Fall 2010 Eco Newsletter, EcoSuperior

8/8/2019 Fall 2010 Eco Newsletter, EcoSuperior

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Community PartnersThe many community programs and projects that you will read about in this newslet-ter would not be possible without the efforts of those who finance and contribute toEcoSuperior’s activities. Through contributions of ideas, connections, expertise andfinancial support, the following organizations have played a major role in our success.We extend our sincere gratitude to the individuals within these organizations who havehelped us along the way.

About Eco-NewsOur Staff Boardof Directors

ECO-NEWS • EcoSuperior • 2

A big thank you to the individuals whogenerously provide time and expertiseto guide the operation of EcoSuperior:

Executive:President: Chris Walton,Arbora Consulting

Vice-President: Jane Todd,Ontario Power Generation

Treasurer: John Stephenson,KSGM Architects & Engineer

Secretary: Ken Allan,Thunder Bay District Health Unit

Directors:Mark Smith, City of Thunder Bay

Dr. Anthony Gillies, Lakehead University

Don Murray, Retired

Bryan Heppler, Union Gas

Trudy Tuchenhagen, Lakehead School Board

Kirk Ross, A&R Ross Products

• City of Thunder Bay

• Environment Canada

• EcoAct ion

• Thunder Bay District Health Unit

• Ontario Ministry of the Environment

• Ontario Ministry of NaturalResources

• Ontario Power Generation

• Green Communities Canada

• Ontario Trillium Foundation

• Union Gas

• Lakehead University

• AbitibiBowater

• The Chronicle-Journal

• Dougall Media

• CBC Radio

• Zero Waste Action Team

• ReCool Canada

• Litterfree Thunder Bay

• EarthWise Thunder Bay

• Volunteer Thunder Bay

• Lake Superior Binational Forum

• Township of Terrace Bay

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In addition to the list above, we must thank the many local businesses who make it pos-sible for people to make the right choices; the local media that help us spread the word,and many volunteer and committee members who provide invaluable assistance.

Executive Director:

Ellen Mortfield

Manager of Finance & Admin:

Brenda Ingram

Customer Service:

Shannon Brigden

Program Assistant:

Ashley Priem

Program Coordinators:

Jim Bailey (Binational Forum, Lake Superior AOCs)

Karen Copeland (Waste Reduction, Litter Prevention)

Adam Krupper (Active Transportation)

Lucie Lavoie(Stream Stewardship, Pharmaceuticals)

Jane Oldale (Well Aware, Fluorescent Light Recycling)

Heather Shaver (Youth & Education)

Derek Tessier (EcoDriver, Water Conservation)

Derek Allan (Renewable Energy)

Energy Advisors:

Don Rutledge

Ken Piccinin

Ryan Whatley

EcoNews is produced by EcoSuperior Environmental Programs. Look for our regulareditions in your Chronicle Journal every April and October. All the articles are writtenby EcoSuperior staff unless otherwise credited. We are a non-profit organization, pro-viding public education programs and encouraging environmental stewardship in theLake Superior basin and beyond. If you would like to comment on our programs,please contact us: 562 Red River Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 1H3Tel 807-624-2140 • Fax 807-622-0005 www.ecosuperior.org • [email protected]




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The Jackfish Bay Public Area in Recovery ReviewCommittee (PARRC) will meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday,October 21st in Council Chambers in the CommunityCentre in Terrace Bay. All residents from the Terrace Bay– Schreiber area are welcome to attend. Refreshments willbe served.

The Jackfish Bay committee provides a two-wayavenue of communication between the Terrace Bay –Schreiber community and government agencies involvedin addressing historical environmental concerns in LakeSuperior’s Jackfish Bay and also Blackbird Creek. Thecreek has served as a path for mill effluent for several

decades. Dave Tamblyn is the chair of the Jackfish Baycommittee.

Meeting topics include a presentation about govern-ment plans for environmental monitoring in BlackbirdCreek and Jackfish Bay, presentation by Bill Skrepichuk of a project outlining the industrial history of Jackfish Bayand Terrace Bay, and planning for an event to recognizethe Blackbird Creek/Jackfish Bay ecosystem as an area of environmental recovery.

Jackfish Bay Committee activities are co-ordinated bythe non-profit organization EcoSuperior EnvironmentalPrograms of Thunder Bay with support from the OntarioMinistry of Environment and Environment Canada.Further information about the meeting is available at

www.superiorforum.org. Or by calling 888-301-5253 (tollfree in Thunder Bay).

Jackfish Bay Committee to Meet October 21st

in Terrace Bay

Lake Superior's Jackfish Bay, east of Terrace Bay, was once a thriving Great Lakes port. Dozens of lake freighters per year delivered coal to Jackfish for the railway.




Ontario Power Authority announced the FIT (feed-in tariff) program in the fall of last year.The program allows home and business owners to make money by selling any clean energy thatthey generate on their property to the grid. OPA offers two programs to cater to different sizedprojects; microFIT and FIT. MicroFIT is in place for those projects sized under 10 kilowatts.Any project larger than that must use the FIT program. Although the program caters to thosewho wish to generate energy by means of wind, water or bioenergy, microFIT has becomelargely popular with those who choose solar electric. The contract with the program lasts for20 years with stable rates.

Thus far microFIT has been well received. Since its announcement in October 2009, near-ly 20 000 applications for the microFIT program have already been filed. The incentive pro-gram was put in place to accelerate the province’s transition to a low carbon economy. Havinga clean energy generating system at work or at home will help Ontario reach its coal replace-ment plan which aims to phase out coal-fired generation by the year 2014. A year after its dec-

laration, renewable energy users are discovering the numerous benefits of the MicroFIT pro-gram beyond helping the environment and reducing carbon emissions.

