2009 Awards
Each year, EAC members nominate and vote on deserving groups and individuals for our four annual awards. Below are descriptions of the awards, and information on the 2009 winners and other nominees.
The Sunshine Award
The Sunshine Award is given to a group or an individual who has made a particularly effective effort in an environmental issue in Nova Scotia during the prior year.
WINNER: Eastern Shore Forest Watch
The hardworking and dedicated volunteer members of the Eastern Shore Forest Watch (ESFW). ESFW has worked tirelessly at the local level for over a decade to get the Ship Harbour Long Lake area protected. This will soon become a reality as the province completes the final bureaucratic steps to designate it as a protected Wilderness Area totaling over 14,500 hectares. This major accomplishment in nature conservation would never have happened without their perseverance, hard work and determination. ESFW have also advocated strongly against clearcutting and gold mining on the Eastern Shore and have actively promoted better forestry practices designed to restore “honour in the woods”.
RUNNERS UP:
Peggy Cameron
Former EAC board member and former Garden Party Committee member who has been working independently for many years promoting wind power in NS and more recently solar power. She has also been very outspoken in opposing HRM by Design because she feels it is not environmentally responsible. She started a group, Friends of the Halifax Common, to oppose the new hospital development because it was taking over city green space. She has been active in trying to save the view from Citadel Hill. She has made presentations on these issues and others before City Council and on CBC radio; she sends emails widely to inform about local environmental issues and opportunities to attend information sessions, and environmental speakers and events in the community. She is an idealistic, energetic, intelligent, well-spoken, and highly motivated environmental activist who deserves recognition.
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)
The NSCC has become the provincial leader in ground level responses to the changes Nova Scotia will need to make in order to build towards sustainability. With a leading edge new campus, the Waterfront campus in Dartmouth, going for LEED silver recognition and investing in research and development around the work force needs of the new 'green economy', initiating the province's first green collar training program in Middleton in 2009. NSCC has poised itself as the premiere institution (government included) in Nova Scotia taking sustainability steps seriously and putting their money where their mouth is.
OTHER NOMINEES:
The Chebucto Neighbourhood Association
For their tireless efforts to save the integrity of their neighbourhood and advocate for sustainable transportation. And in the process galvanizing debate and raising the profile of sustainable urban design. Area residents formed the group to oppose the widening of Chebucto Rd. and were endlessly creative at getting media attention and getting the word out; including lawn signs, a Facebook group, the fall 2007 front-lawn furniture event, public meetings, and more. They advocated for moratorium on the widening in order to work with council and staff to find better resolution. Throughout their fight they maintained a positive message. Members are still active on related issues and even now they are making a video to commemorate the events of 2008.
Clyde Fischer and Friends of Port Mouton Bay
Clyde Fisher is retired fisherman who represents the dedication, spirit, and humor of the Friends of Port Mouton Bay. At his own expense, he has taken dozens of scuba divers out in his boat to document damages to the Ocean floor. He is a wonderful photographer, and has also practices responsible shoreline stewardship on his own property. Clyde is an extremely effective spokesperson for the Friends of Port Mouton Bay, as he brings knowledge, sincerity, and compassion into every comment he makes.
Linda Best and Friends of Agriculture in NS (FANS)
Linda Best started FANS after spearheading the organization of the Wolfville area Incredible Picnic last fall. Since then FANS has brought together the Federation of Agriculture, local politicians, citizens, farmers, and other food businesses to move forward in relocalizing our food system, establishing a Food Policy Council, and advocating for ecological and economically viable farming. They also organized a highly successful April Flavours celebration dinner in April to feature the great taste of locally-available food in the spring (it sold out a month ahead, and 350 people attended). They are planning a public meeting on Investing Close to Home in June, and another feast and Food Summit in the fall. They have also made the future of agriculture an election issue. Linda Best is tireless in her efforts to connect people, move forward on issues, and take a positive stand wherever possible.
