Headline

For Manitobans interested in local environmental and sustainable issues

Subheadline
byline photo credit

recycle
body copy

Where to

pull quote

Cell Phones Tires & More

p.12

Earthship Manitoba Living off-the-grid

p.16

12

change
yourlife p.22
Saving the ELA p.18

waysto

compost indoorsp.5 make a killer quinoa p.22 build a raised garden p.9

Learn how to:

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editorial staff
Anthony Carvalho @watgpm anthonyscarvalho@gmail.com

Meghan Franklin @Meginthepeg meghanbfranklin@gmail.com

f t

Sprout Magazine Manitoba @SproutMagazine

Spring 2013 Issue Sarah Tone @Sarah_Tone sarah.m.tone@gmail.com Printed by: Corporate Source Inc. In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Staff photos by: Braiden Watling Graeme Csath @GraemeCS graeme.csath@gmail.com Cover photo by: Graeme Csath Printed on 100% recycled paper, using environmentally friendly inks

Please Recycle
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in this issue spring

Photo by: Grme Csath

features
p. 6 p. 10 p. 14 p. 18

people &profiles
p. 16 p. 21

Gordon Bell Goes Green

Profile on inner-city green space

Earthship Manitoba
Couple builds self-sustaining home

Manitobas Sacred Medicines

Traditional Aboriginal healing practices

Funding the Perfect Partner

Community garden development in northern Manitoba

All in the Family

Three generations of sustainable living

Treading Water
Saving the ELA

DIY
p. 5 p. 12 p. 22

in every issue
p. 9 p. 22 p. 23

Get Your Hands Dirty

Composting in small spaces

How to...
Build a raised garden in 6 steps

Where to recycle your...

Find your nearest recycling depot

Recipe:
Killer Quinoa

12 ways to change your life

Live sustainably

Get Involved
Events and volunteer opportunities
p.3

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Get Your Hands Dirty!

Making Compost Work In Small Spaces
Article and photos by Grme Csath
hayer Wells has been composting year-round since he was 12-yearsold at his familys farm in Warren, Man. They would add compost to their affluent garden to supplement the growth of cucumbers, tomatoes, corn and many other crops for consumption. Wells said,It takes 3 years for compost to break down into the most nutritious soil.

Wells said, I compost almost everything but citrus skins and a small amount of coffee grounds; coffee grounds are very acidic and I dont want to over acidify the microenvironment. There are many ways remove the worm castings (soil) from vermaculture compost:

1. Flip the tub upside down very slowly so

I can convert household waste 2. Scoop away the castings after the worms into a product I can use to do descend away from the light. Remove all of a lot of different things, like the castings up to the shredded newspaper that has not yet been broken down. feed myself.
Without the luxury of sprawling acres, which his family farm in Warren provided, Thayer has made many adjustments to suit his smaller dwellings, such as, choosing plants that are economical in a small space.

it turns over into a mound. You want to do this in the light so the worms evade (UV rays burn their exteriors).

Composting during the winter has its challenges, but is still very manageable. In fact, the freeze and thawing cycles help to break down the materials and they will decompose even faster when the spring season arrives. When Thayer moved to the city three years ago, he was faced with new challenges: He couldnt compost for two years because his rental house roommates did not allow it. Thayer now lives in a downtown apartment with his girlfriend and has recently employed his old organic recycling habits and re-invented using the principles of vermaculture composting. Wells said, Vermaculture is where you take a half pound of worms and turn all of your biodegradables into highly nutritious organic fertilizer. The worms break down the organic matter. They have the ability to release a wide variety of enzymes assisted by the bacteria that live in their digestive tract. As the worms eat the organic material and break it down, they make the organic matter far more accessible to plant roots.

3. Put the removed castings in

a smaller container (you will add this to your garden later). You can also soak a portion of the material to make tea that can be added to your plants with a spray bottle.

4. When you re-pack the main

compost with the worms still in it, be careful you dont use too much shredded newspaper in your bin the worms get dried out. You should split the worms up at this stage to diversify the population.

I had some big successes and some big misses: Chives have been problematic, they come up really thin and they like a specific amount of water, Wells admits. Smaller fruit-bearing plants have seen a lot of success in Thayers apartment garden. Miniature tomatoes and peppers are great because they require low maintenance and are fitting plants to start with for beginning gardeners. Smaller fruit yields have been harvested on his windowsill all year and go great with many meals. Wells suggests to grow basil under tomatoes: it often proves to be his most successful and flavorful crop when paired together.

Be part of the solution!

