Ecologycologyl Acction CCentntre 404 YEARSE OF ACTION i sBETWEEN s u THE e s vol. 29:2 summer 2011

an ecology action centre publication www.ecologyaction.ca

P M 4 0 0 5 0 2 0 4 BETWEEN THE

ian ecology s action s centre u publication e s VOL. 29 NO.2 table of contents

4 Voices for the Future: The Environmental Imperative by Ralph Surette 6 A Brook and a Boy: On Becoming an Environmentalist by Harry Thurston 8 La Vie en Vert 11 Where Are They Now? by Emma Boardman 16 Action HQ by Jonathan Rotsztain with Erin Burbidge 18 Environmental Villainy Over The Years by Scott Fotheringham 20 Oh! The Places the EAC Is Going! by Susanna Fuller CONTRIBUTORS: Emma Boardman, Erin Burbidge, 21 A Logo with Roots by Susan Mayo Maggy Burns, Scott Fotheringham, Susanna Fuller, June Hall, Nanci Lee, Thom Oommen, Tim Roberts, 22 Now That’s Commitment by June Hall, Thom Oommen and Tim Roberts Katrina Ross, Jonathan Rotsztain, Mike Ruxton, Ralph Surette, Harry Thurston 26 EcoBriefs by Mike Ruxton 29 Seasonal Gourmet by Katrina Ross CONTENT EDITORS: Emma Boardman, Erin Burbidge, Maggy Burns, Scott Fotheringham, 30 Letters to the Centre Aaron Harpell, Tim Roberts, Jonathan Rotsztain, Mike Ruxton 31 Staff Contacts COPY EDITORS: Maggy Burns, Tim Roberts, Mike Ruxton ADVERTISING: Leah Crowell ILLUSTRATIONS: Rob Hansen, Aaron Harpell, action in verse Janet Wilson PHOTOGRAPHERS: EAC staff & volunteers, Bluffy Emma Boardman, Lorin Brehaut, Maggy Burns, Adam Fine, Kathy Gurholt, Amy Hawke, Bob Kerr, By Nanci Lee Grant MacDonald, Brad MacInnis, Ray Plourde, Dave Roback, Jonathan Rotsztain Languid, lichen-draped DESIGN AND PRODUCTION: beguiling old man. Aaron Harpell, Hammerhead Design DISTRIBUTION: EAC staff, members and volunteers Stand us down in your COVER: Ashley Delaney broody black spruce dens. There are small creatures To advertise in BTI, please contact [email protected]. clamouring at your ankles. We support businesses working towards social and environmental justice. Still some fern-flirting left in you Printed at Halcraft Printers on Chorus Art Paper, 50 percent recycled fibre, expose those granite barrens. 25 percent post-consumer with vegetable based inks.

Between the Issues is published three times a year by the Ecology Action Composed on Day #4 of EAC’s 40 Days of Action Centre, a charitable organization (PM Registration # 40050204). The Ecology Action Centre’s vision is of a society in NS which respects and during the “Poetry in the Bluff” hike. protects nature and provides environmentally and economically sustainable solutions for its citizens. The EAC is a founding member of the Canadian and Nova Scotia Environmental Networks. Views expressed in BTI are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent EAC or its supporters.

Ecology Action Centre, 2705 Fern Lane, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 4L3 p. (902) 429-2202 f. (902) 405-3716 www.ecologyaction.ca Become a fan on Facebook ~ Subscribe to our Twitter feed: EcologyAction pagethree letter from the centre and playing a major role in the successful opposition to the proposed Stoddard Island nuclear plant, the EAC came close A Wonderful 40 Year Journey! to folding on several occasions in those first years. Fortunately, the dedication of those early staff and volunteers saw the EAC through the rough patches. This edition ofBetween the Issues marks a milestone – the EAC is 40 years young this summer. And while we’re at it, we’d like One of the most interesting things we’ve learned in assem- to point out that this is also BTI’s 30th year! bling this edition is how constant the core values and ideals of the early EAC have remained. EAC staffer Emma Boardman tracked down and spoke with EAC personalities from the last four decades. While their individual stories give a sense of the huge changes both to our environment and the way we view it over the last 40 years, they all speak of the commitment to action and outreach that has been at the core of the EAC from the start.

It’s also been valuable to reflect on the origins and growth of the EAC’s issues committees. These committees are the heart of what EAC does, and whether they’ve been around for a long time or are relative newcomers, their history is fascinating and takes us to the heart of the action.

We’ve also taken a bit of a tour of Halifax over the decades by tracing the EAC’s many homes over the years. And mining old issues of BTI and its predecessors Fine Print and Jusun has provided a picture of some of the best and worst of the last 40 years. In the ‘best’ category, Susanna Fuller paints a picture of how the EAC’s work has expanded from a Nova Scotia-centric focus to encompass a broader range of issues that defy politi- Putting together this special anniversary edition of BTI cal borders. And Scott Fotheringham pulls up his sleeves and allowed us the rare opportunity to look back. Like the EAC throws on some hip-waders to descend into the muck to review itself, BTI is usually firmly grounded in the here-and-now. the EAC’s Tarred Duck environmental villains over the years. We provide our readers with information on current events impacting our environment and ideas for how they can take We are especially privileged to bring you essays by two of Nova action to promote change. As the title of a regular feature Scotia’s best-known writers, Ralph Surette and Harry Thur- explains, ‘action is our middle name’. It was nice to take a break ston, who provide poignant and powerful reflections on our from the action to reflect on where we’ve been. changing relationship with our environment. For those of us who are relative newcomers to the EAC, it was It’s been a wonderful journey for the editorial team. We’d like a great chance to learn how it all started. The Centre has come to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to our members a long way from the small group of dedicated volunteers eking and volunteers, without whom there would be no EAC. You by on government grants and working out of donated digs on have made the last 40 years possible. We can’t wait to see what the Dalhousie campus in 1971. Those early years were fraught your dedication will inspire in the next 40! with uncertainty. Despite its many early successes, such as establishing the first paper recycling depot in Nova Scotia ~ BTI Editors Voices for the Future: The Environmental Imperative By Ralph Surette

and polluting industries, right wing think tanks and various propagandists aided by a shallow media got to work more or less successfully telling people what they wanted to hear: that nothing is happening and that any attempt to deal with this non-problem would affect economic growth and dampen our cherished excesses. Now, 95 per cent of the world’s scientists notwithstanding, to even utter the words “climate change” or “global warming” in public is considered a sort of provocation that brings down a hail of vituperation from the usual well-funded sources, re- gardless of the Arctic ice melting, seas rising and acidifying, climate mayhem worsening, the food supply in danger be- cause of it, and so forth. On the local scale, I’ve semi-retired to my birthplace in Yarmouth County to find fish, birds, bees and frogs at about 10 per cent of what they were when I left circa 1960, with the forest trashed, invasive species infesting the waterways, and winter ice reduced to perhaps half or less or what it was. Or, to keep it up close, in 1971 the Ecology Action Centre was created, part of the broader movement of youthful contesta- tion of many things at the time. As with similar initiatives in other provinces, the broader society saw this as pot-smoking hippies agitating, if it noticed at all. Today, the EAC is the authoritative voice on environmen- tal matters in Nova Scotia. To call this a good and remarkable

Photo: Ray Plourde thing, however, would be inadequate. It is, rather, a matter of dire necessity. The EAC’s voice is destined to become louder, I started in journalism in 1966 with a brief summer job and its role to become greater, as the illusion that nothing is at the Halifax Chronicle-Herald. My most memorable assign- happening crumbles sooner or later and as Nova Scotia gov- ment was writing a feature about coal smoke spewing out ernments, whatever their stripe, struggle uncertainly with the of the Nova Scotia Power Corp.’s Water St. plant that was forces at hand. an increasing nuisance in the city. It was my introduction And the government is indeed struggling, mainly with the to the concept of pollution—and it stuck with me like no tradeoff between traditional jobs and environment, and the other subject over the ensuing 45 years. I’m not sure when difficulty of making the jump to truly sustainable energy with the broader ideas of “environment” and “ecology” kicked in the change in lifestyle that implies. For the environmental but they came quickly, mainly in the form of the abuse of movement, there are two large considerations as it plots its chemicals and a more general sense that the environment and future course. One is that, in North America, provinces and the living ecology it surrounds were being degraded by our states (and sometimes municipalities) are carrying the ball industrial ways, with the OPEC oil crisis of 1973 providing a entirely. The national governments in both Canada and the powerful reminder of our increasing over-dependence on the U.S. are either part of the denial (Canada) or incapable of oil supply. movement (the U.S.). Secondly, it is useful to remember that It kept worsening, but until a decade or so ago I main- provincial governments are not the only actors even in their tained the faith that reason would prevail and that all this own jurisdictions. The bigger actor is the public, and the at- would be straightened out, as scientists confirmed the grav- titudes it brings to the subject. ity of the crisis with its sinister global warming component, In Nova Scotia, the public has responded very well to the as governments gathered to address the issues and as public recycling program, but otherwise - notably with regard to the awareness of the impossible path we were on seemed to grow. crucial business of energy conservation and local alternatives - After all, the Water St. plant was shut down and the larger we remain much like elsewhere, taking small and inadequate problems seemed manageable as well. steps. The reality is that only the rising price of conventional Then something happened. The more insistent the gather- energy is going to force the issue. The environmental move- ing crisis became, the more resistance there was to admitting ment generally has been unable to do this with mere logical that it existed at all. It was all a conspiracy, a “socialist plot” argument. Its main challenge with regard to the public will as the present prime minister of Canada then described it, be to show the ways in which the transition can be made pagefive as the pain rises. Its challenge with regard to the provincial government - by my estimate, neither a leader nor a laggard - will be to press for the policies that will bring about progress this sort of progress. Meanwhile, at the federal level, there is little hope on the short term - the Harper government is an in-house operative for the resources industry, notably the tar sands, with a yen to weaken environmental controls. The best that can be hoped for there is that reality will burst through the ideological wall at some point. On the larger scale, the problems that seemed easily sol- uble in 1971 are arguably now out of control. One EAC ex- ample is coastal protection. In 1971 the issue was protecting coastal lands to protect the ecology and preserve public lands. Now the issue is getting people out of harm’s way as seas rise, possibly catastrophically, and as storms get worse. The point is that practical solutions based on civilized public processes are getting more and more difficult. The way for- ward will be mostly as a result of repeated crises. There will come a time, and it’s not too far away, when the environmen- tal movement will in fact finally be believed. Ralph Surette is a lifelong freelance journalist who has worked for most major Canadian print and electronic media, in both English and French, as well as many international ones, and was most recently known for his column in the Halifax Chronicle- Herald and commentaries on CBC and Radio Canada.