Sackville Rivers Association
The Sackville Rivers Association (SRA) has made great strides in continuing their stewardship of aquatic species on the Sackville River watershed. During the last year they installed 25 digger logs in two separate tributary projects designed to improve salmon and trout habitat. In a disturbed section of the Sackville River three gradient controls were installed to stabilize the shifting river bed and 110 meters of riverbank was rocked to stop erosion. Blocked culverts were removed from the outlet of McCabe’s lake and replaced with a proper channel. Two long running educational programs, Fish Friends and River Rangers were expanded. These programs teach elementary school children about the importance of environmental stewardship and provide direct experience with the fish species present in their local environment. The SRA also continued their water quality monitoring program, Atlantic salmon counting trap, completed an American eel study and continued to pressure government on aquatic stewardship.
Tarred Duck Award
The Tarred Duck Award is presented to a group or individual who has acted in violation of environmental issues or advocated for economic development without consideration for the environment.
WINNER: Shovel Masters: Environment Canada, Transport Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and J.D. Irving Co.
In March, the federal government agreed with J.D. Irving that the Irving owned barge, the Shovel Master, which sank off the coast of NS south of Yarmouth in November 2008, could remain on the ocean floor together with its cargo load of 70,000 litres of diesel and thousands of litres of other, highly toxic oils. Even though technically and financially feasible, the federal government is choosing that J.D. Irving not be required to remove the diesel. Comments by Roger Percy of Environment Canada were that "diesel does not linger the same way heavier fuels do." Government representatives also stated that the diesel in the tanks is likely to leak out slowly, an additional reason why they believe the diesel poses little threat to the marine environment. No such reasoned explanation has been given for the apparent irrelevance of marine pollution laws and lack of concern over the other oils on the barge.
RUNNERS UP:
Wagner Forest Management Ltd.
Wagner is a New Hampshire-based land investment company that bought 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) of forest land from the Neenah Paper Mill in Pictou County for an unnamed client in 2006. Since then they have set up a branch office in Truro and systematically targeted their remaining intact forests for clearcutting. Wagner has two business divisions in the province – one appears to be focused on liquidating forests as fast as they can for quick profit to their client, while the other markets undeveloped backcountry lake areas for exclusive real estate developments, causing permanent forest loss. Wagner has caused problems for not-for-profit groups like the Friends of Redtail Society in Pictou County and the Brigadoon Children’s Camp for chronically ill children in Kings County. In both cases we understand that Wagner plans to clearcut in the nearby woods despite public opposition. Wagner’s operations in Nova Scotia are headed up by former provincial MLA for Cape Breton West, Russell MacKinnon.
HRM staff for the work on HRMbyDesign
For showing a lack of leadership and commitment to sustainability during the HRMbyDesign process. As part of the public consultation process, the EAC proposed that in order to be eligible for bonus zoning, all buildings would have to first meet a standard of LEED silver. In staff’s response to this amendment, they stated that “The overall objective of HRMbyDesign is to make the development process easier and less prone to appeals and litigation.” This seems to favour developers over the public. In the first public consultation of the design process, citizens identified ‘sustainable’ as their top priority. The report also states, "If LEED were a mandatory requirement then it would open the door to lawsuits if... the standard was not being properly applied." Lawsuits are a hassle for the municipality, but the same could be said about any standard if it was not properly applied. This statement illustrates HRM's fear and lack of leadership.
OTHER NOMINEE:
The Harbour Solutions Water Treatment Plant
To the Mayor and council who, after 20 years of discussion, finally chose a primary instead of a tertiary system, ensuring it was instantly out of date. Sharing the award is the company that designed and built it. It's bad enough that we were behind the eight ball, and yet pathetically glad anything was happening, from the beginning of this process. But then when it... pardon the expression... crapped out!? The whole project was a bad case of bait and switch. Halifax citizens had what seemed like a scant few weeks of enjoying the prospect of swimming in a clean harbour before it was snatched away in an apparent "fluke" accident of Titanic proportions. Where were the failsafe systems? Where's the fallback? When will it be fixed and who is going to pay?