Compost plays an important role in significantly reducing problematic methane and carbon gas emissions from landfills. Composting is a fun approach to re-using resources most productively and sustainably through their life cycles minimizing greenhouse gases and contributing to a healthy green planet.
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Gordon Bell Goes Green

The details behind the inner-city schools new green space

By: Anthony Carvalho
innipeg is home to over 1000 parks and green spaces so whats the fuss over its latest addition in the heart of downtown? If you havent been down Portage Ave. in a while, you may notice that the dilapidated car dealership at the intersection of Broadway and Portage is missing and has been replaced by a field with a big black fence. That field and fence belong to Gordon Bell High School. It is the beginnings of their green space development project that will become Panther Field. The school was awarded the land by the provincial government in 2010 following months of student and community activism that ultimately resulted in the province purchasing the land from Canada Post for $3.8 million and investing another $1.5 million to drain, fence, and lay sod on the property. There are 1128 parks and open space sites in Winnipeg according to the City of Winnipegs 2012 budget and in 2004 Winnipeg was ranked fifth overall for green space per capita in Canada by a nationwide study done by Evergreen, a national charity with the goal of helping to great sustainable cities. One of the reasons Gordon Bell sought to acquire the land is because they are the only Winnipeg School Division 1 high school with no actual green space. Currently outdoor sports are played on an
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Photos Courtesy of Gordon Bell High School

student compared to Gordon Bells 68 square ft. per student. Its not only the students of Gordon Bell who will benefit from the green space, the space will also be available to community groups on a permit basis similar to the way the Winnipeg School Division currently handles gym facilities. Aside from permit designations and regular school hours, the field will be open for general public use. It will be nice to go for a run on a track close to home, said Clinton Filteau, a local runner who is excited by the regulation track and the cross-country pathway being incorporated to the site. Gordon Bell worked with Scatliff+Miller+Murray, a design firm who have worked on many recent landscape

asphalt courtyard a little over half the size of CFL field. This leaves sports teams that require grass, such as soccer, to practise at other fields, something that is easier said than done for school in a community where 51 percent of families live below the poverty line. There was one little girl who came up to me and said how she couldnt wait to be able to sit on the grass under a tree. I found that odd at first until I drove by where this girl lived and saw that her street faces a back lane and is completely surrounded by concrete and autobins, said Gordon Bell Principle Arlene Skull. Elmwood High School, a school with a comparable student population located outside of the inner city, has an average of about 1000 square ft. of green space per

architecture projects in the city, including the introduction of Winnipegs first outdoor artificial turf field in Central Parks renovation. Gordon Bells space features a 250-metre track, an outdoor classroom, and its own artificial turf field. The decision to go with artificial turf may go against the traditional idea of a green space, but it provides unique advantages over its natural counterpart. The artificial turf, that was laid earlier this year, reduces the cost of day-to-day maintenance on the field, eliminates the need to re-sod every few years, and provides the opportunity to create an ice rink on the turf in winter without having to worry about damaging the underlying sod. The space will incorporate a re-created northern forest of white spruce, tamarack and birch with a low understory planting to ensure clear sight lines from the street, for safety reasons. The rest of the open space will be sodded with variations of grass representing the Canadian Shield. There are also plans to incorporate a stage on the Northeast corner of the property. The next steps in the development will be to add lighting into the area to allow for the field to be used in the evening as well as a 3D sign featuring the Gordon Bells Panther mascot. With so much work still ahead Skull remains optimistic, The kids keep me updated on the work being done, theyll run up and say Did you see the big trucks on the field? Its their excitement is what keeps us going. The space will officially be opened to the public on June 10, commemorated with an opening event and performance from the students, but Skull says students should be able to start taking advantage of the space once the snow has melted.
Andrew Mynarski V.C Junior High 426 Students 68.3 M 2/ Student Sisler High School 1,845 Students 53.2 M 2/ Student Isaac Newton School 331 Students 2 36.7 M / Student St. Johns High School 1,108 Students 2 6.6 M / Student

Technical Vocational High School 1,224 Students 2 52.7 M / Student

Children of the Earth High School 230 Students 23.5 M 2/ Student Elmwood High School 793 Students 2 95.3 M /Student

Daniel Mcintyre Collegiate 1,237 Students 6.3 M 2/ Student General Wolfe School 793 Students 2 95.3 M / Student

R.B Russell Vocational High School 498 Students 2 26.5 M / Student Hugh John MacDonald School 293 Students Argyle Alternative 26.5 M 2/ Student High School Gordon Bell High School 762 Students 6.3 M 2/ Student Ecole secondaire Kelvin High School 1,373 Students 11.3 M 2/Student 160 Students 2 2.7 M / Student

Ecole River Heights 517 Students 2 88.5 M /Student

Churchill High School and College Churchill 646 Students 2 41.3 M /Student

Grant Park High School 1,185 Students 88.5 M 2/Student

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Hollow Reed Holistic

Natural Herbal Remedies & Therapies
Winnipegs premier destination for quality natural products, education and holistic services drawn from ancient traditions and wisdom. We provide wildcrafted bulk herbs, foods and essential oils that promote healthy living the way nature intended.

a t u N r e k s c Gift o l n U s

Located in the heart of Wolseley 761 Westminster Ave

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Start a Low-Maintenence Hobby Garden

Your 6-Step Guide to growing vegetables and herbs in a raised garden
By Meghan Franklin

3. Build the Timber Bed

Purchase the appropriate size timbers at your local garden centre. If you want to build an 8x8 garden, buy 8x8 timbers. Lay the timbers down in a square or rectangle shape. Stack the timbers so that they are two timbers high. Attach the timbers together at the corners with nails. There is no need to fasten the timbers down to the ground. Once the soil is poured in, the timbers wont move. Place black gardening plastic at the bottom and leave it for a couple of days to kill off the grass. The structure of your raised bed is complete and ready for soil!

