B4H-TB will make it easyfor you to share your old bicycle, or sports equipment, or textbooks, or reading glasses, or garden tools, or

Donate clothing, toys and other household items to theSalvation Army or Canadian Diabetes Association: Items thatare clean and in sellable condition can be dropped off at a localSalvation Army or Value Village store. If you are unable todeliver your items, contact your local store to arrange for pickup. Your donations will help to fund valuable programs, whilereducing waste and providing low cost items for others.

Freecycle it: Check out Thunder Bays own webpage for theglobal Freecycle Network (www.freecycle.org) movement. Thenetwork is designed to allow individuals who want to "recycle"that special something rather than throw it away. Whether it's achair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door, feel free to post it. Ormaybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Freecyclesgoal is to find a home for things otherwise headed for the landfill.One constraint: everything posted must be FREE. Find out moreat http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thunderbayfreecycleAlsocheck out these free local community classifieds forums athttp://thunderbay.kijiji.caor http://thunderbay.en.craigslist.catosell or purchase items.

Offer a curbside giveaway: If you want to try to avoid haul-ing something away yourself, try putting it out at the curbwith a big FREE sign on it. You may be surprised at howquickly it disappears. Do this on a sunny day,and be preparedto cover it if it rains, or take it away if no one else does with-in a day or two.

Organize a toy or book swap at school: This is a fun way toshare items between those little ones with short attentionspans, without having to make a trip to the store. Any itemsthat arent taken can be donated. This is a great opportunityto focus on the importance of sharing and the second R:Re-Use, while de-cluttering your home.

Fix it: Enjoy a sense of satisfaction from figuring out how tofix a product or find someone to do it for you. Youll extendthe life of the item and save on landfill space. Note: it is gen-erally easier and more cost-efficient to fix quality-made items,which may cost more initially but save you money in the longrun.

Mr. Greens Guide: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle it!: Ever won-der what to do with that old computer, leftover paints, or scrapmetal? Find the answers to these questions and more in thiscomprehensive guide at www.thunderbay.ca or find a copy atEcoSuperior or your local library. Watch for the updated edi-

tion coming in June.

Your business can help jumpstart our annual month-long Spring Up to Clean Up program! The City of Thunder

Bay, EcoSuperior and event sponsor Tim Hortons areinviting businesses, City facilities and other governmentoffices to take a break from work at 10am on Friday, May1st, and step outside for 20 minutes to help clean up litterfrom around their neighbourhoods. Last year about 750people cleaned up over 75 areas of the city. It is amazingwhat many hands can accomplish in such a short period of time! And we all know a clean neighbourhood is better forbusiness.

Register your business or office for the20-minute makeover by April 24that www.ecosuperior.org (or call624-2148) to receive a SpringUp garbage bag, a giftfrom Tim Hortons(while supplieslast), a posterto show yourcustomersthat you areinvolved, aswell as publicrecognition.

Join in the spiritof spring and help makeThunder Bay clean, green and beautiful!

Spring is just around the corner, which means litter willsoon be appearing everywhere. Spring Up to Clean Up gives

us all a great opportunity to show our pride and do our partto keep Thunder Bay clean, green and beautiful.Registered Spring Up groups receive clean-up supplies,

draw prizes and public recognition. Last year over 10,000citizens cleaned up 225 areas around the city, includingparks, roadsides, recreation trails, school grounds and neigh-bourhoods.

The 13th annual Spring Up to Clean Up takes place dur-ing the month of May and is kicked off with the 20-MinuteMakeover on May 1st, when we invite busi-nesses, City facilities and other governmentoffices to clean up litter around theirneighbourhoods. Its amazing whatmany hands can accomplish insuch a short period of time, and afew minutes of effort can make abig difference to your customers!

This community event isfunded by the City of ThunderBay Transportation & Works depart-ment and delivered by EcoSuperiorEnvironmental Programs. We wouldlike to thank our sponsors for this

years event: Tim Hortons,Ontario Power Generationand Acklands.

Grainger as well as supporters Zero Waste Action Team,Bill Martins Nurseryland, Landale Garden Centre, Natural

Habit, and Finnport.New this yearin an effort to reduce waste we are hop-ing to replace most of the disposable latex/vinyl gloves usedin past clean-ups with quality reusable gloves which will lastfor several years of clean-ups while offering better protec-tion than the disposable variety. With the support of Acklands Grainger Inc. and Bill Martins Nurseryland Inc.,we are able to offer both adult and childrens gloves at a sub-sidized price of $1/pair for Spring Up participants.

