Municipal Environment Committee recognizing environmental stewards

Reeti Meenakshi Rohilla - Staff Writer

The Sioux Lookout Municipal Environment Committee recently recognized Lesli Kemp from Pelican Creek Design’s contribution towards Encouraging Environmental Awareness and Stewardship. Kemp saves found wood from old fences, wood from burn piles and from contractor’s waste, repurposing it into greeting signs.
The Committee shared with The Bulletin, “The Municipal Environment Committee creates an annual Work Plan which sets goals and objectives for the year, which is approved by Council. One of the Committee’s recurring goals is to educate the public about best practices for living as an environmental steward. Rather than shame or blame about what NOT to do, we chose to celebrate those individuals, businesses, and organizations who do attempt to make an effort by lessening their carbon ‘footprint’.”
They added, “The Committee is small, so we rely on the public to let us know who deserves to be recognized. There are many people out there who are silent heroes for the environment. They do not wear a cape and make it known to all that they are doing their best to protect the environment.” The Municipality of Sioux Lookout shared in a post on Facebook, encouraging people to reuse, repair and repurpose items, rather than discarding them. The Environment Committee further shared with The Bulletin that all people who practice the R’s are the Environment Committee’s candidates to be recognized any time of the year.
The Committee explained that these R’s consist of accepting and accommodating several different environmentally friendly practices such as to Refuse, avoid purchasing unnecessary items. Reduce, the amount of materials you use. Reuse, make due with what you have, which the Curbside Swap is a great example of. It allows people to give away what they no longer need for someone else to be able to reuse it. The Environment Committee shared that The Salvation Army has been recognized for providing an alternative to buying new. Rot, the compost waste. Repurpose, create something using old materials. Repair, try fixing things instead of getting rid of them. Rethink, don’t forget about the environment, always have it at the forefront of your mind. Fresh Market has been recognized by the Environment Committee for posting signs in their parking lot as a reminder to bring your bags. The last R stands for Recycling, it does save the landfill from filling faster but it is not really sustainable. The items that can be recycled are finite and cannot constantly be made into new items. Service Ontario was rewarded for providing battery and cell phone recycling.
The Environment Committee shared, “There is a long list of people and businesses who have been honored as Environmental Stewards. A certificate is prepared for the person who has been recognized, as well as, sharing the success on the Municipal Facebook page and then shared on the other local sites.” They encourage people to share about any individual or organization that is exemplifying the promotion of environmental education and/or undertaking good environmental stewardship by emailing Anne Saltel at saltela@gmail.com.