Bubby Mooers Award
Bubby Mooers was a folk artist who carved interesting characters and figures out of wood. He gave very generously of his art and of himself. The EAC’s annual Garden Party auction benefited regularly from Bubby’s humorous and sensitive donated artwork. The Bubby Mooers Award is given to someone who has given of themselves, either over time or in the past year, to environmental issues in Nova Scotia and to the Ecology Action Centre in particular.
WINNER: Dirk Van Loon and Anne Gray
Dirk Van Loon and Anne Gray helped establish the Harrison Lewis Coastal Discovery Centre based in Port Joli, Queens County. The Centre promotes understanding and appreciation of rural and natural environments through research, field trips, courses, seminars and other events. Dirk and Anne have been active in their community for many years and bring to their work and efforts a profound understanding and appreciation of the local ecology and local economy. The Centre is but one of their many achievements. Dirk and Anne publish Rural Delivery, Atlantic Beef, Atlantic Forestry and Horse and Pony. They also played a key role in the establishment of the Hank Snow Centre in Liverpool. P.S. Bubby Mooers was from Queens County.
RUNNERS UP:
Ruth Gamberg
Ruth is an Energy Issues Committee (EIC) keener, and a fearless activist who doesn't give a damn if she looks silly. She protested in our demonstration in front of the legislature as a hurricane and made a point to stand in front of the EAC with an "Under 2' C" sign when some political hypocrite was visiting one morning. Last fall she thought the EIC should start putting on public presentations and then proceeded to make it happen. They've been very successful, chiefly due to her efforts, with the most recent event drawing a full house and big media coverage. This little public education subcommittee has drawn a number of people from the larger EIC into extra-curricular activities around organizing these events, something that helps energize peoples’ feeling of being effective on a grass-roots level.
John Pearce and Marcus Garnet
Because they are both passionate about improving public transportation, and have been quietly and persistently lobbying government and getting their voices heard in the media, over many years and they are both incredibly knowledgeable and creative and HUMBLE! Both John Pearce and Marcus Garnet have been involved with Transport 2000 Atlantic for a combined commitment of over 20 years! Their expertise around public policy, funding, existing infrastructure, and best practices on public transportation and rail has been invaluable to their colleagues working on these issues. They have fought to keep dying rail and public transit services alive in NS when others turned their heads.
OTHER NOMINEES:
Beth McGee
Beth McGee has been a long-time conservation advocate and community volunteer and is the current Chair of The Five Bridge Wilderness Heritage Trust. The Heritage Trust is leading a grass-roots effort involving some 20 community groups from around the Chebucto Peninsula to get the Five Bridge Lakes area protected as a new Wilderness Area. She is also a member of the St. Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association and is the main organizing force behind the Council of Community Organizations on the Chebucto Peninsula. With a focus on environmental protection, Beth has been involved in numerous planning processes from the local to the provincial level and has given enormous amounts of time helping others participate in these often complicated processes. For over 20 years Beth has been involved, along with her late father Wilfred Crieghton, in doing hands-on environmentally progressive forest management on their 1,450 acre woodlot in Glenmore Nova Scotia. Beth is an inspiration to everyone she meets.
Brian Gifford
For helping bring together EAC's past and present, and helping us renew our commitment to the original vision of this organization, I nominate EAC pioneer Brian Gifford. As one of the movers and shakers that set up the Living Ecology class at Dalhousie from which the Ecology Action Centre developed Brian is one of EAC’s founding fathers. Brian, who now lives in Ottawa, got back in touch with the EAC a few years ago, and was a key component in the planning and realization of our first Founders' Reunion party last summer. He is very generous with sharing credit for all the EAC has done and become, and remains supportive and proud of the organization while continuing to pursue his own activist goals.