Steve and Yvonne Homer submitted their application in October 2009 shortly after the pro-gram’s announcement. Upon approval from the OPA and Hydro One they had their solar pan-els installed and fully tied to the grid by March 2010. In less than a year the pair received theirfirst cheque in July for generating 1058 kilowatt hours.

The Homer’s experience in working with the OPA and Hydro One to get their system setup was a positive one and a learning experience for all parties involved. Steve, who worksfor Len Carr Electric selling and installing microFIT systems, said he is very satisfied with theprogram so far and would recommend it to others. “I have had my system running for justover six months and am ahead of my projections are as far as revenue made,” said Steve.

He sees it as a great investment. “With Hydro charges going up drastically, it was the first

thing to address to keep my hydro bill in check. You could actually use the profits fromMicroFIT to pay your hydro bill. MicroFIT definitely acted as an incentive,” notes Steve.He also added “The sun is a huge untapped energy source. The more we can utilize it, the

better off our environment will be.”

This article was submitted on behalf of Superior Renewable Energy Cooperative, a localgroup promoting community-owned renewable energy development. To find out more, visit www.srecsun.ca

Going Solar:Seeing GreenOntario Power Authority’s MicroFIT program

Thunder Bay locals, Steve and Yvonne Homer, are already seeing a return from their participation in Ontario Power Authority’s MicroFIT program.

What is it?It’s a new way to explain our municipal

water system! Using a variety of coloured mar-bles, our staff educators can use this model toshow students how water comes from the lake,goes through the Bare Point Treatment Plan and

then out to our homes. More marbles representthe substances we put into the system down ourdrains. The Pollution Control Plant, representedby another large bowl, traps the odd colouredmarbles (representing pollutants) before all theblue marbles return to Lake Superior again.Credit for this unique display goes to Derek Tessier for the idea and Dave Koski Design forthe final design and construction, with fundingfrom the City of Thunder Bay Water Authority.

If you are looking for something outdoorsy to do with the kids, check out theBig Boreal Adventure! EcoSuperior is a proud partner of this community effortlaunched by Little Lion’s Waldorf Daycare. The program offers a map of 25nature sites around the city (one is our own Central Natural EnvironmentGardens) where families can use the guide book to discover, explore and learnabout some of the still-wild places within the city. Some sites are accessible bybus, and each site includes a post where children can make a rubbing to add totheir passport. Sites are identified as best for spring/summer, fall or winter vis-its, and there will be sites accessible all year round.

Big Boreal Adventure passports are available at any branch of the ThunderBay Public Library and at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. When you register andpick up your passport, you will be on the e-mail list for notices of upcomingfamily events. For example, coming up Friday, November 12 is a star-gazingevent presented by the Royal Astronomical Society at 6:30 p.m. at HillcrestPark. Next spring, watch for guided walks to discover frog songs, bird watchingand geocaching. You can find out more at www.littlelionswaldorf.ca

Nature Adventures




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Many commercially made cleaning products contain toxic solvents and propellants that

can affect human health, contribute to indoor air pollution and contaminate water. A fewsimple ingredients will help you tackle most cleaning problems around the house. Try thesetips for cleaning safely and effectively:

Toilet Bowl Cleaners

To remove mildew use baking soda with a scrubbrush to clean the surface. For mould, spray withundiluted vinegar, wait a half hour and scrub with a brushand water. To clean and deodorize sprinkle both bakingsoda and vinegar into the bowl and scrub with a toiletbrush.

Natural Antibacterial Spray

For a pleasant antibacterial spray, place a few drops(approximately 20 drops per cup of water) of Tea Tree,Lavender and/or Orange essential oils (use individualscents or they can be mixed together) in a spray bottle full of water. Shake the bottle and sprayonto surfaces where you are concerned about germs. Allow to dry – no rinsing required.

One of the most environmentallyfriendly choices you can make is tolive closer to where you work. AtEcoSuperior, one of the best thingsabout our new Red River Road loca-tion is that several of our staff livewithin walking distance. Even forthe staff who drive to work, all but 2have a shorter drive. We calculatedthe savings in carbon emissions thatwill result from the change, and ournew office will reduce our green-house gas emissions by nearly threetonnes annually!

Let’s face it- we’re afraid of bacteria. Sowhat do we do to protect ourselves from thegerms all around us? Some of us believeadvertisements that tell us anti-bacterial prod-ucts will protect our health. So we buy prod-ucts that contain anti-bacterial ingredients —

many hand and body soaps, dishwashing liquids, toothpastes and mouthwash, deodorants,shaving gels, acne lotions and cosmetics contain triclosan, the most common anti-bacteri-al agent. We can even find anti-bacterial mattresses and pillows, socks and footwear, win-dow cleaner and chopsticks, children’s toys and computer keyboards. But is all of this anti-

bacterial stuff really good for us?We may actually be putting our health and that of the environment at risk by using prod-

ucts containing triclosan. Studies have increasingly linked triclosan to a range of healthand environmental effects, from skin irritation, allergy susceptibility and antibiotic resis-tance to dioxin contamination and destruction of fragile aquatic ecosystems.

A Swedish study found high levels triclosan in three out of five human milk samples,indicating that triclosan is in fact absorbed into the body, often in high quantities. In addi-tion, scientists at the Centre for Disease Control have found triclosan in the urine of 75%of people tested. Triclosan can accumulate in fatty tissue and there is concern that it canmimic human hormones. It can also increase the likelihood of developing allergies andcause skin irritation and contact dermatitis.