40 years of environmental change

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Maximize Call or Your email us for more Impact Give details any amount A Brook and a Boy: On Becoming an Environmentalist By Harry Thurston

had sailed through the Panama Canal to continue their rapine on the East Coast. It would be two generations before those stocks began to show recovery, which should have served as a warning. But two decades later, another subsidized fleet visited the same destruction on the northern cod stocks. We have no idea how long it will take before those stocks recover, or if they ever fully will, because of fundamental changes in the ecology of the Northwest Atlantic brought about by overfishing. Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring and mother of the environmental movement, once wrote that there is no point in writing about the ocean if you leave out the poetry. While still a biology student, poetry became my avocation and then my vocation. Poetry, I discovered, was the best way of connecting to the wonder I had felt as a child in the presence of nature - to that boy lost for hours along the brook. Eventually, I combined my love of writing and the natural world as an environmental

Photo: Ray Plourde journalist and natural historian. In the late 1970s, I found myself living in the community I became an “environmentalist” a half century ago, at the of River Hebert, near one terminus of a proposed tidal power age of ten, before the word had been coined. I grew up on dam that was to be constructed across the Cumberland Basin. Brook Farm in Yarmouth County and much of my childhood I spent the next decade, first as a citizen activist and later as an was spent along its namesake stream, where I fished for smelts investigative journalist, studying the impact of such a develop- and trout or simply wiled away happy hours watching water ment on the rich marine life of the Bay of Fundy. It culminated striders, song birds, and frogs. But in the summer of 1960, in the publication of Tidal Life, A Natural History of the Bay of the brook was transformed from a pure, spring-fed font into a Fundy. Although this book helped to draw public attention to foul-smelling sewer. The reason, I learned later, was the length- the richness of this ecosystem in our backyard, three decades ening of the runway to accommodate jet planes at Yarmouth later we are again facing a choice between development of this airport, which bordered the back of my father’s property. The renewable source of energy and its destructive potential. Al- runway encroached upon the wetland source of the brook and though the technology has changed, unfortunately the mind- the run-off - a toxic mixture of sediments and hydrocarbons - set of maximizing Fundy’s power has not and the present-day poisoned its formerly pure waters. Fifty years have passed but scheme to immerse up to 200 in-stream turbines in the Minas the fish have not returned and I have never forgotten the hard Channel may prove as destructive of marine life as a dam. lesson learned so early: progress sometimes comes at a cost to The recurrent dream of Fundy tidal power was a century old the natural world and our own human happiness. in 2010 and has gone through a number of revivals. It rose to This event sensitized me to the rise of environmentalism as the forefront of energy options during the OPEC oil crisis of a social movement when I entered Acadia University to study the 1970s and now is high on the agenda because of the need biology in the late 1960s. But at the end of my sophomore to address the climate change crisis, which again can be traced year, one more eye-opening calamity sealed my lifelong com- to oil consumption. It is an issue that continues to present us mitment to protecting the environment. I had a summer place- with a moral dilemma: alter our ecosystem or alter our lifestyle. ment as a research technician at the Department of Fisheries Many would argue that we have no choice but to manage lab in Yarmouth. My job was to test the effluent - a green, the natural world, our influence is so pervasive. In fact, we have putrid slurry - from herring meal plants to see if some usable become a geological force and our impact on the Earth and protein could be recovered as a by-product. The absurdity of the welfare of other species is already large enough that it will what I was doing became clear later that summer when all ten register in the geological and paleontological record millions plants shut down for lack of herring. While I was trying to of years from now. We are living in a new era dubbed the An- recover a minuscule portion of these fish being ground into thropocene for the measurable human impact on ecosystems, cattle feed, the entire stock itself had been fished to commercial biodiversity, and extinction rates. extinction, under the eye and with the blessing of the federal As individuals we must also ask ourselves, what will we leave authorities charged with its management and protection. behind to mark our passage? I have spent the last six years work- In fact, the fleet that had plundered the Georges Bank her- ing with a group of concerned citizens known as Cumberland ring stock had already pillaged the West Coast herring and then Wilderness. Our goal has been to see a protected area estab- pageseven

lished in the Chignecto Game Sanctuary and adjacent crown lands, including the Fundy coastline. That goal came closer to reality with the recent release of proposed boundaries for two new wilderness areas in Cumberland County. The Kelley River Wilderness Area will protect 20,000 hectares of some of the best Acadian forest still standing in the province and the Raven Head Wilderness Area will add another nearly 5,000 hectares along 36 kilometres of Fundy coastline, including a significant salt marsh at Sand River.

I have been exploring these wild and beautiful areas for more than three decades. During this time, they have culti- vated a wonder and respect for the natural world that I first learned as a child on Brook Farm. It is comforting to think that they will not be exploited in future in the name of progress. Harry Thurston is the author of more than twenty books of po- etry and non-fiction. His most recent book is Animals Of My Own Kind, New and Selected Poetry (Vehicule Press, Montreal). In the fall 2011, Greystone Books and the David Suzuki Foundation will publish The Atlantic Coast, A Natural History. La Vie en Vert Welcome to our “green society page” where we provide you with an inspiring (and pleasantly green-tinged) view of recent happenings in the EAC community.

In case you missed it, by far the most exciting thing happening in the EAC community lately was our “40 Days of Action” celebration. For our 40th birthday we wanted to do something that reflected and furthered EAC’s spirit of activism and engagement. We landed on the idea of “40 Days of Action” – yes 40 consecutive days of events! We figured it was sufficiently dramatic to mark our 40th plus a great way make change, engage a wide range of supporters, and have heaps of fun. During the 40 days we collected trash, we dressed up, we protested (more than once), we built raised beds, we launched a new alliance, we ate together often, we got outside, we baked for our friends, we debated, we created a video, we thanked our bus drivers, we seed bombed, and so much more. And we prevailed… it was no easy task but, as you can see here, the results were well worth it!

Phil Pacey leading a group on a Ghost Building Walk to discuss the history of development in downtown Halifax.

Celebrating our history and our future at the Cogswell Interchange Picnic which kicked off the 40 Days of Action on Earth Day. In the 1970s the EAC was part of the successful fight to stop the Barrington Street Expressway through downtown. Now we’ve just launched an alliance called “Our HRM” to fight for increased density, less sprawl and a greenbelt. Photo: Bob Kerr Photo: Amy Hawke Photo: Adam Fine Photo: Grant MacDonald

Our friends at the Sackville Rivers Association with EAC Our Green Avengers about to take on the Bluenose Marathon. Our superhero Board Co-Chair, Karen Hollett. Our province-wide costumes were a big hit and the team raised $4,749!! Birthday Cake Delivery project meant 20 environmental organizations received cakes as a ‘thank you’ for their amazing work! page nine

Sustainable Forestry Interns Heather Fleming and Leonie Mercier enjoying the Otter Ponds Woods Walk. Photo: Amy Hawke

Our “Voices for the Coast” video, which EAC’s highly qualified foodie, Marla MacLeod, enjoying premiered to MLAs and the general public on Mussel Fest where we served a sustainable seafood feast of May 25th, highlights the urgent need for a NS Indian Point Mussels cooked in local wine and Dragon`s Coastal Act. Breath cheese. Photo: Brad MacInnis Our Canaries in a Coal Mine event, held outside the Nova Scotia Power Annual General Meeting, was classic EAC: eye-catching street theatre with a powerful message! Photo: Kathy Gurholt

Zombies Emma Boardman and Amy Hawke celebrating Friday the 13th in unprecedented style at our Eco-Zombie Walk.

HRM Councillor Jennifer Watts celebrating ‘Thank a Bus Driver Day’. Photo: Amy Hawke Photo: Amy Hawke

Just one of the parts of the extraordinary interactive art installation now on our Fern Lane building. At the 40 Days of Action finale over 100 people of all ages joined us for a BBQ and street party and the launch of the installation. Haven’t seen it yet? Come by for a visit!

Morgan Mercer and Breanna Westway joined about 25 ‘Wild Things’ who came together at the Halifax Seaport Market and performed a spirited rendition of The Troggs’ “Wild Thing” - flash mob style. Photo: Amy Hawke pageeleven Where Are They Now? Interviews by Emma Boardman