Are you ready to get involved? Join a clean-up group inyour neighbourhood, or start your own. You can reg-ister on-line at www.ecosuperior.org or by calling

624-2148.If you are interested in adopting a road or

park to keep clean year-round, consider joiningthe Adopt-a-Road program (call Ken Sinclair at474-4834) or Adopt-a-Park program (call theParks Division at 625-2351).

Register your class or school for Spring Up toClean Up a great excuse to get outside and clean upyour school ground and neighbourhood. Registeredschool groups receive clean-up supplies, a tree to plantin their schoolyard, public recognition and an environ-mental book donated to their school library. Highschool students may also count clean-up time for volun-

teer hours.


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Ways to be Water Wise Toilet Rebates

Is your porcelain throne older than you? Maybeits time to switch over to a new toilet. The City of Thunder Bay offers a rebate for city residents whoswitch from an old toilet to a new 6 litres-per-flushmodel. All it takes is a free home visit fromEcoSuperiors Water Conservation Specialist to qual-ify your toilet for the rebate of $125 per toiletreplaced (up to two per household)

In Thunder Bay the average toilet size is 13.5L.This reflects that most toilets are 15 years old orolder. If your toilet was manufactured before 1985you could be looking at 18-24 litres-per-flush. Withsome of the oldest homes in Thunder Bay sporting original plumbing, those toilets can beflushing 30L and more water each time! Considering that, on average, each person flushesa toilet five times a day, a new toilet can significantly reduce water consumption.

In order to qualify for the rebate, you must contact EcoSuperior BEFORE the toilet isreplaced, and the new unit must be installed by a licensed plumber. See www.ecosuperi-or.org for details or contact Derek at 624-2655.

Washing Machine RebatesFor a limited time, the City of Thunder Bay is offering a $100 rebate when you make the

switch to an Energy Star rated washing machine. A new EnergyStar rated washer will helpto reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money on your utility bills.

Rebates are available for washing machines purchased on or after May 2, 2009. Thereare a limited number of rebates available that will be awarded on a first-come, first-servedbasis. Contact our office first to make sure there are still rebates available, then just bringyour receipt, the Energy Star label and your water account number to EcoSuperior at 212Miles Street East.

Medicine CabinetCleanup Month

While science continues to document the presence of prescription and non-prescriptiondrugs in streams, rivers and wildlife, EcoSuperior is reminding you to address the issuethrough safe disposal of old medicines. With support from the Ontario Ministry of theEnvironment, April has been declared Medicine Cabinet Clean-Up Month in Thunder Bay.

A medicine disposal bag was delivered to every household in the April 3rd edition of TheSource. You can use the bag to put all the old or expired or unwanted medicines and take themback to your dispensing pharmacy. Consumers can return all unused or expired prescriptiondrugs, including patches, unwanted non-prescription drugs such as pain relievers and coldmedicines, herbal products and vitamins.

We hope this makes it easier for people to gather up their unused or expired medicines,says EcoSuperiors project coordinator Lucie Lavoie. Returning them to your pharmacyensures safe disposal.

It has been common practice for people to flush old medicines down the toilet or throwthem out with landfilled garbage, but such disposal can impact the health of local water sup-plies as well as wildlife. Most water treatment plants are not designed to remove such chem-icals from waste water before it is returned to lakes and rivers.

British Columbia, Alberta and Prince Edward Island have legislated province-wide med-icine take-back programs. In practice, most local pharmacies in Ontario do provide this ser-vice, but the public is not widely aware of the importance of returning medicines to the phar-macy for safe disposal.

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Get Involved!Looking for a way to participate in environmental activities in Thunder Bay? We have a few

suggestions for you: Volunteer at Central Natural Environment Gardens a great way to learn about garden-

ing and native plant species. Call Karen at 624-2148 for details. Plan to enter the EcoDriver Rally see article on page 3 for details Become a Citizen Monitor in our Stream Stewardship program learn how to sample

area streams and rivers and identify aquatic critters. Ask Lucie for info on the next train-ing session at 624-2143.

Register yourself, your family, workplace or group of friends to clean up litter in yourneighbourhood or favourite recreation area. Well provide bags, prizes and more. Visitwww.ecosuperior.org and click on Spring Up to Clean Up.