5. Start Planting
Plant your garden after June 1, when there is little chance of frost in Manitoba. Follow seed-packet instructions for planting as different vegetables may have different requirements. Stake peas, beans and tomatoes using netting, or even old hockey sticks or ski poles. Plant tall vegetables at the back of the garden and short vegetables in front, so the taller ones dont block the sun.

Photo by Anthony Carvalho

1. Choose Your Plants

Manitobas growing season is short, so pick plants that are not slow to harvest. Tomatoes, radishes, leaf lettuce, onions, peas, beans, carrots and beets, are your best bet for a successful harvest. Consider growing herbs like oregano, basil, chives, thyme and dill. Theres nothing like a meal made with fresh garden herbs picked that day! Plant Daylilies (Hemerocallis species) so you have the option of throwing a few into a salad to add some colour. Theyre pretty, safe to eat, and taste just like lettuce! Timber

6. Maintenance

Water your garden every second day and make sure the water is sinking deep into the soil. You can tell if your garden isnt getting Soil Gardening plastic enough water by sticking your index finger down into the soil. If the tip of your finger is dry, your garden is thirsty! The best way to get rid of weeds is the old fashioned way to pull them out. But one natural solution you can try is corn mace or corn gluten. Dilute organic oil-based soap products with water and spray it onto vegetable plants to protect them from insects. The oil in the soap will coat any insects, without penetrating the skin of the vegetable or fruit. Dont plant the same vegetable or herb in the same spot two years in a row. Crop rotation is key to preventing plant diseases and will increase your gardens productivity.

2. Choose a Spot
Look for a level site that receives sun for 6 to 8 hours a day, and check that the garden hose will reach the site so watering wont be a problem. Choose a site where there will be enough space for your garden. First time gardeners should start with either one 8x8 bed or two 4x4 beds before moving on to larger gardens.

Diagram by Anthony Carvalho

4.

Fill the raised garden with soil

Purchase 4-way mix soil (contains compost, soil, peat moss, and sand) from your local garden centre. Fill the raised bed with 12 inches of soil.

Gardening Tool Essentials:

Round-mouth shovel Wheelbarrow Pitchfork Pruning shears Hoe Rake Trowel

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Manitobas Sacred Medicines

Traditional Aboriginal medicine and Western culture
by Meghan Franklin

Photos by Meghan Franklin

ekwan Spence closes her eyes and fans the sweet smelling smoke toward her face. Smudging is an everyday ritual for Colleen Simard and her 2-year-old-daughter, Sekwan. Its something Simard hopes her daughter will continue to practice in her adult life and pass down to her own children. Simard first learned how to smudge in the small town of Bissett, Man. where she grew up. It was also here that she learned from her great-grandfather and elders in the community about traditional Aboriginal medicines used to treat people with the flu, allergies, arthritis, and even depression, diabetes, and cancer. Now a freelance writer living the urban life in Winnipeg, Simard still uses traditional medicines on a daily basis and cant remember the last time she took antibiotics or Advil. Its empowering for a person to go outside, pick medicines, and heal themselves. I had a cold just the other day, so I went outside and picked some cedar, dried it, threw it in a pot of boiling water, and made some traditional medicinal tea, said Simard. First Nations people refer to cedar, sweetgrass, sage, and tobacco as the four sacred medicines. Each of the medicines are used to treat a variety of illnesses and ailments, but when cedar, sweetgrass, and sage are combined, traditional healers consider the mixture to be especially powerful. Mixing these three sacred medicines is how Cree elder Betty Ross, nurses her grandsons back to health when they catch a cold.

I boil the sage, sweetgrass, and cedar together for four minutes to create a vapour, which they breathe in. Then I strain the water and they drink it, said Ross. According to the Manitoba First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (RHS), 51% of Aboriginal adults in Manitoba use traditional medicines on a regular basis and 50% want access to traditional medicines in hospital settings. Ross is a spiritual and cultural care provider with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and uses traditional medicines in her work with patients at Concordia Hospital and Seven Oaks General Hospital. Pictured below: Sekwan and Colleen Simard, Pictured above: Coleen Simard

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I cant even describe the incredible feeling I have about being able to work with sacred medicines and share them with people who need them, said Ross. I always start with a smudge, and then I help patients heal mentally through listening and navigating their journey in a sharing circle. Then I explain the four sacred medicines and provide the medicines, if the patient wants them. One reason Ross believes traditional medicines are environmentally friendly and sustainable is because of the way in which they are picked. Each summer, she travels with several volunteers from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority to Peguis First Nation where they pick enough sweetgrass to last the winter, and are careful never to pick more than they need. Its hard work picking sweetgrass. We go in the middle of July so the sun is beating down, and right after you pick the sweetgrass you have to braid it so it doesnt dry up. But my heart sings when Im in the field picking sweet grass. I can feel Mother Earth dancing beneath me. Simards great-grandfather taught her similar lessons about respecting the Earth, and she is working at passing these teachings down to her son. When we go picking sage along the Trans-Canada Highway, I tell my son why we dont pick it all because to take it all would be to rob the Earth. Its not the indigenous way to fill up a truckload of sage and sell it for a profit. Dr. Barry Lavallee is the acting director of the University of Manitobas Centre for Aboriginal Health Education and a board member of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada. As a medical doctor, Lavallee prescribes pharmaceutical drugs to his patients, but has worked alongside elders practicing traditional medicine and believes they are a viable option for treating sickness and disease in some cases. Ive seen it work. I know it works. When people disregard indigenous knowledge I remind them that Western medicine is very young, only about 400 years old. 400 years ago my ancestors had been practicing the art and science of traditional medicine for over 59,000 years. Lavallee hopes there will soon be increased protection for the hundreds of vulnerable areas across Manitoba where traditional medicines grow. Right now, if we were to take a map of Canada and put yellow tacks where traditional medicine is picked in Manitoba, the whole province would light up, said Lavallee. But we are ignorant of many of these areas and we are not protecting them, but destroying them. Simard is also concerned about the loss of areas where traditional medicines grow, as well as the loss of elders in Aboriginal communities who hold sacred knowledge about the whereabouts of medicinal plants and how to use them. Pictured above: Betty Ross, Pictured below: Sweetgrass