Many people have been involved What was EAC’s focus in the early days? something they, even as children, could in making 40 years of action happen. do about the situation. When planning BTI’s 40th Anniver- The idea that “we can do something” sary issue, we wondered “Where are is intrinsic to the ecology movement. these people now? Wouldn’t it be nice The issues can seem overwhelming but to get in touch with some of them and in fact we can all do something. And find out?” very cooperative by its nature - we can When I initially contacted the people do things individually but ultimately we interviewed below, most began by have to work together to resolve these naming several others they deemed problems. We are all responsible for the much more interesting subjects, before state of the environment, not just our- finally agreeing to speak of their experi- selves and our families. ences. While time and space constraints prevented us from talking to everyone It seems that much has stayed the who has made a difference at EAC, we same at the EAC since the 70s.... caught up with five wonderful, inspir- ing and dedicated people who have I still very much see values from the been involved with EAC during its 40 70s in the EAC of today. The values year history. and principles and driving imperatives Photo: Dave Roback from the early days of the EAC continue The 1970s: Kathleen Flanagan to sustain the actions and philosophy Recycling was the first issue that we and perspective of the EAC now. For On my way to meet Kathleen Flana- took on. Particularly recycling paper, example, when the Ecology Action Cen- gan at her Halifax office, I expected to but also glass and tin, and compost- tre renovated the Fern Lane house and hear how much has changed since she ing was quickly seen as something that transformed it into a green house, they and her friends developed the Ecology could be done on an individual level. did it as a demonstration project as well Action Centre in the 1970s. After all, I There was also a lot of activity related as an educational tool. One of the EAC’s was toting a mini-computer to the inter- to deciding what kind of city the people first projects was demonstrating that re- view, and we had just confirmed plans of Halifax wanted to live in, and creat- cycling paper was feasible and practical. to meet over email. I was pleasantly ing the conditions under which that city The project was intended to demon- surprised - and uplifted - to learn how could thrive - affordable housing, green strate that recycling is financially viable. much has stayed the same at the EAC space, public transit. That mixture of action and education - since the beginning. The technology We emphasized action and education that both are important – has continued. may have changed, the membership and - both were core. We continued to learn EAC has greater credibility now, staff may be larger, and we may be more and never thought we knew everything. a real sense of authority that has been respected and known by the public at We talked to the people who were clos- acquired through 40 years of activity. large now, but the passion, values and est to the situation - experiencing the There’s a huge gap between what was dedication of the EAC and its people problems. We looked to scientific ex- known then and what is known now. seem to be largely the same. perts to tell us what we needed to know There’s a much better acceptance of the but, at the same time, we maintained a importance of environmental issues. How did you get involved with healthy skepticism about “experts”. We Just understanding is really critical - it’s the Ecology Action Centre? tried to find the right balance of experts the first step. An informed citizenry and and ordinary citizens. informed consumers are important for It was founded by a close friend, Another principle that we felt was im- two reasons. We bring about change Brian Gifford. And many other friends portant was making sure young people by the choices we make as individuals - were also involved in the Centre in the were involved – because we quickly real- biking, taking the bus, recycling, mak- early days, including my husband, Da- ized that if things were going to change, ing informed choices. But we also need vid Roback. Several of us shared a house the next generation would have to take to demand policies and regulations that at that time, so we talked about the is- up the cause. That is where the future will support sustainable development sues on a regular basis. I became an EAC lies. So we made a practice of going into and environmental awareness. Individu- employee in 1973. It was a constantly the schools to provide children with al choices and collective regulations - the evolving situation. We went from grant the information, trying to make it un- two go hand in hand. to grant so sometimes we were paid and derstandable and show them that these sometimes we were not. problems are not unsolvable - there is It must feel good that something you against development – we just believe ultimately successful. There was a lot of helped to create 40 years ago is still that development should be done in a support in the development of the tech- going strong! sustainable way that benefits everyone. nology. The smelting industry installed scrubbers in their machines which re- I can’t tell you how wonderful that is. The 1980s: Cristina Pekarik duced emissions. It was an international But there were many hands that touched effort - environmental issues don’t re- the environmental portfolio, many Cristina Pekarik was involved in the spect national boundaries. Believe it or people involved in pushing it forward. EAC from the mid-eighties until 1990. not, the government of Brian Mulroney Shared responsibility, shared vision and She started out as a volunteer, then - Lucien Bouchard was the minister of shared values create that continuity. worked as Communications Director, the environment at the time - was inter- Many of the things that EAC is doing and later became a co-director with Lois ested in helping ENGOs, industry and now echo what was discussed and un- Corbett. government work together. They were dertaken 40 years ago. interested in working on solutions. A lot of that had to do with building How did you get involved with EAC? One of the less positive memories in a reflective process at the beginning - I have of EAC was working on fisher- not just doing things by the seat of our ies issues. Scientists were consolidating pants (though we did a lot of that too), research onthe Atlantic fishery and its but also reflecting on the long-term crash. I formed a fisheries committee but goals at the same time. we didn’t manage to build the important relationships and networks necessary for What have you been working on lately? momentum. We weren’t able to have a conversation between the scientists and Right now I am project manager for community activists and industry. It was a national research project about learn- a very different experience from the Acid ing in the workplace. Workplace learn- Rain campaign where government was Photo: EAC Archives ing is a way to ensure equity, to ensure informed and active. that noone is left behind when there I know Elizabeth May way back from We also did recycling. That was in the are technological changes in the work- the early days when she took the legal day everything was going to the landfill. place, to ensure that adults have oppor- case against pesticide spraying in the The thinking has changed so much in tunities to learn new skills. Learning Cape Breton Highlands. I heard her twenty years. I learned a valuable lesson does not end with childhood. Adults speak one evening and signed up to vol- while working on that campaign - issues need to have ongoing opportunities to unteer for EAC. tend to be complex. We had adopted a learn what they need and want to learn At the time I was working as a free- reusable is better, then recyclable, but we in order to be productive workers, but lance journalist so I volunteered to do have learned to question that hierarchy also to be effective citizens, parents, communications and got more and because we found out that detergents and consumers. Every aspect of our more involved. Then Susan Holtz and with phosphates being used meant that lives involves learning. Leslie Griffiths became my mentors. I from a life-cycle perspective, there was a I’m also still a practicing artist and was lucky to have such strong intelligent higher environmental footprint from re- photographer. leaders to learn from. useable cups than disposable Styrofoam. I first became involved in environ- So we couldn’t just break it down to “re- Are you still in touch with the other mental issues in Honduras, where I grew usable is good, disposable is bad.” people who were involved in the EAC up. At the time, deforestation of the I was also very involved in the Hali- in the seventies? rainforest was becoming very apparent fax Harbour issue. I felt that as an en- there. Transformation of the land was vironmental organization, we had a My husband and I are still close becoming evident. Honduras has the responsibility on social justice issues. friends of course! And we have kept in first man-made desert in the Americas. One of the areas being proposed for a touch with many of the people from sewage treatment plant was the old site the early days of the EAC. Our friend- What campaigns did you work on at of Africville. Where do environmental ships were built on shared values – par- EAC? and social issues meet? Science should ticularly a sense of responsibility for the be the foundation for issues but we also problems faced by the world. We have One of the most successful cam- need to look at social and community a shared set of values and a shared vi- paigns I worked on was Acid Rain. It issues. We need to engage people who sion of what the world could look like was something government, industry will be affected by the issues. The social based on principles of sustainability and and NGOs all worked on. I was pleased implications are very, very important – well-managed development. We are not to be a part of that campaign, which was I see that now living in the North, too - pagethirteen

when you have a historically disenfran- you have to do is say “hey this is a really before and it sounded like a lot of fun. chised community you need to do the important piece of land” to get the pro- The thought of being in plays about work with the community, bring them cess started. There’s a difference in who wildlife or habitat protection was a real in and make the case for it, including has the power. inspiration for me. compensation for it. Nancy: I think the dinosaur presenta- There wasn’t always enough support The 1990s: Nancy Shackell & tion was the best production. It was for the social side of the issues at EAC. Veronica Sherwood about how the dinosaurs caused their I hope some of that has changed now. own climate change through driving re- [I tell her about the EAC’s current work Nancy Shackell is a marine biologist ally big cars and rejecting bikes because with Lincolnville, and the Marine Issues who joined the EAC Board in the early bike helmets wouldn’t fit over their Committee’s work with fishing commu- 1990s and later helped to obtain fund- horns. In effect, dinosaurs were re- nities, and mention that EAC now has ing for the Marine Issues Committee’s sponsible for their own extinction. Rob over 30 paid staff.] first staff member. Veronica Sherwood Hansen [Veronica’s husband] delivered Wow - it has changed! We went from became involved in the EAC when she that as a Powerpoint presentation, as an hand to mouth - eight people was the responded to an advertisement for can- introduction to a talk by David Suzuki largest number of staff (during acid rain vassers in the early 1990s, and was later in 2003. He played a great straight- campaign). We’d go on EI - well, it was asked to join the Board faced scientist- Dr. D. Kline. UI then - for some of the time while we Since Nancy and Veronica origi- were writing the grants. We had no core nally came together through the EAC’s What other plays did you work on? funding. We used to have AGM meet- theatre group, Hemlock Circus, which ings with just the Board. was started in 1998 with the shared in- Nancy: The first two were “Revolving When I was involved, environmen- terest of finding fun ways of providing Doors” which was about forestry and tal groups were not widely respected. environmental education to the public, “MORE” which was on who/what I enjoyed working at EAC because for it’s not surprising when Veronica says, defines over-consumption. I played a most issues that we faced, we didn’t smiling, “We don’t want to do a serious person mindlessly watching TV - why take the approach that we need to “take interview. Hemlock Circus was never not? I worked hard all day. People told a hammer” to every issue - not every- serious. Well, except when we were me after, “You are so good at looking thing needs to end up in court or be arguing.” stunned.” But that was my natural ex- regulated. We thought through what pression, and I was too embarrassed to would be most effective and searched Why did you start Hemlock Circus? tell them. for solutions. For example, for acid Veronica: Irondale Theatre Ensemble rain it was a technological solution, for helped us develop some plays, and it other issues like Halifax Harbour it was worked well. Mind you, we’re all really about changing mindsets. opinionated, so there were frustrating times but we had a really good time. What are you working on now? Martin Willison was fearless and would try anything - we could always count on I’m a Senior Policy Advocate for Martin to go over the edge. He still does, the Yukon government, in the Energy, wasn’t he a Tuft Cove’s smokestack a few Mines and Resources department. One weeks ago? of my recent projects was to develop an Photo: Emma Boardman Enclosure and Reclamation Policy. Nancy: The idea came up because Mark How did people react to Hemlock Butler and I were invited to schools to Circus? What are some of the differences give presentations on marine issues, between Nova Scotia and the Yukon and the kids kept falling asleep. Once, Veronica: People loooved it....I think. in terms of environmental work? we were speaking at a junior high and Environmental stories can be depress- the kids were cleaning their nails, so I ing, but the plays made us all laugh. Some of the solutions are quite dif- started to do these scenes from another There were some great characters that ferent. In Nova Scotia a third of the theatre group (Fishnet Peoples Players) came out of Hemlock Circus. I still land is privately owned whereas in the and the kids woke up. We decided that’s don’t know why Martin didn’t win an Yukon the vast majority is crown land. what we were going to do. So we made award for his Blanding’s Turtle [in “Re- So the dynamics for decisions are quite plays and did workshops in schools. The volving Doors”]. I’m not sure he was different. It leads to different strategies. kids created their own theatre, on how even nominated….Nancy was also a In Nova Scotia you have to work with habitat means “home” to wildlife. most excellent Pigeon. more partners, which takes a lot more Veronica: I think Mark or Nancy asked Nancy: We also had the marine one work and due consideration. Here all me to join. I had done a bit of theatre where the minister was dragged down to the ocean floor to be put on trial by The 2000s: Heather McKibbon and just a couple of weeks ago I got it the animals. It turned into a radio play framed. called “Out of Sight”. Though she started out working with Veronica: Four of us did a presenta- the Transportation Issues Committee, Was Transportation your main area of tion for an elementary school. Differ- Heather McKibbon was best known as interest at EAC? ent characters talking about recycling. “The Membershipanator” of the mid- We stood on stage in the gymnasium 00s. As the Outreach Coordinator, she Transportation was a gateway to the and there were about 200 kids. We had helped push EAC’s membership to over bigger picture of the Nova Scotian envi- Captain Environment [played by Rob a thousand, where it still stands today, ronment as a whole and the EAC as an Hansen] and his friends: Mark was Ma- as well as regularly attracting new EAC organization. I am of course passionate rine Man and Emma was Tree-na, Wil- partners, funders and volunteers with about transportation issues too. derness Warrior. I had a treasure chest her warm, contagious energy, enthusi- and I’d pull out different things ask- asm and sense of fun. You were here when EAC moved to ing kids where each item went. There Fern Lane. There’s a lovely legacy of were things like empty cans and plastic How did you get involved with EAC? you in the office where I now work, bags. Near the end I pulled out a big because volunteers working on the clump of cooked spaghetti - what do house on your birthday that year we do with this. It was supposed to be decorated the area where your desk compost but instead of saying compost, was to be with the beach glass art. they all started chanting “EAT IT!! What was it like to be a part of that EAT IT!! EAT IT!!” We all just looked model green renovation? at each other. Nancy: What did you do? It was really exciting to see what the Veronica: I think Captain Environment EAC community was capable of doing ate some cold spaghetti. as they came together to invest in its fu-