Join us for Green Drinks on the third Wednesday of each month, a chance to mix andmingle with others who share your environmental concerns. Find out more atwww.greendrinks.org

Plan a night out at the monthly offering from the Environmental Film Network. Watch for EarthWise presentation nights each month at Waverley Library. Be a part of our Youth Advisory committee (age 13 25) or attend our EcoMentor train-

ing session. See article at left for details or e-mail [email protected]

What on Earth is an

EcoMentor?!

Rural landowners have special concerns when it comes to water quality andland issues. Weve put together a binder to help landowners find out how to

manage their property in ways that are in compliance with local regulations

as well as environmentally friendly. Its a comprehensive resource pack-age developed specifically for rural property owners in the Lake

Superior watershed.The dream to create your perfect home or secluded retreat in

the country requires careful planning and maintenance. A rurallandowner has responsibilities to protect their environment inways that city dwellers are unaccustomed to, including coping with

land, water and air quality.The guide was developed in conjunction with government associates

around the lake, including Environment Canada, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, U.S.Environmental Protection Agency and state project partners in Michigan, Minnesota andWisconsin. Each state, as well as Northwestern Ontario, has its own version of the guide.

The 50-page binder has ten sections covering topics including wells, septic systems,waste disposal, energy conservation, wetlands, shorelines, habitat, stormwater, and land-scaping for wildlife. The Guide is currently available FREE to rural property owners. Dropby our Resource Centre to pick up your copy. You can also view the Guide online atwww.ecosuperior.org/Files/ruralguide.pdf.

EcoSuperior is now a training deliverypartner for Earth Day Canadas EcoMentorsprogram. This environmental educationprogram is designed to provide youth across

Canada with opportunities to become envi-ronmental leaders in their communiies.

By completing the training workshop,youth will gain skills and knowledge to helpsupport environmental awareness amongtheir peers and younger aged children. Thetraining offers learning experiences thatexplore ways for youth to get involved inenvironmental education. They will havethe chance to build leadership and facilita-tion skills, while also learning about impor-tant environmental topics. Aimed at youthaged 13-25, the program provides opportu-nities for the EcoMentors to move on fromthe workshop to lead their own environmen-tally-based activities. Theres even a certifi-cation process. As the EcoMentors begin tolead and facilitate their own workshops incommunity youth groups, they can earnvaluable community service hours and worktowards an official certification.

The program has been offered in othercities across Canada, with a few workshopshappening in the GTA this spring. Theworkshop will be offered for the first time inThunder Bay, through EcoSuperior, with thelaunch during Youth Week in May. Watchfor the display booth at Intercity ShoppingCentre, April 18.

Know anyone that might like to becomean EcoMentor?

Spread the word! EcoMentors are atEcoSuperior! Sign up by calling Heather at624-2147 or email [email protected]

Our Staff Executive Director:Ellen Mortfield

Manager of Finance:Heidi Smith

Administrative Assistant:Donna Alberts

Customer Service:Ashley Priem

Program Coordinators:Jim Bailey(Mercury, Binational Forum, Lake Superior AOCs)

Lucie Lavoie(Stream Stewardship,Personal Care Products, Pharmaceuticals)

Derek Tessier(Water Conservation, EcoDriver, Renewable Energy)

Jane Oldale(Rural Property Guide,Well Aware, Apartment Recycling)

Heather Shaver(Education & Youth)

Karen Copeland(Waste Reduction, Litter Prevention,Central Gardens)

Energy Advisors:Don RutledgeKen Piccinin

Ryan Whatley

Lake Superior Watershed Rural Property GuideNorthwestern Ontario


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Homeowners can put out blue bags full of recyclables at the curb every secondgarbage day. If you live in an apartment or condominium it may not be so easy.

We have a program, supported by the City of Thunder Bay, to helpapartment building managers and superintendents set up conve-nient effective recycling programs for their tenants. We provide a

kit with a recycling handbook full of ideas and tips for starting orimproving a recycling program. We provide posters, fridge mag-

nets, and other printed material for residents that clearly lay outthe whats and hows of recycling. We also provide aresource person to work one-on-one with the building managerto figure out the logistics of setting up and maintaining aneffective recycling program. If you live in an apartment or con-

dominium and have no recycling facilities in your building, haveyour property manager or building superintendent call us to set up

an appointment with our resource person. Well work on setting up a sys-tem that will make recycling as easy as 1,2,3.

Coming Events April 1 30Medicine Cabinet Clean Up Month.

April 15Green Drinks, 5pm to 7pm at The Valhalla Inn.

Superior Renewable Energy Cooperative meeting,11:30am. See www.srecwind.org.