Triclosan can also have a negative effect on the environment. Over 95% of products

containing triclosan are substances that are disposed of in residential drains. Triclosan con-taminates water because it is not removed by wastewater treatment plants. Researchers whoadded triclosan to river water and shone ultraviolet light on the water found that betweenone and twelve percent of the triclosan was converted to dioxin in the water, leading to fearsthat sunlight could transform triclosan to dioxin naturally. Dioxin is a known cancer-caus-ing chemical. In addition, triclosan can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems. Ithas been found to be highly toxic to different types of algae and can affect both the struc-ture and the function of algal communities in stream ecosystems. Triclosan may also pro-mote the emergence of bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

Although antibacterial products are important tools for hospitals, they are not necessaryin your home. According to the American Medical Association, “Despite their recent pro-liferation in consumer products, the use of antimicrobial agents such as triclosan in con-sumer products has not been studied extensively. No data exist to support their efficacy

when used in such products or any need for them…it may be prudent to avoid the use of antimicrobial agents in consumer products…” Let’s start listening to the MedicalAssociation instead of the marketing firms.

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or Bad?




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Thunder Bay will once again be a part of the nation-wide celebration to raise awareness of waste reduction. TheCity of Thunder Bay Transportation & Works Division,EcoSuperior and our community partners will be coordi-nating a wide range of activities, so plan to participate!

October 18th: Waste Reduction Week Launch

The kick-off to the week’s events takes place atHammarskjold High School, where we’ll be highlightingthis school’s waste reduction initiatives and launching the

new Green Schools Composting and Recycling Manuals.Mayor Lynn Peterson will be there speaking to the stu-dents, along with other representatives from the City,EcoSuperior and the Lakehead Public School Board.Watch for it in the news!

October 18th:Public Tour of ReCool’s Recycling Facility

You see those ReCool trucks picking up your blue bagsand cardboard, but have you ever been curious about whathappens to them next? Witness behind the scenes at

ReCool Canada’s recycling facility this Monday after-noon. We’ll even provide the transportation. The tour willrun from 3:45-5:15, including travel time and is free of charge. Call 624-2141 for pick-up locations and to reserveyour seat, as space is limited!

October 18th-22nd:School Programs

EcoSuperior and Lakehead University Education stu-dents will be visiting classrooms during Waste ReductionWeek. These fun and interactive presentations will help

students learn the importance of re-using, reducing andrecycling. Students may also have an opportunity to tourthe City’s Solid Waste & Recycling Facility, and/orReCool Canada’s recycling plant. They can even receive a

visit from a local super eco-hero Super Recycle Girl!(available year-round) Call Karen @ 624-2143 to book presentations and tours.

October 18th-23rd:Radio Promotions & Get Caught Recycling

Stay tuned to your favourite local radio stations to learnhow you can reduce waste and for a chance to win greatprizes. More prizes are up for grabs if one of our volun-teers catches you in the act of recycling around town. Younever know who might be watching!

Saturday, October 23rd: Waste Reduction and Recycling Fair

Join the City of Thunder Bay, EcoSuperior, Earthwise,and Confederation College Waste Management students atIntercity Shopping Centre for this information fair. Learnwhat you can do to reduce your "waste-line" at this inter-active and educational event from 9:30 to 6. Bring yourquestions, make some pledges, pick up some giveaways,and enter a draw for great prizes! Find us in the ZellersWing.

Saturday, October 23rd:Community Electronic Waste Collection

Keep unwanted electronics out of the landfill by pass-ing them on for re-use or repair, or by bringing them to theCommunity Electronic Waste Collection for recycling thisSaturday from 9:30 to 2:30 in the Intercity ShoppingCentre parking lot by Sears. Computers, televisions, cam-eras, and most audio and visual electronic items will beaccepted. Call EcoSuperior for details. In the 2009 WasteReduction Week e-waste collection, over 600 vehiclescame through with over 21.6 metric tonnes of old elec-tronics – enough to fill 2 ½ transport trailers. This event issponsored by Pack Pros, Intercity Shopping Centre, theZero Waste Action Team, EcoSuperior and the Ontario

Electronic StewardshipProgram. If you can’tmake it to this event,these items will also beaccepted on an ongo-ing basis at Pack ProsPlus (344-8799) or theCity of Thunder BayHousehold HazardousWaste Depot (624-2195). Vistwww.dowhatyoucan.ca for more info about local depots.

Mondays to Saturdays, Year Round:Household Hazardous Waste Depot

This is a great time to get rid of all your household haz-ardous waste before winter! The Household HazardousWaste Depot at the City of Thunder Bay Solid Waste &Recycling Facility is free of charge for city residents, andyou can drop off items all year round. Call 684-2195 formore info.

November 1st – 11th:Great Pumpkin Compost Collection

Residents are encouraged to put Jack in the Box, not inthe trash. Since the collection began in 1995, over 276metric tonnes of pumpkins have been diverted from thelandfill to the municipal composting facility. Bins forHalloween Pumpkins will be set up from November 1st –11th at the Lakehead Labour Centre, County Fair Plazaand the Westfort Playfield. Remember — no plastic bags,no candles, and no trash — pumpkins only please!Sponsored by ReCool Canada Inc. and Print Pros Plus.

We would like to thank our sponsors for this program:ReCool Canada, Pack Pros, Print Pros, Intercity Shopping

Centre, and the Zero Waste Action Team. For more infor-mation on any of these programs visit www.ecosuperior.organd click on the Waste Reduction Week link, or call Karenat 624-2143.