Jamie Thomson
Jamie's been one of the most consistent contributors to the EAC’s Energy Issues Committee for years. He’s a tireless and calm volunteer whose engineering and technical expertise prove helpful when things get complicated in the energy discussions. He goes above and beyond in his contributions. For our Parade of Lights display he constructed the wake-up-Scrooge bed float, with lights, as well as an uninsulated house with fluttering curtains, and then marched in the parade. He also presented Nova Scotia Energy 101 at our Power Politics event. This clear, easy-to-understand talk explains very simply the grid, power sources and problems with the NS power system and has appeared many times on Channel 10.
Mark Taylor
From Centreville, Mark Taylor is a fisherman working out of Halls Harbour.
For a number of years Mark has given his time and his expertise to many different groups working in the Bay of Fundy. He sat on the tidal power Strategic Environmental Assessment and has been the primary vessel owner/operator gathering data for the proposed tidal power demonstration site. He has done all of this even though the area under review is where he fishes and hence, is at risk from tidal power development. He has been extraordinarily generous in sharing a lifetime of knowledge with scientists, engineers, development organizations and regulators.
Tooker Gomberg Award
Tooker Gomberg was a master with the media. From 'Golden Turkey Awards' to 'Burying a Car' to 'Robin Hood at the Toronto Stock Exchange', Tooker knew how to garner media attention. With Tooker as our 'greenspiration', the Gomberg Award goes to the person or event that most creatively and brilliantly 'made the news' in the past year.
This year's nominees:
WINNER: The Friends of Port Mouton Bay
This citizen’s group from Port Mouton used a variety of forms of media very creatively in their opposition of a proposed aquaculture expansion in their Bay. They used striking photos of sludge on the bottom of the Bay, and also of sick fishes, juxtaposed with images of the beauty and marine biodiversity of Port Mouton Bay I their presentations. They held a very visually striking boat rally and beach protest. The “Don’t poop in our Harbour” posters were very effective. They didn’t wait for the media to notice them, but rather held their own press conference and delivered their own scientific report. Best of all, it worked. The province of Nova Scotia issued a moratorium on further aquaculture development in Port Mouton Bay.
RUNNERS UP:
Elizabeth May
For running an inspiring campaign that kept environmental issues front and centre and raising the tone of the debate. From choosing a maximum impact riding, to the ad series featuring vignettes of interviews with her on the train, she showed keen media savvy and political awareness. Her campaign proved political advertising needn't be negative, and can carry a message apart from the spoken word. About the debate, the National Post noted: "Elizabeth May surprised last night as she was the most sober of the opposition leaders. … May brought a calm, number- and fact-referencing persona to the debate and politely corrected leaders as to the “facts” …. For many Canadians who look at the political landscape and see the same old players locked in a seemingly eternal stalemate, May brought a fresh face to the stage for Canadians to consider.[...] she didn’t appear out of place. In that, May scored an impressive victory for her cause."
John Tilley, Vice Chairman of the NS Cattle Producers Association
Cattle producers are going out of business every day in NS as prices are too low for their product, and most grocery store and food service beef consumed in this province is not produced in this province. In NS most cattle are raised on independent family farms, and fed mostly on grass and clover. The hay and pasture land used to feed beef cattle, along with the manure they produce, is part of an ecological farm system – very different from industrial feedlot beef from other regions. To raise awareness of this issue John Tilley and the NS Cattle Producers Association corralled NDP MLA John MacDonell, retiring Tory MLA Brooke Taylor, and Willy Versteeg, Liberal candidate for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley, in a fenced auction ring to answer questions from local farmers about the agricultural platforms proposed by their parties. And then organized an auction of the party platforms – which raised over $200 for Feed Nova.
The Ecology Action Centre has acted as a voice for Nova Scotia's environment for over 37 years. The EAC has been voted #1 Activist Organization by readers of The Coast magazine for six years running. Since 1971, the EAC has been working to build a healthier, more sustainable Nova Scotia.
Ecology Action Centre
2705 Fern Lane
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada B3K 4L3
Phone: (902) 429-2202
Fax: (902) 405-3716
Email: info@ecologyaction.ca