Photo: EAC Archive ture, both financially through the Capi- What are you guys working on these tal Campaign and through the green days? I was working at the Paper Chase renovation itself, which was pushing Cafe across the street from the EAC’s the envelope on renovations at the time. Nancy: One of the really essential parts Argyle street office. I befriended Angela That woke people up I think. If a small of coming of age and developing your- Bischoff, who was the TRAX Coordina- ENGO can do this, it’s time for the in- self as an environmentalist is Veronica tor at the time. We talked about some dustry and private sector to catch up. Sherwood’s Kripalu Yoga class - this is of my environmental interests and she It was also inspiring to watch the a shameless plug for Veronica’s yoga biz. invited me to volunteer and write a pro- ways the EAC community collaborated posal to fund what became Steer Clean. on a consensus model to make the deci- What would you say to the EAC on Then I was hired on as the Assistant sions. I think that it’s a unique feature our 40th anniversary? Coordinator of the project after the pro- that EAC possesses to be able to work on posal was successfully granted. Maggy committee-based decision making. It Veronica: I think EAC should be proud Burns was the Coordinator. From there was really tried and tested through that of their amazing accomplishments over I worked on a couple of different trans- process as I remember it. After many the years. It’s the people. I like that EAC portation projects. Then, I heard that frustrating meetings, I think it was im- has always been open to people on the Communications and Outreach had an pressive what we came out with. edge of society... I have met some of my opening. I was intimidated, but was en- best friends through EAC. And some re- couraged to apply. There was a trial peri- You worked hard to boost EAC’s ally driven, interesting, individual folks. od to see if it could happen - and I think membership. Why is membership so that Mark Butler felt I was successful important? Nancy: They are dedicated, independent because I continued on in the position. thinkers and really add to progress in the Membership is a quintessential rep- Maritimes. I think so! As I remember, he was resentation of what the EAC stands pretty sad to see you leave. for - aside from environmental policy change and a change in attitude from I still have a piece of coral that Mark people of course. Membership gets to gave me. I’ve been carrying it around the core values of EAC, which is about with me and treating it like it’s gold, getting the community involved. In pagefifteen

times of need we’ve gone to member- I am helping to bring to market lo- into the country near Georgian Bay. ship to make difficult policy decisions, cal community power to the residents I’m excited about living near the water or when we have been in need of fund- of Ontario. Community power is a again! And I’m looking forward to work- ing. With the capital campaign we re- class of sustainable energy projects that ing on some pet projects and doing my ally reached out to our members and a are owned, developed and controlled own gardening. recent example of how strong the EAC by residents of the community, so the network is. But it’s always an area that community members become the share- What do you think the EAC will be can continue to grow. holders. It’s a way of demonstrating the doing 40 years from now? community’s commitment to sustain- What was with the bell? ability, a way for people to have a closer I expect EAC will still be around, caus- association with the power that feeds ing a ruckus, making itself heard, do- The bell was an antique bell that I the grid. It works in conjunction with ing the work it’s doing now, embracing found at an antique store around the the Feed-in Tariff program Ontario has what’s needed in order to respect the en- corner from Fern Lane. It was just a legislated...I understand Nova Scotia is vironment. beautiful bell I fell in love with. I kept considering a similar model? it in the office, and every time we would Itching to share your stories from EAC’s receive a membership I would ring it, Any acting gigs or dressing up as a past? We’d love to hear from you! Write: and most people would clap. It was an crab at intersections? [Heather had [email protected] incentive and a celebration. If it could several side jobs as an actor while she have been champagne, I would have was working at EAC, and she joined in Emma Boardman started at EAC as a done that but... the fine EAC tradition of dressing up for volunteer in 1999 and now she is the Cen- rallies] tre’s Web Manager. She often contributes What have you been up to lately? her formidable writing talents to BTI on Yep, I still do voice acting for short undercover assignments. I am currently working for the To- animated videos. In a couple of weeks ronto Renewable Energy Cooperative. I’m going to be moving out of Toronto Action HQ By Jonathan Rotsztain with Erin Burbidge

Home is where the heart is - and judg- for schools, piloted Halifax’s first experi- ing from the EAC’s various locales the mental recycling program and launched Centre has a huge heart that stretches all its original newsletter, Fine Print. The over Halifax. The EAC was founded 40 Centre built and organized around re- years ago and has grown from a group sponsible transportation and urban de- of committed students to Nova Scotia’s velopment, anti-pollution and nuclear leading environmental advocate and in- power, continued expansion of recycling novator. In this visual history, we revisit and educational programs and the be- EAC’s home bases, where the EAC has ginnings of food, forestry and energy

studied, strategized, engaged and posi- conservation advocacy. In 1975, Gifford Photo: Jonathan Rotsztain tively changed the way government, was succeeded as Coordinator by Susan The Chase Building née the Old business and citizens interact with our Mayo who in turn was replaced by of- Provincial Archives was the EAC’s final shared environment. And long may this fice manager Elizabeth Greenhavens in spot on Dal campus. last! 1980. Fine Print was renamed to the Mi’kmaq word for wind - Jusun - and Roy Building: Carleton House: the first Between the Issues appeared in Fall 1984-Spring 1989 Spring-Autumn 1971 1980. Membership had grown to over 600 by the end of this exciting period. After 14 years of rent-free support The EAC’s first home was the pri- from Dalhousie University, the EAC vate house of its founders on Carleton moved to a commercial office space in Place. The Centre, which emerged from the historic Roy Building (Suite 520) on a Dalhousie University course, was downtown Barrington Street. The more founded with two initial goals: to prove central location allowed for greater pub- recycling (half of all waste at the time) lic access and closer proximity to Nova would be viable for Halifax, and to be- Scotia’s corridors of power. The adjust- come a source of public information ment to paying rent was difficult, and on environmental matters. A $5,000 the established membership helped the government “Opportunities for Youth” Centre deal with a financial crisis that en- grant financed five summer employees, sued from its new responsibilities. With while founding Coordinator Brian Gif- Liz Archibald Calder as Coordinator, the ford and fellow enthusiast Tim Sullivan EAC pushed back against growing her- drove taxis to earn their income. Photo: Jonathan Rotsztain bicide and pesticide use, overfishing and increasing environmental destruction in A basement office in Dal’s Forrest the free-trade era. The Centre was also Building housed the EAC rent-free for firming up its links with other local, pro- 10 years as the Centre continued to vincial, national and international envi- expand and grow. ronmental NGO’s and related groups to Old Provincial Archives: build broad coalitions to work together Spring 1982-Spring 1984 for effective change. A huge (and ongo- ing) success of this period is the begin- ning of gardening and compost projects. The EAC next relocated to a third floor office in the old Provincial Ar- Photo: Jonathan Rotsztain chives, the current Chase Math Build- EAC’s founding Coordinator Brian ing on the Dalhousie campus - still Gifford at the Centre’s original home, rent-free. Liz Archibald took on the Co- 40 years later. ordinator role from Ginny Point while the Centre combatted uranium explora- Forrest Building: tion and continued its work in the en- Autumn 1971-Spring 1982 ergy, development, forestry, food and educational outreach fields. The EAC Photo: Jonathan Rotsztain The EAC quickly outgrew its pri- also briefly inhabited the School of So- The move to private office space in the vate digs, moving into a basement of- cial Work’s Hancock Hall, on the corner centrally located Roy Building set off a fice in Dalhousie’s University Avenue of Coburg Road and Oxford Street dur- financial crisis that membership helped Forrest Building rent-free. There, the ing the Summer of 1984. Hancock Hall EAC survive. EAC developed an environmental kit was demolished in the summer of 2002. pageseventeen