Its hard work...But my heart sings when Im in the field picking sweetgrass. I can feel Mother Earth dancing beneath me.

The pool of people with knowledge of traditional medicine is shrinking because people with this knowledge are dying. This is why Ive been trying to increase my own knowledge of traditional medicines so I can ensure that my son and daughter inherit some knowledge about plants, ceremonies, and medicines. As Ross raises two of her five grandchildren, she tries her best to educate them about First Nations culture and traditional medicines.

I use the teachings the Creator has shared with me to educate them about when our ancestors lived, and held a world view where they existed in harmony with Mother Earth. Thats where the medicines came from and where the medicines still come from.

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Plastic Bags
Recycle at: - London Drugs - Real Canadian Su perstore - Safeway -Walmart

Paint
Recycle at: - General Paint - Cloverdale Paint areCo-op - Pollocks Hardw ome & Garden - RONA REVY H d - Windsor Plywoo ctcare.org/ http://www.produ manitwoba-depots

http://www.simplyr ecycle.ca/w p/ what-can-i-recycle

Household
Recycle a t:

Hazardou

s Waste

Miller En vironmen tal Corpo 1803 Hek ration la Ave, W innipeg, M B http://ww w.millergro up.ca/was managem te_ ent/hazard ous_waste /

Cell Phones
Recycle at local cell phone providers: - WIRELESSWAVE - Rogers Communications Inc. - MTS - TELUS Mobility

cid Ba Lead-A

tteries

at: Recycle prises ee enter m a r a L lectric Auto E p m e t ll -A teries tate Bat / - Inters attery.ca clemyb y c r e le .r c w y ww -rec http:// -battery a d n fi hp/ index.p

Household Fluorescent Lights

Recycle at: - Princess Auto - Rona - Super Lite Lighting - London Drugs - Miller Environmental - Pollocks Hardware Co-op - Robinson Lighting - Home Hardware http://www.productcare.org/ manitoba-depots

Oil & A

ntifreez

le at: Recyc ire dian T r Life - Cana reen Fo l Ser vices G L F -G enta vironm ental n E ! -A ide nm Souths Enviro - Miller vironmental & En - WRS om/ e ycling.c c Ser vic e r il o sed www.u tions http:// treloca n e c o c e / en/mb t: Recycle a

ducts Recyc le at y o u r neighb ourho o d depot: - Gard en City S h - St. Ja mes Civ opping Cent re ic Cen - Magn tre us Elia son Re - Pan A creatio m n Cent - South Pool re dale Sh opping http:// Centre www.w innipeg watera .ca/ ndwast e/recy cle/de pots.st m

Paper & Paper P ro

Tires

to Ser vice donald Au c a M W J otors - Metro M ncy hicles Age - Fleet Ve y Auto Bod p - Vernaus ent Co-O m ip u q E in ta - Moun be King Tire & Lu in ta n u o F w. http://ww / shipmb.ca rd a tirestew

tronics Recycle at: - 1-800 Got Jun k - A-1 M cKinley T rns. - Allmo ve - Chisic k Metal - Comp uters fo r Schoo - Miller ls Environ mental - Power land Co mputers - Urban mine http://r ecyclem yelectro nics.ca/ mb/

Elec

Photos by: Sarah Tone

Allin the Family

Photo by: Sarah Tone

Three generations of the Kohut family are making a difference for their environment

