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Adventure Traveler Garry Sowerby in his own words:
Friday, October 15, 2004
Vancouver, British Columbia
Environmental Initiative #79
TELUS,
Vancouver, British Columbia
Mission Green rolled into Vancouver to meet
the top 'Green Machine'
of 2003. TELUS, the largest telecommunications company in Western
Canada and the second largest in the country, is ultimately a community-based
company that has never wavered from its vision of becoming Canada's
premier corporate citizen. The Corporate Knights of Canada have
recognized this determination in awarding TELUS with the highest
honour, Top Environmentally-Responsible Corporation in Canada.
One of the key values of the company, spirited teamwork, was evident
right from the start of our tour of the corporate headquarters
on Robson Street in downtown Vancouver.
Kasey Reese, Vice President Risk Management and Chief Internal
Auditor, Doug Green, Special Projects Manager, Eric Mewhinney,
Environmental Consultant, and John Ross, Project Manager and a
fellow alumni of mine from Mount Allison University in New Brunswick,
were eager to show us around their green complex and talk to us
about the company's commitment to balancing healthy business growth
with environmental stewardship.
The complex we were touring is in Phase 3 of
its renovation, to be completed at the end of 2005. Phase One
began in 1995 when it was decided to take the 'green route' and
renovate a 132,000-square foot space that consisted of three
buildings built over a period starting in 1917 and 1947. The
company wanted the complex to be both earth- and people-friendly.
It was important that as much of the old buildings as possible
be reused. In doing so, 9,000 tonnes of solid waste was diverted
from landfill.
"We have the courage to innovate" is another one of the core values
that TELUS has made tangible in the glass skin that surrounds the
building. The only one in Canada, this 'skin' is made from highly
efficient glass that acts as a solar furnace and allows ventilation.
There is a one-metre space between the 'curtain wall' as it's known
and the original walls of the building.
The complex was so distinctive in its re-design that it represented
Canada at an international conference on green buildings.
It by no means looks 'recycled' or 'reused'.
There are some beautiful, unique features that add to the aesthetic
value of the complex such as the safety rails stretching across
the wide windows, that are made of copper, polished to a bright,
rich hue, salvaged from a demolished power plant.
The future is friendly indeed at TELUS where the substantial Seismic
Upgrade Renovation Project is on-going and will enhance the seismic
performance of the complex, making the buildings virtually earthquake-proof,
50% stronger than ordinary buildings.
I was impressed not only with what TELUS is doing as a corporation
for the environment but also with the way our hosts presented their
philosophy. At no time did we feel rushed or that TELUS had built
their headquarters in order to merely win awards. There was no
smoke and mirrors here. There was a genuine exchange of interest
and information. They were just as eager to hear about our environmental
mission as we were to hear about theirs. It brought home the point
that, on the green front, TELUS cares deeply about the communities
in which they work, play and serve. They talked to us about their
whole corporate philosophy, how it was integrated into everything
they do as cogs in a bigger wheel. The employees all have a hand
in the environmental stewardship that TELUS practices.
And as Mission Green is pulling away, my cellphone
rings and I look at the thing and think: "Geez, why aren't I
on TELUS!"
http://www.telus.com
You are now leaving the mission green website to an external
website.
Environmental Initiative #80
City Farmer,
Vancouver, British Columbia
Mike Levenston, Executive Director of City Farmer, Spring Gillard,
Compost Hotline Operator (with a name like Spring what other industry
would she be involved in?), and Sharon Slack, Head Gardener gave
us a West Coast Welcome as Spring opened the gate to let us in
to the eclectic Demonstration Garden.
His mission, Mike states, is to grow food in the city and to educate
urbanites on the joys of gardening and the therapeutic benefits
of horticulture.
City Farmer is a non-profit society, founded in 1978 to promote
urban agriculture. In 1982, the society opened a research garden
at 2150 Maple to demonstrate organic food production and responsible
agriculture in a city.
The lovely cob garden shed on site is an ancient form of building
that uses clay, sand and straw. The sustainable method of construction
is centuries old and incorporates a native-plant rooftop garden
that provides insulation and absorbs rain water. Chains that hang
from the edges of the building are alternative downspouts that
allow rain to go back to the soil.
City Farmer offers a variety of courses at
their Compost Demonstration Garden, including 'wormshops' for schools and people who would
like to compost but don't have a yard. These 'wormshops' detail
the beauties of worm composting - the Cadillac of composting, says
Spring. Other courses offer information on organic food gardening,
backyard composting, workshops on biological pest control and natural
lawn care or 'waterwise gardening'.
And in another environmental salute to the internet, the exhaustive,
educational and entertaining website receives 15,000 hits per day!
The site is one of the world's leading urban agriculture resources.
There was really too much to see in our short
visit so when our hosts asked us what particular thing we would
like to learn about, we didn't hesitate. The worms! We wanted
to hear about the worms. Spring showed us the compost boxes,
perfect for apartment dwellers, for $25 you get the box and the
worms - great deal! The worms create
a rich fertile soil, or 'worm poop' as it's known by the visiting
schoolchildren.
"Oh! Look at the cement bugs." I see them scurrying
around the compost box, helping the worms do their thing.
Spring replied, "Those aren't cement bugs.
They're called pill bugs or potato bugs!"
We'll have to ask Bill to settle this score. Bill
informs us that they are neither potato, pill or cement bugs.
"Well, what are they," Spring and I both want
to know.
"They're carpenters!"
http://www.cityfarmer.org
You are now leaving the mission green website to an external
website.
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