Veith House: Fern Lane: Summer 1989-Summer 1996 May 2006-Present

The EAC’s next move was to more After an extraordinary nine-month modest and cozy accommodation in effort to renovate the property, the EAC Veith House at Veith and Devonshire moved into its first “owned” space in Streets. Sharing the third floor with al- Halifax’s North End in May 2006. The lied organizations, Oxfam Canada and new home brought with it huge trans- Deveric Publishing, the Centre was led formations. Owning the building meant by co-directors Cris Pekarik and Lois Photo: EAC Archive many new opportunities to “walk the Corbett. The EAC launched a Marine The EAC’s former and short-lived office talk” and the Centre got involved in is- Issues Committee focusing on harbour space on Granville Street is now one of sues around green building and renova- clean-up and assisted the residents of Halifax’s many abandoned lots. tion. It also brought with it a new sense North Preston in fighting the location of community for staff and volunteers. of a landfill in their community. (EAC Argyle Street: Most of all, the renovation galvanized an continues to work on landfill location Fall 1996-Spring 2006 extraordinary level of engagement from and environmental racism in 2011). The volunteers who contributed over 4,000 EAC was able to ease up on recycling is- The EAC’s final downtown head- hours of work to this epic (and highly sues, as Halifax got serious about its gar- quarters was at the corner of Argyle and democratic) green renovation. bage impact. The Centre launched its Blowers Streets. During 2010, the EAC counted 61 chemical free Christmas tree fundraiser From Suite 31 at 1568 Argyle Street, people on staff (not all at the same time and audited the environmental impact the EAC overcame years of debt to mind you, or the current home would of the Halifax G7 Economic Summit. be financially debt-free. Paradoxically, not be big enough!); and numerous suc- In this period, the EAC had a succession membership was at a low with the Cen- cesses across all of the issue committees. of executive directors: fiery media mag- tre once again entering a building and The five years at Fern Lane have further net Howard Epstein, Karen Hollett, and development period. The EAC hosted defined the EAC as Nova Scotia’s largest Gwenda Wells. its first Garden Party fundraiser event, environmental organization, and hav- now an annual tradition. The EAC’s ing a permanent home has allowed the decade on Argyle Street was a time of Centre to work on internal policies and growth, both in membership and staff culture - a fitting endeavour for a middle numbers. Twenty-five people in 1,600 aged organization! square feet proved difficult, even for an organization as solution-oriented as the EAC. A search for a permanent home was launched. Photo: Jonathan Rotsztain

The EAC continued to grow and fight alongside other activist organizations from the Veith House on Veith Street. Granville Street: Summer 1996 Photo: EAC Archive

The EAC recovered in its upstairs of- The EAC continues to educate, organize fice on Granville Street (above the Red and fight from its current and permanent Herring Bookstore) from the loss of its owned home on the lovely Fern Lane in court case to stop a coal fired generating Halifax’s North End. plant being built in Point Aconi, Cape

Breton. Reduced to a part-time office Photo: EAC Archive Jonathan and Erin would like to con- manager and a number of active vol- gratulate the EAC on an amazing 40 years unteers, the EAC rebuilt by starting the Former staffer Angela Bischoff in front with a huge thanks to the tireless work of School Grounds Naturalization Project, of EAC’s ultimate downtown digs on the staff and volunteers who have fought to and situating its work in Agenda 21 de- Argyle entertainment strip in downtown preserve our natural environment. veloped at the 1992 Rio Summit. Halifax. Environmental Villainy Over The Years By Scott Fotheringham

of acres of wildlife habitat in one ‘fowl’ swoop”, for “their destructive whole-tree harvest carried out at Caribou Mines”, and the Abercrombie Point mill in Pic- tou County, which resulted in the dam- ming of Middle River and the polluting of Boat Harbour. Sharing the award in 2010 was the Nova Scotia Government “for continuing its policy of support- ing industrialized forestry, both through subsidies and inadequate regulations. In

Photo: EAC Archive particular, for allowing the burning of forest biomass (a.k.a. trees) to generate cheap electricity without harvesting lim- Since 1976, the EAC’s Tarred Duck Tarred Duck Awards have recognized its or proper regulations on harvesting Award has been annually awarded to “Climate Change Criminals” regularly practices.” Deforestation and climate the Nova Scotian “who has achieved since Premier John Buchanan won in change within the same policy? Way to the greatest degree of environmental 1990 for being “second to none in pro- go Nova Scotia! villainy.” Over the decades it is not sur- moting coal-fired electricity generation, In 2002, Gordon Balser, Nova Sco- prising thatEAC members occasionally and his project of the year, the new plant tia’s Minister of Natural Resources, won chose multiple winners since for every at Point Aconi.” The following year “for his single-minded courtship of the Tarred Duck winner there are numer- the Nova Scotia Power Corporation oil and gas industry and his refusal to ous also rans. The award’s language has won “for its stubborn position and respond to public inquiries on the po- been toned down since the 1970s and determination on the construction of tential gravel mine on Digby Neck.” now recognizes “a group or individual Point Aconi.” Nova Scotia Power won Fishing issues continue to draw rec- who has caused egregious or widespread again in 2005 for air pollution. Most ognition. The Department of Fisheries damage to the environment or advo- recently, Stephen Harper’s government and Oceans was a dishonourable men- cated for economic development with- won in 2007 for keeping Canada in tion in 1998 for “mismanagement of out consideration for the environment.” the Dark Ages with regard to climate fisheries and total disregard of the opin- That’s not nearly as much fun as recog- change policy. ions of fishers and its own scientists.” In nizing villains! The forestry industry, never a slacker 2006 the award went to DFO “for refus- Looking at the environmental issues when it comes to environmental villainy, ing to support a moratorium on trawl- of concern to Nova Scotians over the won for a particularly sad event in 1998 ing on the high seas.” Stephen Harper years, it is easy to conclude that we, as when J.D. Irving Ltd. was singled out and his government won in 2007 for a society, haven’t learned much. We are for their around-the-clock clearcutting their failure to support a moratorium on still generating electricity and air pollu- in the formerly quiet forests surround- high seas bottom trawling. Which goes tion with coal; still clearcutting, whole- ing the Nova Nada monastery. Irving to show that the more things change, tree harvesting, and decimating wildlife was fingered for not granting “the monks the more they stay the same. in our forests; still strip mining, and of Nova Nada the solitude and peace In 1977, Bill Smith, the editor of shipping gravel out of the province; still they deserve.” This forced the Carmelite the Chronicle Herald and Mail Star, overfishing, bottom dragging, and mis- monks to move after twenty-six years in was awarded the Tarred Duck “for his managing the oceans. It’s as if the Tarred Yarmouth County. Last year, Northern emotional and severely misleading series Duck Award could be given, year after Pulp and Paper won for its “continu- of signed editorials on the spruce bud- year, to the same list of perpetrators. ing practice of obliterating thousands worm spray controversy.” This contro- pagenineteen

versy had raged for years in Cape Breton deserved its second consecutive Tarred of protected site candidates. They did and the rest of Nova Scotia but by 1978, Duck. Point Lepreau is Atlantic Cana- this on a recommendation to open the through the efforts of a 23-year old da’s only nuclear plant and is currently area for gold mining. Following protests Elizabeth May, spraying for spruce bud- being refurbished, slated to reopen in from Nova Scotians, this decision was worm with chemical pesticides ended in the fall of next year. Nova Scotia’s Natu- reversed, and the Jim Campbells Bar- Nova Scotia. (Nova Scotia continues to ral Resources Minister David Morse ren was reinstated as a protected area the spray with the bacterium Bt.) Unfortu- won in 2008 for his decision to reopen following year. Another successful result nately, the Province of New Brunswick debate on the uranium mining morato- arising from Tarred Duck Award recog- wasn’t so enlightened (or didn’t have an rium. This “has proven deeply unpopu- nition! Elizabeth May equivalent) and won a lar with many EAC members, including Looking back over the decades is in much-deserved Tarred Duck in 1979 for those who went through the debate in some cases a bad trip down memory its continued aerial chemical pesticide the 1980s when the moratorium was lane, but also reminds us that historical spray program. first imposed.” Through persistent pub- reflection is valuable. The Tarred Ducks In 1980, New Brunswick Premier lic opposition to such foolishness, the have at least been a fun way to blow off Richard Hatfield and his government province was persuaded to pass the Ura- steam, highlight catastrophes current or won the award for their refusal to ap- nium Exploration and Mining Prohibi- in the making, and let villains know they prove a motion for an independent tion Act in 2009 that bans exploring or are being watched. safety inquiry into the Point Lepreau mining for uranium. Phew. Scott was living in the woods on the nuclear generating plant. While this In 1997, Natural Resources Minister North Mountain himself when the Monks is not located in Nova Scotia it is, of Eleanor Norrie and the provincial cabi- of Nova Nada were forced off their peace- course, upwind and not far away, and net won the Tarred Duck for removing ful home by feller-bunchers. the New Brunswick government richly the Jim Campbells Barren from the list

Maritimers now have a 100% green electricity choice Oh! The Places the EAC Is Going! By Susanna Fuller

Although we say it a lot, there is something amiss with the statement: “The Ecology Action Centre has acted as a voice for Nova Scotia’s environment for 40 years.” A quick scan of the projects and initiatives in the EAC’s offices these days shows that we have indeed gone far beyond the boundaries of Nova Scotia, and that our campaigns, projects and efforts to protect the environment are not only local and provincial, but regional, national and in some cases global. We feature a few of these many initiatives here.