By: Sarah Tone

erry Kohut, 60, uses a handmade cloth her daughter made to wipe her kitchen table with Get Clean by Shaklee - a concentrated organic cleaner she uses in her home. Kohut lives sustainably. Shes passed down her dedication to a greener life to her daughter and grandchildren, Joshua and Anna-Lyn to encourage respectful behavior towards the environment. Seven-year-old Joshua sits on his moms lap. I know the bottles with the triangles on the bottom go into the blue box, he says voluntarily with a smile. His sister Anna-Lyn, 4, is watching TV on the couch in the living room. up a pipeline to the roof where its warmed by the panels. When heated, it flows back into the pool through a second pipeline. I cant understand why people still buy plastic bags, like at the grocery stores, she said shaking her head. Its so important to know that every plastic bag in a landfill makes a difference. Kohut keeps two of her own smaller reusable bags in her purse at all times. Shes been recycling for over 25 years, and hasnt used a plastic bag in eight months. I know I can do better, we all can. Its the simple matter of educating ourselves. Kohut frequents craft and trade shows. She visits the booths and takes home brochures and information packages to learn about new sustainable technologies, like compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. She uses CFL bulbs in all her light fixtures. Their efficiency inspired her to switch out her Christmas lights for LED string lights. Manitoba Hydro had an exchange program, she remembers. You could bring in up to three old sets and theyd give you a coupon for a discount on the LED lights at Home Depot. A conservation booth set up at a trade show at the Winnipeg Convention Centre is where she learned about using electric powered appliances.
Pictured above: Anna-Lyn and Joshua Giesbrecht and Kerry Kohut

so important to know that every plastic Its bag in a landfill makes a difference.
I know how to recycle too, she said shyly. 30 years ago, Kohut moved into her current home. With it came a brand new underground pool and solar panels on the roof to heat it. We had to learn how to use them first, she laughs. To heat the pool, she turns on a switch and the water travels
p.14

I got rid of my snow blower and now have an electric mower. I heard that a regular lawn mowers emissions are like running five cars, so it made sense to switch. She also bought an electric bicycle. Its battery lasts for three hours, and with its universal plug she can use any outlet to charge the battery. She has timers for her Christmas lights, furnace, block heater, computer and TV. Kohuts daughter Jenny Giesbrecht, 34, works as an educational assistant at Grant Park High School. Influenced by her mom and social pressure, Giesbrecht composts and has recycling bins in her kitchen and at the craft table in the basement. She also pays for plot to garden in le-des-Chnes. I do more because of my mom for sure. I never used to compost, recycling is more popular, and people give you heck if you dont! Giesbrecht said. When Josh and Anna-Lyn were little and we had people over, if I threw stuff out, or said it was too much work, oh man did I get yelled at! Giesbrecht rents a garden plot and does all the work to maintain it. She generously shares most of the produce with people she knows who dont have gardens, or who arent able to maintain one, her friends and her church. It costs maybe $30 for seeds for the season and we come home with at least 15 pounds of food between my mom, a friend, and myself. Last year, I came home with 25-30 zucchinis each week in August. Joshua goes with his mom to deliver zucchinis to offer to their neighbours. They also grow carrots, potatoes, squash, corn, cucumbers and lettuce. At cole Julie-Riel, Joshuas grade 3 class is learning about recycling scrap papers. Usually all the paper that we have from our projects we collect and our green team takes it out to the big blue bins in the parking lot, he said. He runs over to the kitchen counter, opens a drawer and brings out a stack of cloths. I made all my own cloth napkins. We use paper towels all the time and its much easier to wash them and reuse them. It didnt take much, I took an afternoon and I made about 16 of them, Giesbrecht said. Shes glad her kids learn about sustainability in school, but is dissatisfied with the availability of information for adults on where and what she can recycle. I think there should be collection of electronics and toxic chemicals or cleaners that cant go in the regular garbage. I would participate in a pickup program, even if it was only at certain places or times.

Manitoba Hydro:

Replace the light fixtures and lamps in your home that you use most often with ones that have earned the governments ENERGY STAR label. You will help preserve energy resources and reduce the risks of global warming while saving money. ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures are ideal for places where lights are left on for more than 20 minutes at a time. ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures and CFLs are perfect for hard to reach places because you dont need to replace the bulbs as often.

Conservation and Water Stewardship Manitoba:

In Canada, gasoline powered lawn equipment releases about 80,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year. New electric models are cordless, rechargeable and do not require oil, gas, a starter rope or tune-ups. Solar models harness the suns energy to get the job done. Better yet, manual equipment provides light exercise while keeping your green space trimmed.

Tips to keep your veggies fresh year round:

Keep carrots in the crisper with mud left on them. Keep squash in a cool, dark place - like the basement, closet or pantry. Chop or grate fresh zucchini and freeze. Cook fresh corn on the cob. Shave off the cob and put the kernels in freezer bags for the winter.
p.15

Earthship Manitoba
One couples journey to building the ultimate sustainable home
by Meghan Franklin

ris Plantz and Nicole Bennett appear to be like any other thirty-something couple. Plantz, an environmental consultant and Bennett, a project manager at a software company, are in the midst of their careers, thinking about starting a family, and currently building a house except their new home will be nothing like any other home in Manitoba. Five years ago, Plantz and Bennett were spending most of their free time in their downtown Winnipeg loft watching documentaries about people living off the grid. Intrigued by people in the films growing their own food and storing their own power, it wasnt until seeing Garbage Warrior, a documentary about Michael Reynolds, an eco-architect from New Mexico and the brains behind Earthship Biotecture that the couple gave radical green living, serious consideration. After watching the documentary, we just could not get the Earthship out of our heads. So we talked about doing it for a couple of years, and by 2008 we were telling our friends and family that we were going to build one. Earthships are sustainable buildings made out of natural and recycled materials. They are equipped with simple, natural systems for processes such as collecting and heating water. In water collection, rain water is caught on the roof, stored in cisterns, and pushed through a gravity-fed filter. Water for showers is heated using solar energy and reused a total of four times first for bathing and washing dishes, second for watering plants in the greenhouse, third for flushing toilets, and lastly for watering outside plants.