Waste Reduction Week October 18th to 24th, 2010



Up in Smoke?


For country dwellers it’s the time of yearwhen the smell of woodsmoke is in the air

once again. One thing we’d rather not smellis the smoke from burning garbage.Burning household garbage is sadly still

practiced in rural areas and it’s time tobreak the habit. Many people think they aredoing the right thing by burning their owntrash, saving space in the landfill. It’stempting, when the closest garbage dump ismiles away and only open limited hourseach week, to start up the burn barrel in thebackyard on Saturday morning. It’s easy totoss in some trash along with the woodwhen you stoke up the woodstove at homeor cottage. Outdoor woodstoves are anotherconvenient way for rural homeowners todispose of rubbish. The evening campfire isa much-loved ritual for many families.Please don’t use your fire pit as a garbagedisposal unit. Whether it’s a woodstove orcampfire use just enough crumpled newspa-per and dry kindling to start the fire, thenburn only dry seasoned firewood.

Burning any type of garbage, includingpackaging, plastics, treated wood, used oil,even newspaper and junk mail, releases a

range of pollutants into the atmosphere.Home garbage fires smoulder and burn attemperatures that create prime conditions

for the formation of dioxins, a particularlynasty family of chlorinated organic chemi-

cals. They drift in the smoke and then set-tle, contaminating water, soil and plant sur-faces. The dioxins then become incorpo-rated in the food chain, first in the plantsand then in the animals that graze on thoseplants. Dioxins become concentrated in thefatty tissues of animals. The higher we eaton the food chain and the more fat we con-sume in our diet, the more we are exposedto these dioxins. Exposure to dioxins hasbeen linked to a host of health problemsincluding increased risk of cancer, develop-mental problems in children, and harm tothe immune system.

So what can we do? First of all, reducethe amount of waste you generate in yourhousehold. When shopping, look for itemswith less packaging. Buy durable, reusablegoods, not disposables. Seek out localrecycling options. Compost organic wastesuch as food scraps, leaves and grass. Usethe nearest landfill site for whatever realgarbage remains. Waste reduction is notabout reducing garbage to smoke andashes. Burning waste is a waste of the pre-

cious energy and resources that were usedto manufacture the product in the firstplace.

You’ve heard us going on about makinglitter-less lunches to cut down on waste and

litter. Well that is definitely still the case. Ithas been estimated that on average aschool-age child using a disposable lunchgenerates 67 pounds of waste per schoolyear. Most individually packaged items aremade of materials that are not readily recy-clable, if at all. That means more landfilland often more litter as well.

But, did you know that purchasing theseindividual packages, while handy, costs youa lot more money? After all, somebody hasto pay for all that packaging. We were won-dering just how much of a difference it wasso we hit the grocery stores to find out. Inmost cases we were able to comparebetween the same brand and product – onein a regular package and one that was divid-ed into handy snack-size packages. We com-pared things like applesauce, fruit cups ver-sus fresh fruit, block cheese versus cheese

strings, crackers, and cookies (sandwichesseem to be mostly immune in this debate).

Everything was priced out by 100 grams or100 millilitres, so it all came down to exact-ly how much food you would be getting foryour dollar. The result? When costs of theseproducts were added up, one would pay anaverage of 36% more for individually pack-aged products than for the same items intheir regular packaging. Thirty-six percent!That’s nothing to sneeze at, especially con-sidering the average child would eat an aver-age of 180 lunches in the school year alone.

So next time your child coos over thebrightly coloured packages designed justfor them, maybe you could divert theirattention by telling them what you could dowith all the money you’re saving by buyingproducts in bulk.

Visit www.wastefreelunches.org orwww.wastefreelunch.com for lots of waste-free and money-saving lunch ideas.

We are pleased to announce the immi-nent arrival of Thunder Bay’s own pocket

ashtrays. These handy gadgets are wellsealed and fit easily into apocket or purse. Theycan store up to threecigarette butts or beused to butt outbefore placing theextinguished rem-nants into a wastereceptacle. Pocketashtrays let smokersbe personally responsi-

ble for the proper disposalof cigarettes even whenthey are not near receptacles.Pick one up for each of yoursmoking friends at the newEcoSuperior office and help make ThunderBay clean and litter-free. Many bargainstores also sell covered ashtrays that fit intoa cup-holder in your vehicle.

Cigarette butts are the most littered itemon the planet with an estimated 4.5 trillionlittered worldwide every year. If the fact thatthey simply look bad scattered all over theground isn’t enough to convince you, check out the following:

• Cigarette filters are mostly plastic (cellu-lose acetate) and can take up to 15 years

to break down• Cigarette butts release nicotine, cancer-

causing benzenes, heavy metals andother toxic compounds into our water-ways when the rain washes them off streets and sidewalks into storms sewerswhich lead directly to our creeks andLake Superior.

• Studies have found the chemicalsin cigarette butts are deadly to

fish and other aquatic organ-isms. In a 2009 San DiegoUniversity study, only one cig-

arette butt in a litre of waterkilled half of the minnows that

were in the container.

• Cigarette butts have been found in thestomachs of birds, fish and other animalsthat mistake them for food, risking poi-soning and obstruction of their digestivesystems.

This litter prevention program is a jointeffort of EcoSuperior and Litter FreeThunder Bay, funded by the City of ThunderBay’s Clean, Green & Beautiful Committee.

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Burning garbage is still a common practice in rural areas, and one of the largest sources of dioxin, a potent carcinogen.