National Peoples Food Policy Local Guysborough Co. Lincolnville Landfill Free NS Regional Local Maritimes and Local Halifax Co. New England Hants Co. Morris House NS Farmer Mentor HeliotrustNS Project NS Provincial Pesticide Free NS

Provincial Protected Areas Provincial Active & Safe Regional Routes Atlantic Canada Sustainable Energy Coalition to School

Provincial National Off the Hook SeaChoice Global High Seas Conservation Local (with a focus on the Cheticamp Northwest Atlantic Coastal Adaptation Global beyond the 200 mile limit) NS Friends of Hector pagetwentyone A Logo with Roots By Susan Mayo

logo which was officially accepted by the sues and is not concerned merely with Board of Directors in 1979. When Zo theory and policy. Moreover, the issues first gave us the symbol I went around are of local and important significance. and asked people what they liked about We stay close to where we are rooted, it, thinking one day I’d write a short ar- as it were. The frame of the local is the ticle for Jusun, ask for more comments theta, ø, the eighth letter of the Greek and then get the Board’s approval! The alphabet and an international symbol comments, no matter what the histori- for ecology. cal sequence, are worth sharing: “Sim- It is interesting to note how coinciden- plicity…clarity…as if it were derived tally close our EAC symbol is to the logo from or had its ‘roots’ in the Peace for “Branching Out”, a Canadian femi- Symbol…organic…it looks like sea- nist quarterly (which recently stopped weed…dynamic…security and trust… publication due to financial difficulties). Way back in 1977 we thought it wood-fired energy…decentralization… The feminist movement has several links would be useful for the Ecology Action the circle of eternity: no beginning, no with the environmental movement, Centre to have a picture, symbol or logo end…the Chinese yin-yang symbol for including these two logos. that would clearly express the ideals and male-female, dark-light, land-sea; the Let us hope that the spirit of our logo goals of the group. tree symbolizes land-use planning…it is carried into action here in Nova Scotia I approached Zo Lucas, a young looks like a face with two eyes and a nose through the Ecology Action Centre. graphic artist here in Halifax, with a few and a brain on the top.” First printed under the title “EAC rough sketches drawn by Susan Holtz We chose the recognizable image of Logo” in Between the Issues, December of a White Pine tree inside a circle, and a tree because it is natural and not ab- 1980 from these she designed our present stract. The Centre takes on practical is- Now That’s Commitment By June Hall, Thom Oommen and Tim Roberts

We all have issues complicating our Shortages, rationing and price increases thousands of citizens. The overwhelm- lives. Luckily for Nova Scotians con- shocked Nova Scotians. While many ing majority of responses recognized cerned with the province’s ecological powerful voices called for more drilling the health and environmental dangers well-being, the EAC has seven amaz- and the development of nuclear power of uranium mining and called for a ban. ing issues committees to tackle some of as responses, the EAC focused on energy In 1985 a moratorium was adopted and them! conservation and renewable energy. in 2009 the Government of Nova Scotia At the EAC, issues committees are The Energy Options Committee, as extended the moratorium. where the rubber meets the road. Mem- it was then known, met for the first time After the shocking events at the Fu- bers, volunteers, staff and curious new- on November 29, 1975. The connec- kushima Daiichi nuclear facility in Ja- comers meet on a monthly basis to dis- tions and enthusiasm of these early days pan, Nova Scotians should be grateful cuss what’s going on in Nova Scotia and paid immediate dividends. Through the we never went down that road. how we can make things better. Staff efforts of the committee and recognizing members report on the successes and their shared values, the Halifax Chapter Built Environment challenges of their work. Brainstorming of the Canadian Friends Service Com- Committee sessions are held so unfunded areas get mittee, a Quaker organization, offered some of the ‘action’ the EAC is so fond to support Susan Holtz as part-time en- of sharing. ergy coordinator. With staff support, the Perhaps most importantly, everyone Energy Options Committee was able to attending issues committee meetings conduct research and develop profes- comes to understand that others feel the sional presentations and documents. same way they do, that theirs isn’t the And the dividends kept coming, even only voice piping up on a specific front. decades later. Thanks substantially to Each EAC success story confirms that the leadership of Energy Coordinator there is, indeed, strength in numbers. Brendan Haley, the Energy Issues Com-

When like-minded people gather with mittee was instrumental in the prov- Photo: Lorin Brehaut intent to change things for the better, ince’s formation of an independent and the multitude of voices creates simple accountable energy efficiency agency It’s hard to pin down the point at which momentum leading to positive change. in 2009. And Nova Scotia now boasts a committee began when it has been EAC’s issues committees have grown some of the most progressive energy ef- identified by multiple monikers. The and changed over the years and will con- ficiency legislation in North America. present-day Built Environment Com- tinue to evolve. However, the arrival of Another big success of the Energy Is- mittee was preceded by the Urban (Is- our 40th year of action seemed like the sues Committee over the years has been sues) Committee. The Home Commit- right moment to reflect on the current in keeping Nova Scotia out of the nucle- tee in charge of renovations at EAC’s issues committees and their respective ar business. Fern Lane office also played a key role in stories. In 1972, the governments of Nova honing the committee’s current aims. Scotia and New Brunswick began dis- In the 1970s the Urban Committee Energy Issues Committee cussions on bringing nuclear power to was deeply engaged in matters of urban the Maritimes. Stoddard Island on the planning. In its infancy, the EAC was a South Shore was initially selected as a member of MOVE, a citizens’ group that site for the proposed 12,000-megawatt helped stop the construction of Harbour facility. This led to a major public out- Drive North (aka the Barrington Street cry. The EAC worked in coalition with Expressway), the planned thruway that the South Shore Environmental Protec- was to run along Halifax’s waterfront. tion Association to stop the building of “We used wide-angle aerial photographs this facility. of expressways on posters,” recalls Alan The Energy Issues Committee has Ruffman, former staff of MOVE who also been outspoken in its call for a helped lead the fight against the urban

Photo: EAC Archive ban on uranium mining in Nova Sco- highway. “We called it ‘spaghetti’. At tia. Over the years it has worked with the time it was quite something for a It wasn’t long after the founding of numerous partners to keep the issue in citizens’ group to come out against the the EAC that energy took centre stage. the news. In 1982, EAC presented to elected government in such a manner.” The 1973 oil embargo forced energy the McCleave Uranium Inquiry along The recognition that our built en- consumption into the global spotlight. with other partner organizations and pagetwentythree

vironment exists outside urban centres cent of their land area and WWF Cana- Importantly, WC has gone main- was behind the adoption of the current da had launched its Endangered Spaces stream – it’s no longer a fringe group. It’s “Built Environment” label. The way we Campaign. EAC members wanted brought a solid, science-based approach live in rural areas affects our surround- organized action. to an area where strong opinions often ings and ourselves as much as it does in The Wilderness Committee (WC) hold sway. cities. A name like “Urban Issues Com- held its first meeting in December mittee” didn’t reflect enough of a pro- 1989. Loaded with passionate vol- Marine Issues Committee vincial scope for folks involved in the unteers (and later, staff), the WC is late-2000s when the Built Environment one of the EAC’s success stories,but it Committee name and mandate emerged. was tough sledding at the beginning. These days the committee tackles Volunteers did all the work because it a range of issues. In 2005/06, when it took almost ten years to raise the first, was still the Urban Issues Committee, small, WC-directed grant. But success the EAC’s Fern Lane office renova- breeds success. By May 2004, Veronica tion inspired the promotion of green Sherwood, then chair of the commit- renovations and sustainable construc- tee, was able to write “WE ROCK,” tion and demolition. For decades this rejoicing, in part, in the generous fund- committee has been fighting the use of ing the committee could now attract. Photo: EAC Archive cosmetic lawn pesticides in HRM and By late 1998 the WC had its first province-wide. We recently celebrated full-time coordinator, Kermit deGooyer, When change is an absolute must, when Nova Scotia’s province-wide ban who had already worked long and hard one shouldn’t hesitate to accept help on non-essential lawn pesticides became for the EAC on the issue of public land, along the way. official. All the while, urban planning one of the committee’s two main planks The Marine Issues Committee was issues never left the committee’s plate. (the other being forestry). struck in 1995, hot on the heels of the In 2011 “Our HRM” was launched, an The landmark 1998 Wilderness collapse of many parts of the Atlantic alliance EAC initiated with the goal of Areas Protection Act, in which 294,000 Canadian fishery. The help in question increasing density, curbing sprawl and ha of wilderness were made off-limits was of the financial variety, a grant se- establishing a greenbelt in HRM. to development, was conceived and cured from the Henry P. Kendall Foun- Despite its various names and its nurtured by the EAC and a large coali- dation by Dr. Nancy Shackell, a fisher- constellation of focus areas, the com- tion of environmental groups willing to ies biologist and ecologist. The grant mon thread of this committee has been work with the provincial government. enabled the EAC to sharpen its focus a concern for how Nova Scotia’s natural Ongoing work of the coalition has in a vital area that had been previously environs and Nova Scotians themselves gained protection for several wilderness volunteer-driven. are affected by the man-made parts of areas not included in the original Act. “We felt the root causes of the col- our province. “We’ve made an awful lot of progress” lapse weren’t being addressed,” says says Raymond Plourde, Public Lands Mark Butler, currently the EAC’s Policy Wilderness Committee Coordinator since 2002. The area of Director and one of the founders of the History Nova Scotia now under protection is Marine Issues Committee, years after approaching 9 percent, with 12 percent having worked in the fishing industry. promised by 2015. “The EAC became the first Atlantic As for Nova Scotia’s forests: the word Canadian environmental organization is dire. Clearcutting accounts for over 99 to get involved in fishing issues in a precent of harvesting, and there is virtu- substantial way,” Butler says. “Not only ally no old growth forest left. Since 2002 considering marine-protected areas, the committee’s Standing Tall campaign but also technology and gear, as we had has been working diligently with other some expertise in that regard.” environmental groups and progressive At the time the Marine Issues Com-

Photo: EAC Archive elements in the industry to encourage mittee was formed, the impact of drag- better forestry practices. The govern- ging on industry and habitat was not Through the late 1980s the EAC ment’s forestry bill, due soon, will hope- widely acknowledged. That’s no longer was involved in forestry and conserva- fully result in at least 50 percent less the case, thanks both to the committee’s tion issues, but needed to do more. The clearcutting. The EAC’s capable Stand- academic undertakings and its activist Brundtland Commission was calling ing Tall coordinators have included leanings. on nations to set aside at least 12 per- Minga O’Brien and Jamie Simpson. The Marine Issues Committee has get involved?” All questions have since Transportation Issues been home to some of the EAC’s biggest been answered in the affirmative in the Committee successes, fitting for a province so tied to decade-plus since CIC’s formation. the ocean. For example, MIC played a The committee’s initial project re- vital role in the world’s first symposium garding salt marsh restoration pre-dates on deep sea corals in 2001, which led to the committee itself, having started in concrete conservation measures for bot- the summer of 1998. The project was tom habitat. originally slotted as part of the Marine Asking Butler about MIC’s early Issues Committee. MIC, however, was work and subsequent successes leads to largely consumed with fisheries-related a list of names of people heavily involved issues at the time. from the outset, from Nancy Shack- Bowron, the salt marsh restoration