In early 2010, Plantz and Bennett began planning how they would make the Earthship happen, starting with their wedding invitations. They invited friends and family to give a monetary wedding gift that would contribute toward the purchase of land in rural Manitoba where they would build the Earthship. Two years later, they found the perfect location, secured a mortgage, and bought 66 acres of land just outside St. Andrews, Man. Everything snowballed from there, said Bennett. Once you buy land, you have to start doing something with it, so it wasnt long before we bought the building designs from New Mexico.
Pictured above: Kris Plantz and Nicole Bennett Pictured below: Nicole Bennett and Jax

p.16

volunteered at Folk Fest We this past summer and collected 15,000 to 18,000 pop cans... We used about 25,000 cans throughout the house.

At $9,000 for the building designs, and approximately $125 per square foot, the Earthship is not necessarily less expensive than any other home build. But Plantz and Bennett said their self-sustaining home that lacks a furnace, air conditioning, and traditional water system, will save them money in the long-run. Its not cheap, but the difference between our home and a regular home is that when were finished building, our home will produce its own power, collect its own water, and because of the greenhouse, produce its own food, said Bennett. The couple has also saved money on building materials, as the Earthships blueprints call for materials most people are trying to get rid of. Pop cans and old tires make up the drywall mixture, along with concrete and dirt. We volunteered at Folk Fest this past summer and collected 15,000 to 18,000 pop cans, said Plantz. We also got cans from friends and family, and collected some at work. In total, we used about 25,000 cans throughout the house. The couple also received a generous donation of recycled tires from Fountain Tire, and collected over one hundred tires from local landfills. We used about 800 tires in the house total, said Bennett. They were just garbage so were happy we could use them. Eventually they will all be mudded over and sealed in so you wont be able to see them. For the most part, Plantz and Bennett relied on volunteers rather than contractors to help them with the build. The couple camped out at the Earthship site from July to October of 2012 and many of their volunteers camped out with them a few staying the entire four months. This summer, Plantz and Bennett plan to finish the Earthship and will set up camp on May 1, 2013. A few volunteers from last year will be returning to help and new volunteers from as far as Oregon, France, and Australia will also take part through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms program. Plantz said finishing the build wouldnt be possible without the help of so many volunteers, and he is proud of what they have accomplished so far. We had no prior building experience to this project, and most of the volunteers had no prior building experience either. But once we got going and helped each other, we managed to get everything done on our own except the framing of the front. Im so impressed by how everyone came together.
p.17

Treading Water
What the end of the Experimental Lakes Area could mean for water quality in the prairies.

Article and photos by: Grme Csath

rand Beach is the premier summer destination for many Winnipeg outdoor enthusiasts during our short but beautiful summer. It is obvious to those who frequent the beach that Lake Winnipegs water quality has been significantly degrading over the years, and has fallen victim to dangerous blue-green algae blooms and E. coli levels. On July 16, 2012, Manitoba Water Stewardship released their annual document reporting E. colilevels as high as 533 parts E. coli/ 100 mL at Winnipeg Beach. This report verifies that water contamination is a steadily increasing, which can pose a serious health risk to those enjoying a day at the beach. As the snow begins to melt and trickle back into the water-table, Manitobans following the controversial federal decision to cut the world leading freshwater research centre, the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), look to this summers beach season with uncertainty. Dr.Ray Hesslein, former director of the

75% of Canadians oppose the cuts to the ELAincluding 60% of those who say they intend to vote Conservative.
ELA said, The ELA has been a training ground for many of the most prominent fresh-water scientists directly influencing responsible environmental policy around the world. The dismantling of the ELA is a great loss to the scientific community and to students. For many Canadians, the ELA is an acronym not frequenting much debate in casual discussion, however, the impending end of this cutting edge research program is causing major concern among scientists and environmentalist groups as the spring approaches and our water quality drifts uncharted. Several protesters made an appearance during the media coverage of Prime Minister Stephen Harpers address in Gimli, Manitoba. Protesters were seen with Stop Harper picket signs parading through Gimli. Many of the protestors brought their children to hold signs for an eventful day at the beachwith a political agenda. The protesters included some of

the 17 scientists who have devoted their careers to provide us with vital research. These scientists recently lost their jobs due to their involvement. A recent Environics poll suggests that three-quarters of Canadians oppose the cuts to the ELA. Sixty percent of those voters say they intend to vote for the Conservative Party. A document obtained by Greenpeace using the Freedom of Information Act suggests that federal environmental decisions may not entirely reflect those of the greater public. In a letter addressed to Peter Kent, Minister of Environment Canada, and Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources Canada, petroleum producers predominantly operating out of Alberta issued a number of policy requests: On behalf of the Energy Framework Initiative, suggestions were presented to streamline environmental assessment, which side-steps bureaucratic precautionary measures designed to protect the environment. The implications made in the document were enacted into public policy only a few months after the letter was sent. One of many points made by the Energy Framework Initiative

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in the letter addressed to policy makers states, At the heart of most existing legislation is a philosophy of prohibiting harm; environmental legislation is almost entirely focused on preventing bad things from happening rather than enabling responsible outcomes.