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Schools in our city are making great strides toward being more environmentally sustain-able, from waste minimization to encouraging active transportation, from no idling to creatingnatural habitats in the school yard and more!

There are many resources available for schools interested in pursuing such environmentalinitiatives, but in the sea of all things green, they are not always as easy to put into practice as

one might think. In an effort to make the application of such green initiatives as practical aspossible, the Green Schools Manual project began This past school year, EcoSuperior wasprivileged to work with a group of volunteers from the Lakehead University Education pro-gram who were interested in taking on such an endeavour. The goal of the project was to cre-ate practical, usable, local resources for schools wanting to reduce their environmental foot-print.

Waste is a very visible part of our impact on the environment. At school, lunchtime trashis second only to office paper as the leading source of school waste (Green Teacher magazine,Fall 2004 – www.reusablebags.com). Just think about all those lunches we pack and whatpackaging ends up in the trash after consuming the food. It has been estimated that on aver-age a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year.That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school(www.wastefreelunch.org). Also along the lines of our food waste, it turns out that kitchen

scraps and yard waste make up almost 1/3 of our garbage (Environment Canada). Hence, themain focus of the manuals was waste minimization, with particular emphasis on recycling,composting, vermicomposting and waste minimization in general.

By visiting some schools currently practicing recycling and composting, as well as inde-pendent research, the Green School Manual creators gathered information on best practices formaking these programs successful. The information is laid out in simple, yet informative man-uals that are now going to be available for schools. The Green School Manuals for SchoolRecycling and School Composting are the beginning of the project; there will also be a GreenSchool Manual for Waste Minimization in the near future. We are very excited to share theseresources with our local schools! Let’s all work together to minimize our waste!

Green Schools

Summer ended with a relaxed meetingat the EcoSuperior demonstration garden.The EcoSuperior Youth Action Teamreflected on the past year and gatheredideas for 2011. Now, with the new schoolyear underway, the plan is in place to con-tinue with the momentum created over thespring and summer. While the team is hop-ing to plan further guest speaker events andwill certainly plan another Spring Up toClean Up event, they also want to tacklesome new projects.

The question was “what is an environ-mental issue relevant to youth in our com-

munity?” After some brainstorming anddiscussion, the consensus was…waste. It’sa pretty large topic area, but the team wantsto raise awareness among their peers aboutthe waste items that can be recycled in thecity, and encourage as much use of therecycling system as possible. We’ll beworking this fall to learn all we can aboutour city’s recycling program, includingresearch and a tour of the recycling facili-ty! Becoming “experts” in the topic areawill allow the team to get the messagestraight themselves before working onawareness projects. The more youth who

are aware of the available recycling intown, the better!

As the team is also helping EcoSuperiorto focus some of our current programmingfor youth, there are plans to present theWater Taste Challenge, pitting tap wateragainst bottled water. If your school is inter-ested in hosting the Challenge, please con-tact Heather at 624-2147 or [email protected].

The Youth Action Team, that originallybegan as the Youth Advisory Committee, isvery excited about the new action-orientedfocus, that is also reflected in the new title.

We are always looking for new youthmembers, from Grade 7 to post-secondary.Whether you are someone who wants tohear more about what’s going on, or youhave ideas of your own to share, please feelfree to stop by one of our meetings.

The next EcoSuperior Youth ActionTeam meeting is scheduled for ThursdayOctober 28, 2010 from 4:30 to 6:00pm atChapters Bookstore Community Room.Also, you are welcome to join our tour of the RECOOL Recycling Facility: MondayOctober 18 at 4:00pm. Call Heather at 624-2147 to reserve a seat for you and a friend.

If you have burnt-out fluorescent lights or compact fluorescent bulbs at home, you can bring them to EcoSuperior for safe disposal. Ontario Power Generation provides funding so that we can make sure all components of the bulbs are recycled, including the mercury they contain. We also have residential collection depots in operation at Nipigon, Atikokan and Terrace Bay. So far this year, over 3,000 lamps have been recycled. Business users can return tubes and bulbs to MGM on Macdonnell Street.




In an exciting new partnership with the Township of Terrace Bay, EcoSuperior will be able to extend its commu-nity education and programs outward along the north shoreof Superior. With funding from our partners at EnvironmentCanada and the Ontario Ministry of Environment, we willassist in hiring an individual to work with the municipality of Terrace Bay. The new staff person will be working on a vari-

ety of green initiatives such as school programs, a GreenTrade Show, recycling, composting, and increasing aware-ness of Lake Superior issues.

Terrace Bay is home to one of 17 Areas of Concern locat-ed on Lake Superior. Jackfish Bay is currently under reviewas a site contaminated by former industrial effluent. TheJackfish Bay Public Area in Recovery Review Committee

(PARRC) has been meeting regularly to discuss progress ona monitoring plan and a new designation as an Area inRecovery.

This is one of several new environmental initiatives hap-pening in the Terrace Bay area, and EcoSuperior is lookingforward to being involved in many more community green-ing efforts there in the coming year.

The Lake Superior Binational Forum(www.superiorforum.org) will meet inMarathon and the neighbouring communi-ty of Pic River on November 5th and 6th,2010. Forum members will be hosting apublic input session focusing on "SuperiorWater Quality at Marathon" from 1 to 4:30p.m. on Friday, November 5th at MarathonTown Hall. The public session will providea forum for presentations, up-to-dateinformation and discussion about contam-

ination issues in Peninsula Harbour, black liquor spills and recent Marathon areamining developments. Binational Forummembers welcome residents of Marathon,Pic River and all North Shore communi-ties to attend the session which is free of charge. Refreshments will be served.