ell and Martin Willison to Maria Rec- project coordinator, and Graham, then Photo: EAC Archive chia, Heather Breeze and a lengthy cast a super-volunteer prior to her ascent of others. The torch was subsequently to the Coastal Coordinator position, One of the EAC’s first victories was handed to Susanna Fuller and on down acknowledged that a gap existed. Nova stopping the construction of the Bar- through the EAC’s seemingly perpetual Scotia’s coasts border both the open rington Street Expressway from the cast of amazing marine caretakers. oceans as well as the inland wild. Unfor- Cogswell Interchange through down- The Atlantic Canadian fishery has tunately, coastal issues weren’t fitting ex- town Halifax in the early 1970s. Efforts not become an entirely healthy and sus- ceptionally well under either the Marine were led by a group titled the Transpor- tainable entity, but MIC has increased or Wilderness umbrellas. Walking on tation Team as mentioned in Fine Print, awareness of how sustainable fisheries the St. Andrews, New Brunswick water- the EAC’s first newsletter. This precursor can be maintained and the committee’s front one evening during a coastal con- to the Transportation Issues Committee work has altered practices along the way. ference, Bowron and Graham debated worked to push Halifax to expand and whether the coastline warranted its own encourage public transit over private ve- Coastal Issues Committee EAC committee. hicles. As early as 1973, they scrutinized The idea was brought before the city transit plans, organized conferenc- Marine Issues Committee and then the es, opposed road widening on Herring EAC Board, both of which approved of Cove Road, and organized for better the friendly separation. The salt marsh public transit. restoration project was shuffled from By the 1980s, transportation had tak- MIC to the newly-formed CIC, which en a backseat to other issues, but it was had already started considering other only a matter of time before the EAC matters related to our coasts. In short embraced transportation issues again. order the committee was pulled into By 1995, renewed interest in transporta- diverse areas such as wetland policy, tion was growing. Around 1998 the first freshwater resource issues and coastal meeting of the newly minted Transporta- habitat protection. tion Issues Committee (TIC) was held. Over the years the CIC has become In order to build momentum for more prominent on a provincial scale, TIC, two volunteers, Wayne Groszko both in terms of wetlands preserva-

Photo: EAC Archive and Sue Watson, prepared a proposal for tion and in developing a coastal policy. Environment Canada’s Climate Change It’s hard to avoid beautiful coastline in “There’s been a shift from the early years Action Fund. The goal of the project was Nova Scotia. When it came time to con- from working ‘on the ground’ to work- to promote active and sustainable trans- sider a separate committee to deal with ing at driving policy and public opinion portation to single occupant vehicle our province’s amazing coasts, however, on the broader scale,” Bowron notes. drivers in Halifax Regional Municipal- there was a surprising amount of un- “Jen’s done a fantastic job!” ity. The proposal was accepted and Sue certainty about whether it would work. Consecutive governments have prov- Watson and Rebecca O’Brien were hired “Jen Graham and I had a lot of discus- en evasive in committing to a firm coastal to coordinate the Transportation Hali- sions,” recalls Tony Bowron, the Coastal policy, and the protection of freshwater fax (or TRAX) project. Issues Committee’s initial project coor- resources has taken on increased impor- Over the years TRAX has expanded dinator. “Is it viable? Is it feasible? Are tance. Clearly the Coastal Issues Com- its work beyond the borders of HRM there enough issues to warrant a separate mittee is showing no signs of diminishing and now works across the province en- committee? Will enough people want to in its valuable role at the EAC. couraging active and sustainable trans- pagetwentyfive

portation. EAC is also home to the meetings are well-attended and energet- received widespread promotion and remarkably prolific Active and Safe ic and one FAC fundraiser, the Eating opened a wide public discussion about Routes to School program, which works By the Seasons cookbook, has been re- the paths our food takes before it lands with schools and families to encour- printed multiple times and is a top seller on our plates. age healthy commuting habits in kids. among EAC publications. The com- As noted on the committee’s page on In addition, EAC has just concluded mittee’s success might boil down to the the EAC website, “We all eat and ev- a third round of funding through the simple fact that growing, sharing and ery food choice we make affects farm Green Mobility Capital Grants. This savouring food is such fun. (Especially communities.” Rupert Jannasch, an- program helps fund small-scale active the savouring bit.) other key cog in the development of and sustainable transportation projects. Fun was at the root of FAC’s found- conservation easements, spoke on this TIC provides volunteer energy and in- ing, according to Jen Scott, a long-time very subject at the EAC’s annual general put for all these programs. project coordinator at the EAC. “I re- meeting in 2009. TIC continues to advocate for better member at the time we talked about The current model isn’t working for public transit, effective rail options, safer having fun food-related events like a farmers in this province. As such, the streets for cyclists and pedestrians and food film festival or harvest feasts,” Scott Food Action Committee will continue more. But one of TIC’s most inspiring says, recalling a pitch she made to the its efforts to improve conditions for projects is Bike Again. Since 2000 Bike EAC Board alongside Sylvia Mangalam. Nova Scotian food producers. The fact Again has been providing a supportive “We also wanted to help people under- that committee members will have nu- space for anyone to learn about bicycle stand the costs and benefits of locally tritious, delicious fun along the way is maintenance and repair. Based at the produced food versus imported food.” reason for all of us to consider joining Bloomfield Centre, every week numer- The committee has adhered to its the crowd. ous volunteers share knowledge and tools goals of promoting locally-produced Do you have something to add to to make cycling accessible to all. The fact foods, though the form of this promo- these too-brief histories? We’d love to that Bike Again is 100 percent volunteer- tion has evolved over the years. hear your take on the births, and subse- run serves to remind us what a big impact Harvest Festivals held from 2004- quent growths, of the EAC’s issues com- individual actions and energy can have! 2006 brought farmers and city people mittees. There’s nothing like celebrating together in a positive way, a connection a milestone birthday to make you want to Food Action Committee the EAC had been seeking for years (see preserve and treasure your own history! the Summer 1996 edition of BTI, in June Hall is tackling her (and Brian’s) which “News From the Centre” refers newly obtained wilderness on the South to a group of EAC volunteers interested Shore. Tim Roberts is a whippersnapper of in encouraging “discussions between an EAC volunteer who enjoyed being edu- the rural providers of food and urban cated about the history of the organization. consumers”). He’s currently a regular at TIC meetings Nova Scotia’s very first conservation but vows to attend meetings for all seven easements for farms were signed in 2005 issues committees in the year ahead. Part- and 2006, with the committee playing employee, part-volunteer for the EAC, an instrumental role, and Scott herself a Thom Oommen lives in Cape Breton Photo: Maggy Burns major player in the process. where he grows a small market garden and The Food Action Committee has be- More recently, FAC was behind the is learning to love blackflies. come the envy of the other issues com- impressive Food Miles project, which mittees since its arrival in 2002. FAC took on a more academic angle but eco briefs

By Mike Ruxton

Of Moose and Men to it with purpose. Sodium concen- gies have been mapped, but haven’t yet tration is two or three times higher in pointed to a cause. Eliminating roadside salt pools roadside salt pools compared to aquatic The Auk 2010, Living Bird Winter (RSPs) could reduce moose-vehicle plants, and those salt pools increase the 2011, New York Times 8 Nov 2010 collisions substantially, according to probability of moose-vehicle collisions research undertaken by a pair of Que- by 80 percent.” Banned in Brantford bec universities, Concordia and Ri- Concordia University 18 May 2011, mouski, and the provincial govern- Ecology and Society 2009 Brantford, Ontario has no local ment, using a computer model of shark fishery; no restaurant or grocer the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. Big Beak Troubles in town offers shark fin soup. Still, in May, Brantford city councilors voted US Geological Society biologists in unanimously in favour of prohibiting Alaska are flummoxed by a condition the possession, sale and consumption they’ve named avian keratin disorder. of the Chinese delicacy. Brantford is the The beak deformity affects Alaska’s first municipality in North America to Black-Capped Chickadees and north- do so. Former Brantford MPP Phil Gil- western crows in particular, but nut- lies successfully lobbied the city to set an hatches and woodpeckers have been example for others to follow. Gillies is found with identical pathologies. Cases working with WildAid, a San Francisco- were first observed in Alaska, but are based conservation group undertaking now found in British Columbia and a North American campaign to ban the Washington State. practice of shark finning. The deformed beak is elongated, and Janet Wilson often crossed. The disorder was first no- Most current measures to mitigate ticed in significant numbers in 1999, moose-vehicle collisions target the re- in the Black-Capped Chickadee, and duction of roadway crossings, using has increased dramatically since. An fencing, overpasses and underpasses, estimated 6.5 percent of Alaskan Black- hazing, habitat alteration, and mirrors Capped Chickadees are affected, and 17 and reflectors. Fences are highly effec- percent of Alaskan northwestern crows. tive at preventing crossings, but they It is seen only in adults, not embryos or Janet Wilson fragment habitat, so work best when hatchlings, and affects the birds’ ability combined with over- and under-passes. to feed and preen. In countries where large quantities Biologist Colleen Handel and col- Shark fin soup is a special occasion of salt are used on winter roads, snow- leagues published their findings in No- dish usually reserved for events like wed- melt runoff creates RSPs. Canada uses vember 2010. Co-author Caroline Van dings or Chinese New Year. In Hawaii, five million tonnes of road salt annu- Hemert notes “they’re eating different which adopted a shark fin ban last year, ally, almost a third of that in Quebec. things, they live in different habitat - legislation was deemed necessary to pro- Sodium is an essential element in the crows are mostly intertidal, chickadees vide a level playing field for restaurant moose’s diet, and moose get their dai- tend to be in birch forests. They’re kind owners. Bans currently exist in Oregon ly requirements by browsing aquatic of occurring in different parts of their and Washington, and one is under con- plants or from RSPs. Research shows habitats and ecosystems, and they’re sideration in California. Fifty-five per- that moose change their foraging habits still affected by what seems to be the cent of the Asian-American population to include RSPs. same problem.” lives in California. Researchers modeled five crossing The disease vector is elusive. There The European Union has banned fin- reduction strategies, and concluded are no indications of bacteria, viruses ning, but critics say the EU legislation that the most effective is to remove all or mites. Various diet deficiencies have has a gaping loophole. This hole allows a RSPs. This strategy reduced roadway been discounted. Environmental con- vessel to fin sharks at sea, without landing crossings in their model by 49 percent. taminants are possible, but no likely the entire animal. The weight of fins kept Concordia researcher Paul Grosman candidate has been proposed or de- must not exceed five percent of the live says “When the scheduled time came to tected by necropsy or histopathology. weight of the shark catch. The fins fetch go to a salt pool, moose moved directly Geographic distribution of the patholo- on average Cdn$100/kg, while shark pagetwentyseven meat is priced at less than Cdn$9.50/kg. 2018. Canada has only a voluntary rec- Since 2007, the UN General Assembly ommended code of practice for the care Resolution on Sustainable Fisheries has of poultry. advocated “that all sharks be landed with EFC is a not-for-profit national or- each fin naturally attached.” Finning in ganization representing regulated egg Canadian waters and by any Canadian farmers in all ten provinces and the licensed vessel fishing outside Canada’s Northwest Territories. In addition to Exclusive Economic Zone has been pro- promoting eggs, EFC develops national hibited since 1994. standards for egg farming. WildAid, Globe & Mail 17 May 2011, Globe&Mail 11 May 2011, Canadian IUCN Shark Specialist Group Poultry 12 May 2011, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency, Canadian Agri-Food The Chicken Chair Research Council 1993.