This could suggest that industry is taking action to influence the environmental assessment procedure. The Energy Framework Initiatives commitment to responsible outcomes seems quite difficult to measure now that environmental assessment policy has been dismantled and streamlined. In March 2013, we will lack scientific data from the ELA to measure the environmental effects of this industries bitumen soaked expansion.

be monitoring the effects of these issues on our most essential resource. This spring we will be treading water without vital scientific data to monitor threats to our lakes and rivers.

There is a direct link between dismantling the ELA, and benefits to the oil industry.

75% Closing the ELA for budgetary reasons is simply a fabrication.

The Idle No More movement has been generating a lot of media speculation into the governments changes to policy that lurk in the subtext of omnibus bills. This voice of opposition makes it clear that we have two conflicting political interests in Canada.

Eric Redder Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee said, If our government is cutting the essential protection to our most precious resource, water, there would be something very wrong if there wasnt massive protests from a population of 35 million.

Make your voice heard:

The book, Environmental Challenges and Opportunities, suggests that Canadian environmental policy has been especially vulnerable since the creation of the Federal Water Policy in 1987. The book states, The broad and tentative policy goals of the FWA further highlight the conundrum and conflicting values we have for water protection in Canada.

This brings up the question, what is valuable in our society: an increasing GDP, or sustainable renewable resources that are abundant for many generations to come. It seems difficult for these to coexist.

You can show your support by visiting SaveELA.org. If you have a group of friends or family that share passion for environmental sustainability and water stewardship, then drop by the Green Action Centre at 303 Portage Ave. and collect some signatures to save our water quality from venturing into the unknown.

We will lack the invaluable scientific data from the ELA to measure the environmental effects of industry expansion.

As the threat of climate change is becoming more relevant every day, and Albertas petroleum industry estimates a 50% oilsands expansion in the year 2030: It is a very essential time for the ELA to

Photos by Grme Csath

Eric Redder, Campaign Director of the Wilderness Committee said, There is a direct link between dismantling the ELA, and benefits to the oil industry. The numbers dont add up: It costs 2 million dollars a year to run the facility and fifty million dollars to close it down. Closing the ELA for budgetary reasons is simply and definitely a fabrication.

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Funding the perfect partner

Reclay StewardEdge partners with Food Matters Manitoba to help fund community food plans in Northern Manitoba
By: Sarah Tone

Photo courtesy of: Recycle Everywhere

Pictured above: Kyle Schappert - CBCRA and Raquel Koenig - FMM

yle Schappert, Field Operations Representative for the CBCRA/Recycle Everywhere is a member of Reclay StewardEdges philanthropy committee. Reclay StewardEdge develops sustainable strategies for businesses and organizations, like Recycle Everywhere. The CBCRA/Recycle Everywhere and Reclay StewardEdge were looking to get involved with a project in Manitoba. Schapperts role was to scout out an organization that met the specific requirements. Food Matters Manitoba (FMM) was a perfect fit. We saw the potential to fund a program that focused on the development of sustainable programs in Northern Manitoba, and addressed poverty issues and food insecurity. According to the Food Matters Manitoba website, Through the Northern Healthy Foods Initiative (NHFI), Food Matters Manitoba works with 13 northern and remote Manitoba communities to develop and build on community food plans. FMM helped develop local food projects in the communities, in order to increase their access to healthy and nutritious foods. We wanted to bring some synergy into northern communities, to break into their waste management plans and gain more credibility in the province and environmental industry, Schappert said. Part of the NHFIs mission is to have healthy food available to every Manitoban. The plan Schappert helped put together would allow Reclay StewardEdge to fund access to healthy food in an economically diverse and stable system. The NHFI security survey came out in 2003 and it listed significant inconsistencies in food security. Some reserves pay $20 for milk, and a 2L of Pepsi is $6. Traditional ways of living sustainably are lost when this is the way food is made available to the public, said Schappert.

Though there were difficulties in initial planning strategies, such as funding for program coordinators, workers and issues with scalability for funding manpower, the importance of teaching and implementing sustainable practices in northern communities strengthened the need to help fund this project. FMM is largely funded by donations and in order to get this project going we needed to fund it, said Schappert. The funding covers the fees to build a community garden. The garden will have plots for each low income family living in a trailer park in the Cross Lake community. Building materials, planning for space development, coordinators, soil, lumber, fencing, compost bins and audits, are all included. I hope that the horticultural education gets through and that they find some dedicated people wholl continue to push for this type of program. Its been a great, positive thing to be a part of, Schappert said with a grin. In June 2013, Schappert will break ground at the garden in Cross Lake. The long term plans for this project include continued funding and creating program plans and manuals to aid in the startup of similar programs in other communities.
Event Days
2010 2011 2012

Recycle Everywhere Program Statistics

113 184 195 1376 3997 3041

Total Program Partners

Total Bins Shipped

2010

2011

2012 p.21

12
1
By: Sarah Tone

change
yourlife

waysto

USE MATCHES

An estimated 1.5 billion lighters (filled with petroleum) end up in landfills each year. Cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

8 9

STOP PAPER BANK STATEMENTS

Save on paper and try banking online.