Herb Caroll Centre, 1pm to 3pm. Medicines in OurEnvironment presentation by Lucie Lavoie.

April 1655+ Centre on River Street, 1pm to 3pm. Medicines in OurEnvironment presentation by Lucie Lavoie.

April 18Youth Booth at Intercity Shopping Centre.

April 22 - Earth Day Environment North AGM, 7pm in The Study at LakeheadUniversity, featuring guest speaker Peter Globensky.

April 23Maintaining a Natural Lawn and Garden, presented byEarthWise Thunder Bay. Waverley Resource LibraryAuditorium.

May 1 31Spring Up to Clean Up Month.

May 1Spring Up 20-Minute Makeover, 10am.Register your business and take the staff outside for a quicklitter cleanup.

May 8Lake Superior Binational Forum Public Input Session.Focus on the Jackfish Bay Area of Concern, 1pm to 4pm atTerrace Bay Community Centre.

May 7 9Visit our booth at the Thunder BayChamber of Commerce Trade Show.

May 9EcoMentors Workshop Training for youth.Youth Environment Leadership. See article page 7.

May 17 23Ontario's Energy Conservation Week.Watch our website for local events and programs.

May 20Zero Waste Action Team Meeting. See www.zwat.org

May 28EcoDriving, 7pm to 9pm at Waverley Resource LibraryAuditorium, presented by EarthWise.

May 30EcoDriver Rally.

May 31 June 6Canadian Environment Week.

June 3Clean Air Day.

July 19

Lake Superior Day.

Apartment Recyclingeasy as 1, 2, 3?

Be a Stream Monitor

The Lake Superior Binational Forum will be hold-ing its next meeting on May 8th and 9th in Terrace Bay,Ontario. The Binational Forum consists of 24American and Canadian volunteers from various sec-tors including small business, municipalities and localelected officials, environmental organizations, indus-try, First Nations, academia, recreation, anglers, andthe faith community.

As part of the Binational Forum meetings inTerrace Bay, the Forum will host a Public InputSession from 1 to 4 p.m. on May 8th at the Terrace Bay

Community Centre. The session will centre on theJackfish Bay environmental "Area of Concern", as des-ignated by the International Joint Commission in 1987,in conjunction with the governments of Canada andOntario. Jackfish Bay is situated just east of TerraceBay and is a long arm of Lake Superior which includesMoberly Bay. The environmental Area of Concernincludes adjacent Blackbird Creek. There are 3 otherareas of concern in Canada on Lake Superior. Theseinclude Thunder Bay, Nipigon Bay and PeninsulaHarbour (at Marathon).

Jackfish Bay receives drainage from Blackbird

Creek, which conveys wastewater discharges from the

Terrace Bay pulp mill. Work to improve environmentalcontrols at the mill started decades ago and largeinvestments have been made on improvements likesecondary treatment. This work has helped to bringabout improvements in environmental quality inBlackbird Creek, Moberly and Jackfish Bay but someimpairments, like contaminated sediment, degradedbottom-dwelling invertebrate populations and restrict-ed fish consumption remain.

Presentations on current environmental conditionsand other research in the Jackfish Bay Area of Concern

will be given during the Public Input Session. Thedegree of recovery in the Blackbird - Jackfish ecosys-tem, and potential actions to aid recovery are expectedto be central discussion points. The public from allNorth Shore towns is encouraged to attend, learn andprovide ideas and input. There is no charge.

The purpose of the Binational Forum is to provideinput, analysis and assistance to basin governments forcritical issues relating to Lake Superior such as dis-charge of toxic substances, sustainable economicdevelopment, pollution prevention, habitat and restora-tion efforts. More information about the Binational

Forum is available at www.superiorforum.org.

Binational Forum Sessionin Terrace Bay

Do you want to know if your favorite stream is pol-luted? Become a Stream Monitor and learn about tinybut important stream organisms that can tell us aboutthe quality of water in their habitat.

Benthic macroinvertebratescreatures that live instreams, rivers, and pondsinclude aquatic insects,mites, worms, snails, and crayfish. They can be foundunderwater during certain stages of their life cycle.Learn how to catch these creatures with a special net,then identify and preserve them. Some benthicmacroinvertebrates are more sensitive to pollution

than others, so you can assess water quality by typesof critters you find.

To register for a FREE Study Our Streams TrainingSession in June, contact Lucie Lavoie at 624-2143.

spring 2009 eco newsletter, ecosuperior

Documents