The industry group Egg Farmers of Canada, Chrysotile and the Canada (EFC) is sponsoring a Chair Rotterdam Convention of Poultry Welfare at the University of Guelph (UoG), with initial fund- The Rotterdam Convention obliges ing from March 2011 through Janu- members of the United Nations to ary 2017. Professor Tina Widowski, implement the Prior Informed Con- current director of the Campbell Cen- sent (PIC) procedure for pesticides and tre for the Study of Animal Welfare industrial chemicals that have been at UoG, has accepted the position. banned or severely restricted for health She has been on faculty at UoG since or environmental reasons. Canada has 1990; her current research focuses on been instrumental in preventing chryso- housing and management practic- tile asbestos from being added to the list. es affecting pigs, poultry and cattle. Chrysotile, the only form of asbestos currently used industrially, is implicated in mesothelioma and lung cancer. While visiting the town of Asbestos, Que- bec, during the recent federal election, Stephen Harper said “[T]his govern- ment will not put Canadian industry in a position where it is discriminated against in a market where sale is permit- ted.” Ninety-five percent of the asbestos mined in Canada is exported, mostly to China, India and Thailand. Adding chrysotile to the Rotterdam

Janet Wilson Convention would not prevent mining or export; it would make it obligatory Robert Gordon, Dean of the On- to observe the PIC procedure. The fifth tario Agricultural College at UoG, in- meeting of Conference of the Parties to sists that the welfare of poultry will be the Convention takes place in Geneva, foremost, rather than any industry pri- Switzerland in late June. Chrysotile is on orities. One area of study will be poul- the agenda. try housing, covering cages, enriched The Toronto Star 27 April 2011, cages, and aviaries. UNEP, British Govt Office for Science 11 Canadian poultry farms typically use May 2011, The Daily Show correspondent battery cages. A conventional cage hous- Aasif Mandvi 12 May 2011, National es five hens, with an average area per hen Post 5 June 2011 of 560 cm2. The European Union in 1999 instituted a ban on battery cages, starting in 2012. Manitoba is the only Canadian province committed to phas- ing out battery cages; their deadline is

pagetwentynine Seasonal Gourmet

Berry Delicious Dessert

By Katrina Ross

Summer is a great time to visit a local U-Pick to stock up on wonderfully sweet fruit. Check out http://www.gov.ns.ca/agri/ marketing/contact/landsea/upicko.pdf or www.pickyourown. org/canadans.htm for a U-Pick near you and make a family outing out of it. If picking your own is not your style, visit your local farmers’ market or sign up for a fruit CSA. Berries have high pesticide residue so it is best to buy organic or no-spray Graphic Design • Photography • Web • Illustration whenever possible. Proud to work for progressives Berries are packed with antioxidants, which help to repair damaged cells in the body making these little gems among the healthiest fruit around. www.hammerheaddesign.ca

What’s in Season?

Vegetables include: beans, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, herbs, peas, peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini. Summer is the best season for many fruits like melons, blueberries, cherries, plums, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries. For local and sustainable seafood try hook and line haddock or hake (excellent with a strawberry chutney), harpoon caught swordfish (great on the BBQ), mussels, locally farmed arctic char, and mackerel.

Rainbow Ice Pops

1 ½ cup strawberries hulled 1 ½ cup wild blueberries 1 ½ cup honeydew or cantaloupe melon peeled and diced 3 T sugar or honey

Directions

1. Puree strawberries with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set aside 2. Puree blueberries with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set aside 3. Puree melon with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set aside 4. Pour layers of each fruit puree into a popsicle mold, insert pop stick and freeze for 2 – 3 hrs before serving

This is a very healthy snack to be devoured on those hot sum- mer days. The kids will love them.

Berries don’t last long, so it is best to freeze them or make jams. Check out the Food Action Committee’s blog for canning ideas. http://adventuresinlocalfood.wordpress.com

Katrina Ross is a volunteer with the Food Action Committee, coordinator of “Eating by the Seasons” cookbook and avid seasonal cook. letters to the centre

I just wanted to congratulate you and the EAC for creating this successful and energetic organization. I hope it survives at least another 140 years!

-Susan Feindel

Congratulations on the three smokestacks demo outside the Emera corporate meeting, reported in today’s Chronicle Herald!

Demos like that strike a note in people’s imagination.

-Mike Eaton, Cole Harbour

We want to send a very appreciative THANK YOU to your staff and Board of Directors for the delicious cake last week. We were overwhelmed by the gesture, and are flattered at being part of your 40 Days of Action.

And most importantly, congratulations on 40 years of dedica- tion to Nova Scotia’s people and places.

Thanks again from all our staff.

All our best,

- Judy McMullin, Executive Director & Gina Patterson, Managing Director, Programs, Clean Nova Scotia

Hi Grant:

On behalf of the Board and all of TREPA members we would like to thank the Ecology Action Centre for the gift of a cheese- cake commemorating our 25th anniversary. We heard from our Executive Director, John Sollows, that it was delicious.

More than that we would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ecology Action Centre for being our mentor over these past twenty-five years. As you will be celebrating your 40th anniversary we expect, and hope, that you will continue to be there for us in the future.

Hoping to see you or another of EAC’s representatives at our June meeting.

All the best,

-Carol Jacquard, Secretary Tusket River Environmental Protection Association page thirtyone EAC PROJECT STAFF AND COMMITTEE CONTACTS

Core Staff Policy Director: Mark Butler 429-5287 [email protected] Financial Director: Carla Vandenberg 442-0254 [email protected] Internal Director: Maggy Burns Halcraft Ad 429-5287 [email protected] Web Manager: Emma Boardman 429-2202 [email protected] Communications Coordinator: Jocelyn Knoester Rob Hansen 422-0198 [email protected] Office Coordinator: Amy Hawke 429-2202 [email protected] Between the Issues: [email protected]

Committees / Project Staff

Built Environment Healthy Lawns Coordinator: Chris Benjamin 442-5051 [email protected] Our HRM Coordinator: Jen Powley 429-0924 [email protected] Construction & Demolition Waste Reduction Coordinator: Kim Thompson [email protected]

Coastal Issues Groundwater Coordinator: Jennifer West 442-5026 [email protected] Water Coordinator: Fred Wendt 442-5026 [email protected] Acting Coastal Coordinator: Ashley Sprague 442-5026 [email protected]

Energy Issues Energy and Climate Change Coordinator: Brennan Vogel 422-0199 [email protected] ACSEC Regional Facilitator: Catherine Abreu 442-0199 [email protected] Solar Gain: Wayne Groszko [email protected]

Food Action Heliotrust: Jen Scott (902) 757-1640 [email protected] Our Food Coordinator: Marla MacLeod 442-1077 [email protected] Urban Garden Project Coordinator: Garity Chapman 442-1077 [email protected] Our Food Researcher: Libby Dean 442-1077 [email protected] Our Food Intern: Alison Froese-Stoddard 442-0177 [email protected] Summer Programming Coordinator, Urban Garden Project: Keren Lifshitz 442-1077 [email protected]

Marine Issues Marine Conservation Coordinator: Susanna Fuller 446-4840 [email protected] Marine Planning and Community Conservation Coordinator: Shannon Arnold [email protected] 446-4840 Sustainable Seafood Coordinator: Rob Johnson 442-0999 [email protected] 75th year serving your community Communications Coordinator: Jordan Nikoloyuk 446-4840 [email protected] Community Supported Fisheries Coordinator: Dave Adler 442-0999 [email protected] You have championed many important Aquaculture Intern: Brittany MacGillivray [email protected] environmental issues near and dear to Transportation Issues Active & Safe Routes to School Coordinator: Janet Barlow our hearts and continue to be a valuable 442-5055 [email protected] resource in our community and to iNova Credit Making Tracks and School Travel Planning Coordinator: Union. Hats off to a knowledgeable group Jennifer McGowan 442-5055 [email protected] TRAX Coordinator: Scott MacPhee 429-0924 [email protected] of professionals and congratulations on Bike Again: Jyelle Vogel 431-8215 or Peter Rogers your 40th anniversary. 404-5466, [email protected]

Wilderness Issues Wilderness & Public Lands: Raymond Plourde 442-5008 [email protected] EAC Index: Other Big Birthdays This Year

10th – Halifax Mountain Equipment Coop 30th – Amy Hawke, Feb 15 30th – Jen McGowan, July 17 40th – Mountain Equipment Coop 40th – Alternatives Magazine 40th – Environment Canada 40th –North End Community Health Centre, Halifax 40th – Jennifer Graham, Aug 18 40th Wedding Anniversary - Robert and Christine Boardman, January 2 50th – Mark Butler, March 30 75th – David Suzuki, March 24

Recent EAC Successes:

• EAC celebrated, with our allies, the Government’s commitment to lowering speed limits in school zones.

• On June 21st “Off the Hook,” Atlantic Canada’s first community supported fishery and your source for extremely fresh, sustainably caught fish, launched its second season.

• On April almost 100 landowners attended the second “Harvest the Wind” workshop in Port Hawkesbury, co-hosted by EAC.

• In June we launched “Our HRM”, an alliance formed to create a more livable and sustainable HRM by increasing density, curbing sprawl and establishing a If sending a void cheque please sign above. greenbelt.