USE DIMMERS
Use timers on lights in garages, holiday lights and other areas where lights may be left on. Use dimmers to adjust the amount of light necessary for each room.

TURN OFF COMPUTERS

By turning off your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode, you can save $14 per year.

USE POWER BARS

10 11

HALF THE FLUSH

Plug everything into one power bar. Dont forget to set a timer to make sure electricity isnt running when it isnt needed.

Put a bottle inside the water tank of your toilet. Fill the bottle with water, cap it and put it in the tank after a flush to reduce the amount of water used for each flush.

3 4

COMPOST

GREENER LAWN CARE

Spot treat weeds with vinegar. Use electric or push mowers to save on emissions.

Food and paper are the two largest components in landfills, accounting for nearly 50% of all municipal solid waste.

DOWNLOAD YOUR SOFTWARE

Save on packaging cost and production and keep discs and electronics out of landfills.

12
1
1

BUY LOCAL

Transportation of food from across the country to your kitchen table sends out greenhouse gas emissions. Eliminate them and buy local meat and produce.

FLY WITH AN E-TICKET

Tsp. vegetable oil

Cost to process a paper ticket: ~$10 Cost to process an e-ticket: less than $1

INGREDIENTS

Large onion, chopped

REUSE AND DONATE

Clothes, time and food, to charities and missions.

Killer Quinoa

3 Garlic gloves, minced 3/4 Cup uncooked Quinoa 1 1/2 Cup vegetable broth 1 Tsp. ground cumin 1/4 Tsp. cayenne pepper 1 Cup frozen corn kernels 2 Cans black beans drained 1/2 Cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
p.22

Involved
Earth Hour Earth Day http://www.earthhour.org
Register your organization, workplace or family as an Earth Hour team. Join us & switch off your lights on Saturday March 23, 2013 at 8:30 p.m. For 2013 we invite you to do more than switch off. I Will If You Will - a simple promise and a challenge. A CEO can challenge his peers, a department can challenge a department, an office can challenge an office, a company can challenge its staff, clients or industry. We want to inspire people to take actions that make a difference and impact the world you live in. Go to YouTube to check out the latest challenges and register your challenge to dare the world to save the planet.

Get

http://www.earthday.ca Monday, April 22, 2013

Visit our website to find upcoming earth day events in Manitoba.

Third Annual Garden Party Fashion Show in support of Habitat for Humanitys Women Build Sunday, May 5, 2013
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Delta Hotel
An afternoon of fashions, food and friends with all proceeds to Women Build - a program that promotes women as leaders and gives them the opportunity to help construct sponsored homes in our community. Start with champagne and auction prizes. Meet a Habitat Women Build homeowner and hear how home ownership has changed the familys life. A light lunch is followed by a 60-minute fashion show for all ages and body types, with fashions from a variety of local boutiques. The event concludes with a live auction and prize draws.

Pitch-In Week http://www.pitch-in.ca April 21-27, 2013

We focus on the clean-up of business and commercial areas, wildlife areas, parks and ravines, schools and neighborhoods, highway/roadside, sports fields, shoreline and waterways and nature and recreational trails. We use donations to ensure programs are being taught in schools across the nation and to provide FREE clean-up materials to thousands of community groups of every size and in any location. Please help us to beautify our nation and work towards a litter free, safe environment for us all to live in.

Register for the Dig In Challenge at: http://www.diginmanitoba.ca/challenge

Challenge yourself, coworkers and friends to: 1) 2) 3) Eat close to home Learn new food skills Take action for fair food

Volunteer
p.23

Register your community group or business for Team Up to Clean Up

Participants pick up litter using litter bags supplied by Take Pride Winnipeg! They also help to paint over graffiti, plant trees, and learn about recycling, re-using and reducing waste. The spring campaign runs April through June. If your community group is involved with a number of cleanups throughout the year and you are in need of litter bags, please email louie@takepride.mb.ca with your cleanup details. Volunteer Opportunities with Take Pride Winnipeg! Louie the Lion assistants, Team Up to Clean Up - litter cleanups, For more information on volunteering, please email volunteer@takepride.mb.ca.

A project of Food Matters Manitoba and partner organizations, the Dig In Challenge is an opportunity for Manitobans to eat healthy, local, sustainable, and fair food. The Dig In Challenge also features FREE workshops, prizes, local food recipes, a chance to connect with people all across the province, and much more!

THIS IS MARKET

MY

Fresh produce, baked goods and more from our garden, to your kitchen

LE MARCH ST. NORBERT FARMERS MARKET

Proud to be Manitobas largest farmers market. We encourage and provide locally grown produce & locally made dcor, art and handmade crafts. Celebrate our 25th anniversary with us in 2013! The market season begins Saturday, June 1. Saturdays 8-3 & Wednesdays 12-6
Le march St.Norbert Farmers Market

3514 Pembina Highway, Winnipeg, MB Next to the St. Norbert Community Centre stnorbertfarmersmarket.ca

Manitoba grown. Manitoba made. Since 1988. 204 275 8349 To become a vendor or volunteer for the 2013 season, download an application at stnorbertfarmersmarket.ca