The Lake Superior Binational Forum iscomprised of 24 members from around theentire Lake including representatives fromMichigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota andOntario. The industrial, environmental,municipal, tribal/First Nations, labourand academic sectors are all represented.Organizations like Ontario PowerGeneration, Murphy Oil in Wisconsin,Great Lakes United, the University of Northern Michigan, Douglas County,

Wisconsin and the City of Thunder Bayare among a wide array of organizationswhose Forum representatives will attendthe Marathon and Pic River meetings.

The purpose of the Binational Forum isto assist plans to restore and protect LakeSuperior, as laid out by state, provincial

and federal agencies on both sides of theLake. A key role of the group is to forwardinformation and concerns from citizens toAmerican and Canadian government envi-ronmental agencies. Financial support forthe Forum comes from the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency andEnvironment Canada.

Forum activities on the Canadian sideof Lake Superior are co-ordinated bythe non-profit organization EcoSuperior

Environmental Programs of Thunder Bay.Further information about the public ses-sion in Marathon is available atwww.superiorforum.org. Questions can beaddressed to 888-301-5253 (toll free inThunder Bay).

Northshore Outreach

The town of Marathon overlooks Peninsula Harbour, identified as an Area of Concern on Lake Superior. A plan to cap contaminated sediments in the bay is one of the topics of discussion at a public meeting November 5.

Freeze WarningWhen temperatures start to dip below

freezing, it’s time to empty the rain barrelsand store them for the winter, either upsidedown, or inside a shed or garage. If anywater is left in the barrels during winter, itis like to freeze, expand and crack the plas-

tic, leaving you with a very leaky rain bar-rel. Put that on your to-do list right away!

Interestedin solar?

Consider a membership in SREC, theSuperior Renewable Energy Cooperative.It’s a local group linked to EcoSuperiorthat is pursuing options to increase aware-ness of renewable energy and promote a

community-owned renewable energydevelopment. Find out more atwww.srecwind.ca or contact Derek Allan, aSREC intern who is housed atEcoSuperior’s office, at 624-2656.

Teachers!EcoSuperior offers a wide range of class-

room presentations on a variety of topics,curriculum-linked and geared to specificgrade levels. We also feature on our website

a variety of lesson plans and activities.Check it out at www.ecosuperior.org If you’d like to schedule an in-class presenta-tion, contact Heather at 624-2147.

Cold CompostingYou can continue adding to your com-

poster throughout the winter—the materialwon’t decay until spring, but thefreeze/thaw cycles make it break downquickly once spring arrives, and you willhave finished compost that much sooner.When temperatures warm, just add a shov-elful of dirt or dried leaves and give it agood mixing. You might also want to con-sider a vermicomposter, putting worms towork indoors to take care of your com-postables.

Binational Forum Session

in Marathon November 5th




Apartment owners and property managers, do you have an effective recycling systemset up at your building? If not, call us and we can help you out. Ontario regulationsrequire that apartment buildings have recycling facilities. We have experience workingwith many property managers in the city, helping them establish convenient collectionsystems in apartment buildings and condominiums. Generally tenants are eager to do theright thing and want to divert these valuable resources from landfill.

EcoSuperior, with the support of the City of Thunder Bay, can assist you in setting upa program for your tenants. We provide a resource person to work one-on-one with thebuilding manager to figure out the logistics of setting up and maintaining an effectiverecycling program. We provide a kit with a recycling handbook full of ideas and tips for

starting or improving a recycling program. We provide posters, fridge magnets, and otherprinted material for residents that clearly lay out the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ of recycling.For help in setting up your program, call Jane at 624-2142.

Over the past two years, EcoSuperior has been working with our partners at

Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Environment to encourage proper dis-posal of old, expired or unneeded pharmaceuticals. While most area pharmacies take back old medicines, some people aren’t aware of this service and continue to flush medicinesdown the toilet or toss them in the garbage. This can result in medical chemicals beingreleased into local soils and waterways.

We have promoted safe disposal through community presentations, trade show dis-plays, the annual Medicine Cabinet Cleanup Month, posters and radio ads.

Data collected as part of the project shows that there was an average of 118.33 kilo-grams of old medicines collected in 2008, an average which jumped to 140 kg per monthin 2009. However, we are still below the provincial target. Based on a population of 120,000 for the region of Thunder Bay, the weight of pharmaceuticals collected was.0085 kg per capita for Year 1, well below theprovincial target. However, the first ninemonths of Year 2 of the project (March 2009-Nov 2009) yielded 1460 kg or .0162 kg percapita per year. Although the weight per capitaof pharmaceuticals returned for proper disposalin Thunder Bay doubled in Year 2 of the pro-gram, provincial targets for Year 2 (.029 kg percapita) were not met.

This year, we are continuing to spread theword about proper disposal of old medicines. If you are already returning medicines to yourdispensing pharmacy—thank you! Please sharewhat you know with friends and neighbours.

Recycling for Apartment

Dwellers

Start Composting!The Earth Machine

composter is easy to assembleand easy to use. It comes with

complete instructions.

Composting is a simple way to

reduce your curb-side trash andalso provide a great source of

superb natural fertilizer for yourlawn and garden.

for City of Thunder BayResidents

In stock now at EcoSuperior562 Red River Road

(parking off Hill Street)Cash or cheque only.

624-2140

Composter sales are a part of the Waste

Reduction Program funded by the City of

Thunder Bay Transportation & Works

Department and delivered by EcoSuperior.

