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Top 10 for 2008
ENVIRONMENT
Pacific Wild
Defending wildlife and their habitat on Canada’s Pacific coast
Issue Area: conservation
Geographical Footprint: Pacific Coast of British Columbia – Great Bear Rainforest
We chose them for:
- their unyielding dedication to raising awareness of the significant threats posed by oil tanker traffic, trophy hunting of grizzly bears and wolves, and open net-cage salmon farming to protect Canada’s pristine wilderness areas
- an ambitious remote video project within the Great Bear Rainforest to record highly elusive predator-prey relationships rarely captured on film and broadcast the footage over the internet
- raising awareness of the threatened BC wolf and bear populations through stunning non-invasive photography and video
Ecojustice
Canada’s legal champions for a healthy environment
Issue Areas: clean water, natural spaces, healthy communities, global warming
Geographical Footprint: Canada - Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto, Alberta
We chose them for:
- their landmark lawsuits over inaction on global warming and the exploitation of Alberta’s tar sands, and precedent-setting victories that will protect Canada’s precious natural spaces and endangered plant and animal species
- successfully advocating for the Ontario government to pass the strongest endangered species legislation in Canada, ensuring the survival of more than 200 species as well as their habitats
- representing a coalition of environmental groups in a lawsuit alleging the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has failed to legally protect critical habitat of the last remaining endangered Southern and Northern Resident Killer Whales (Orcas), of whom only 83 remain
Canopy (Markets Initiative)
Protecting ancient forests. Creating new markets.
Issue Areas: forest conservation, climate change
Geographical Footprint: North America and Global
We chose them for:
- their role in the largest conservation commitment in Canadian history: the protection of half of Ontario’s vast Northern Boreal forest from industrial development
- securing sustainable production commitments from 400 publishing houses including the Harry Potter book series, making it the greenest book in publishing history
- demonstrating the viability of the wheat sheet — paper produced from waste straw – and getting the May 2008 edition of Canadian Geographic produced on this forest free paper
- the vision and the fortitude of Nicole Rycroft, founder and Executive Director
Read our Q & A with Nicole
PowerUP Canada
Canadians for climate leadership
Issue Areas: climate change, environmental policy change
Geographical Footprint: Canada
We chose them for:
- building momentum on a Canada-wide push for decisive laws and policies to power up the green economy and reduce Canada’s carbon emissions.
- calling for the Canadian Government to match world-leading standards for vehicles, buildings and appliances, and invest in a modern "smart" power grid, public transit, carbon sequestration and clean energy.
- having all living Prime Ministers call for user-friendly areas of policy change, such as an economy-wide cost for carbon emissions and a staggering rate of climate-safe technology deployment.
- pushing for the Canadian Government and Provinces to match Barack Obama’s planned investments in green jobs, renewable energy and hybrid-electric cars
Hollyhock Leadership Institute
Building skilled leadership for change
Issue Area: capacity-building for environmental and social change organizations
Geographical Footprint: BC, Alberta and Ontario
We chose them for:
- ten years of providing skills and leadership training to advocates, activists, community workers and campaigners to increase the impact of their work and avoid burnout
- their innovative Social Change Institute gathering, which links environmental, labour, social change and arts advocates together to learn skills and build relationships
- providing key campaign and facilitation support on urgent issues such as climate change, sustainability, homelessness and women’s rights
- their Canadian Environmental Leadership Program, which trains over 25 emerging leaders each year in developing campaigns and working with the latest tools in communications and government relations
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Potluck Café & Catering
Issue Areas: poverty reduction, professional reintegration
Geographical Footprint: Vancouver
We chose them for:
- demonstrating clear success as a social enterprise. Their café and catering company offers continuous, stable employment and training to residents of Vancouver’s downtown eastside, Canada’s poorest neighbourhood
- their enormous social impact: with their business revenues providing more than 150,000 nutritious meals to those in need since 2002
- their project Potluck Recipes for Success, which pools Potluck’s learnings and best practices and shares them with other organizations, helping increase the number of employers committed to hiring and retaining individuals with barriers to employment
SOCIAL JUSTICE
East Scarborough Storefront
A unique hub of shared services and supports
Issue Areas: poverty alleviation, violence prevention, civic engagement and inclusion of disadvantaged populations
Geographical Footprint: Scarborough, Ontario
We chose them for:
- “Storefront” — their innovative social service hub model that brings a multitude of services to the community under one roof. It’s an idea so good it has the potential to transform communities.
- providing new immigrants, refugees, and homeless individuals in East Scarborough (which has Ontario’s highest concentration of social housing) convenient access to the support and expertise of more than 35 agencies and groups
- their revitalization projects such as the Amazing Place, aimed at building a positive sense of place and cultivating local citizenship among diverse cultures, races, and creeds
Hoodlinc
Issue Area: urban youth issues
Geographical Footprint: Toronto
We chose them for:
- tirelessly working in Toronto’s toughest neighbourhoods, convincing at-risk youth they have a chance at a better future beyond gangs and guns
- the ROSE project (Real Opportunities for Success in Education), an alternative education, nutrition and leadership program for youth expelled or streamed from school or at risk of dropping out.
- their founder and Executive Director Brian Henry for fighting relentlessly to safeguard the future for these at-risk kids. His life story was the subject of a documentary EMPz 4 Life Racism, Hope and Despair.
"Previously these kids did not view college, university or job training as an option but now I hear them say not, if I go to college, but when I go to college, or when I get that job.” Brian Henry
To donate, you may contact Tides Canada Initiatives at 1-866-843-3722, ext 610.
Nunavut Sivuniksavut College Program
Giving Inuit Youth An Opportunity to Succeed
Issue Areas: Inuit education and cultural preservation
Geographical Footprint: Ottawa, Nunavut
We chose them for:
- preparing Inuit youth for educational, training, and career opportunities created by the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA) and the Government of Nunavut
- instilling pride and stronger sense of cultural identity in Inuit Youth
- their efforts to preserve precious Inuit culture and ancient traditions such as throat singing, drumming and Inuit Games, and sharing these with the schools in Ontario
Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives
Independent research focused on social, economic, and environmental justice
Issue Areas: poverty reduction, living wage, healthcare, climate change
Geographical Footprint: Canada – Ottawa, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and BC
We chose them for:
- being one of Canada’s strongest progressive voices in public policy debates and providing us alternative perspectives on social change
- their in-depth research and practical policy recommendations on the key social, economic and environmental justice issues facing Canada
- sharing this research with charities, communities and individuals to support their work in community