O n l y $2500

Safe Disposal for Old Medicines

Dawson Properties has established a functional recycling area at many of their multi-residential buildings.



By: Derek Tessier

It is really amazing how 15m of trees and shrubs canchange your perspective of the city. As the vegetationcrowds around you, gone are the shops and buildings, therush of traffic and all the city sounds. It’s quiet and green— a self-contained oasis, yet we’re in the middle of

Thunder Bay’s commercial/industrial zone. This fallEcoSuperior, Lakehead University and Lakehead RegionConservation Authority are working on a joint pilot projectto assess water ways within the City. EcoSuperior’s task isto assess the Lyon’s Drainage Channel that stretches fromMcIntire River to Lake Superior, and my role is to examineand record the details of this little known waterway.

It’s quite fantastic how the channel changes over itspath. From manicured lawns lining its shore to areas withnothing but 3m tall bull rushes, minnows, ducks, deer andeven a blue heron. It isn’t really accessible for everyoneto enjoy but its waters do provide an escape from the city

for wildlife. Once regarded as nothing more than a simpleditch, this channel has become a sanctuary for wildlife andfish. Our assessment of human impacts on this channelwill help us ensure it remains working as a storm waterdrainage channel as well as an intercity wildlife zone.

A good buffer zone (vegetation barrier) between thechannel and the city is the

ultimate goal. In someareas, lawns run right to thechannel’s edge. Otherthings we’ve noticed duringthe assessment are stormdrains needing repair andhigh erosion caused by runoff and winter snow pilesfrom adjacent parking lots.The goal of this assessmentis to highlight the variety of impacts on the channel in

the hopes that we can address some of these concerns,and possibly restore some areas to better protect thisevolving habitat.

One day in the future, perhaps, this whole corridormay be secured as a secret escape for nature in the midstof our city.


By: Adam Krupper

Each season is marked by its own beau-ty: Summer brings long, hot sunny days;winter air is crisp and the world is quiet as

snow muffles sound; in the spring, trees arebudding and birds have returned; in fall,leaves fall in the wind and we are greetedeach morning and evening with brilliantskies.

Because most of us are pretty busy, theonly times we have to get out and about is inthe morning or later in the day. One of Fall’schallenges is that we have a shorter day. Thismeans that people will be on foot or on bike,on roads with peak traffic volumes, duringdusk and dawn.

Although dusk and dawn are beautifultimes of day, they are also when driver visi-bility is at its worst. Because of the chang-ing light conditions and prevalent light spec-trum at that time, it’s very difficult for the

human eye to distinguish between objects.This means that pedestrians and cyclists areharder to see and face potential dangers.

Because people in automobiles move athigh velocity, they have a more difficult timetaking in all of their surroundings and needto focus on what is most immediate or visu-ally stimulating in their visual field; this usu-ally means bright objects, such as lights,reflective and high-visibility materials.

As vulnerable road users, pedestriansand cyclists need to make themselves ‘high-

visibility objects’. This doesn’t mean youneed to wear a reflective jumpsuit, but sim-ple things like reflective arm bands or anklestraps or clip-on lights will make you con-siderably more visible.

For walkers or joggers, the most effec-tive solution is to buy high-visibility cloth-ing. Many manufacturers make clothingthat include built-in visibility such as reflec-tive zippers, piping, and accents, and includematerial colours that attract the eye such asgreens, yellows, and whites.

Cyclists must wear high-visibility cloth-ing. Cyclists must also have bike lights andreflectors installed on their bikes. Not onlyis it the law that bikes must have lights, butbecause cyclists move so quickly, they are

even more difficult to spot in poor-visibilityconditions. Lights used to be expensive anddifficult to install, but now, manufacturershave released low-cost lights ($17) with asimple silicone strap that affixes to any bike

tube in seconds. All of our local bicycleretailers carry these lights.A growing number of hardy cyclists ride

year-round. Cyclists and drivers must beaware that Thunder Bay’s new bike lanes areseasonal. This means that as of November14th, automobiles will be able to park inthem and, when the snow falls, they will notbe cleared.

Remember--walking and biking are greatactivities at any time of year but be Safe! BeSeen!

Up a Stream (without a Paddle!)

107 S. MAY ST. (NEAR CITY HALL) • 623-4488FREE CUSTOMER PARKING AT REARSALES • INSTALLATION • REPAIRS

AXEL’S

WATER & PLUMBING AXEL’S

A Locally Owned Family Company

Save Money and Waterwith AXEL’s

Start saving on water and be also environmentally responsible and replace your wasteful 13 litretoilet with a modern 6 ltr MIRABELLE® water-saver toilet which uses at least 54% less water

and can flush 2.2 lbs (1 kg) of solid waste. To save even more money select one of AXEL’s

dual-flush water-saver toilets which use as little as 3 litres to flush liquid waste or only 4.5 litres

for solid waste. Those toilets will save you 77% to flush liquids or 65% when you flush solids. Allthese savings add up! Where else can you save at least 54%, or as much as 65% flushing solid

waste and 77% flushing liquid waste? This is money in the bank!

In AXEL’s modern showroom at 107 South May Street (near City Hall) you’ll find ThunderBay’s largest selection with up to 50 water-saver toilet models on display. Test-sit them for com-

fort and height. Pick the one you like best in style, comfort, or colour. If you want you may takeone or more home right away because, usually, AXEL’s has them all in stock or our own plumberswill install them.

We try harderAs we, at AXEL’s, are not the biggest plumbing store/dealer in town, we try harder to please you.

Why? Because we can not afford to take you for granted. Go with AXEL’s next time you need aplumber, are in the market for plumbing supplies, installation, or a bathroom renovation.

.

AXEL’S

Fall is a Great Time to Reflect

Lyon’s Drainage Channel, once a simple ditch established to drain run-off in the Intercity area, has evolved to provide significant fish and wildlife habitat.

ECO NEWS E S i 12




Coming EventsOctober 18 - 24Waste Reduction Week all across Canada,see page 6 - 7 for Thunder Bay activities

October 18Free Public Tour of ReCool Canada’s Recycling Facility.Transportation provided. Travel and tour will run from3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Call 624-2141 to register and forpick-up/drop-off location information.

October 20Green Drinks Thunder Bay, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.at The Madhouse, corner of Bay and Algoma.See www.greendrinks.org

Health and Wellness Fair at Lakehead University in theAgora, 10:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m.

October 21Jackfish Bay Public Advisory Recovery Review Committeeat Terrace Bay Community Centre, 7:00 p.m.

Bicycles for Humanity - World Premiere Screening of "Where on Earth is My Bike?", 7:00 p.m. at the ParamountTheatre, 24 S. Court St. A documentary shot on a tour of the bicycle projects in Africa this year.

October 23Waste Reduction & Recycling Fair at Intercity ShoppingCentre promo court, 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Community Electronic Waste Collection at IntercityShopping Centre (Sears parking lot), 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.(see: WRW article for details)

October 27Environmental Film Network showing The Farmer and theHorse 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Lakehead LabourCentre, 929 Fort William Road. Free admission, donationsaccepted.

October 28

Youth Action Team at Chapters Bookstore in theCommunity Room, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

November 1 – 11The Great Pumpkin Compost Collection bins are available atthe Lakehead Labour Centre (Ft. William Road), NeebingPlayfield (off Neebing Avenue) and County Fair Mall(Dawson Road). Bring your pumpkins and compostableHalloween décor and we’ll make sure it gets to the municipalcomposting site.

November 4

EarthWise Thunder Bay Fall General Meeting at WaverlyLibrary, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

November 5Lake Superior Binational Forum Public Input Session heldat Town Hall in Marathon, Ontario, 1:00 p.m.

Bike lanes are now present on several streets in Thunder Bay. As our city adapts to this new traffic condi-tion, there may be a few questions about what the bike lanes mean to both the motorist and the cyclist.

1. What is a bike lane?A bike lane is a 1.5 m wide, striped, signed lane marked with a large white bicycle stencil on the pavement.

The lane is marked with a large diamond followed by a bicycle symbol and is restricted to bicycle travel only.Pedestrians, roller blades, skateboards, and strollers are not permitted on bike lanes. On streets where there ison-street parking, bike lanes run to the left of parked vehicles. On streets without parking, bike lanes run along-side the curb.

2. Why do we need bike lanes?Bike lanes make most people feel safer about biking on city streets. Motorists feel more comfortable know-

ing where on the roadway cyclists are expected to be traveling.

3. How do I use the bike lane?Cyclists: travel in the middle of the designated bike lane in the same direction as traffic. When cycling

beside parked cars, watch for doors opening. Cyclists are expected to follow the same rules of the road as othervehicles including obeying all traffic signs and lights.

Motorists: are not allowed to park or drive in a bike lane, nor are they allowed to stand or sit idling in a bikelane. You may cross over them if turning right onto a street or driveway. Always check for bikes when cross-ing the lane or making a right-hand turn.

Bike Lane FAQs

It is often said that many hands make light work,

and at Central Natural Environment Gardens this iscertainly true. The gardens have been transformed overthe years in leaps and bounds by enthusiastic individu-als and groups. This year the Ontario StewardshipRangers arranged river rock into borders and flowingdry “riverbeds” in our new xeriscape garden; theSleeping Giant Rangers, Roots to Harvest andLakehead University Education student crews weeded,mulched, transplanted, pruned, built a trellis, pulledthistles, and generally maintained the site, literallytransforming the gardens with each visit. Dedicatedvolunteer Jo Hughes has been coming regularly for

three years, and she and her niece Chloe spent hourspainting beautiful signs for the different garden areasand jumping fish for the riverbeds.

The garden even gained its own facebook page thisyear. Kellie Huffman embarked on a little personaladventure, visiting the garden each Monday morningto take pictures and watch things develop. She postedher findings on her personal facebook page until one

day a stranger asked what she was doing and when she

told him he replied “Oh, the garden has its own face-book page?” Well, now it does. Kellie has inspiredmany people to visit the garden for picnics and tosearch for “Saw-whet”, a porcelain owl that she regu-larly hides among the flowers. Follow the gardenthrough its 2010 season on the Monday’s Garden face-book page.

Harun Rashid, a newcomer to Thunder Bay fromBangladesh, has a doctorate in botany and put hisexpert knowledge to use by developing a photographiccatalogue of the many plant species that can be seen atthe gardens. We hope to have it available on our web-

site soon.So to all our volunteers we would like to send out abig “Thank you!” We couldn’t have done it withoutyou. We would also like to thank the City of ThunderBay Parks Department for their help in maintaining thesite and funding our efforts, as well as the City’s WaterAuthority for funding our new Xeriscape demonstra-tion garden.

Volunteers Help Garden GrowOntario Stewardship Rangers helped out with the weeding at Central Natural Environment Gardens.

Fall 2010 Eco Newsletter, EcoSuperior

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Transcript of Fall 2010 Eco Newsletter, EcoSuperior