Care Stratford News Archive

Third Day of C.A.R.E. Jr. Summer Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:38:00 +0000

Reflections on Day Three

In my opinion before you can help the environment in huge quantity you need people to know that you don’t need to spend all there "green" to go green. Saving energy means lower electricity bills . That also means better insolation or less time in front of the tv. A lot of shoppers like a store that’s gone green and things like wind turbines solar panels and geo thermal heating can give a nice hefty pay off. That’s the kind of stuff we need.
A fuzzy peanut, age 12
P.S. Its my birthday !!!!!!!!!!

I was impressed with the video 10% because I learned how much people are throwing away. It is so bad for the environment. I hope people start reducing, reusing, and recycling because I want the environment to be healthy when I grow up.—Sparky

Today I (Cheese Ball) went to fly my kite but it went to high and crashed and broke again and again. But remember if you want to help the environment you must recycle. By: Me :) :] :} :()

When you cut down a tree, you do more than just cut down a tree. In fact... Most of the woodland animals depend on trees to survive. Without trees, birds will have no where to make nests and are forced to nest in waterspouts. Woodpeckers would have no insects to eat. There will be too much carbon dioxide, and squirrels would have no shelter in rain. Manny other animals must search for another tree, when hardly any are left. They search long distances for one. Hardly any of the animals would get shade and it would be hot because of the carbon dioxide. Wolfs would have no camouflage for hunting, and squirrels would have no food.. You are also taking away an animals opportunity of getting away from huntsmen. Not only does it affect animals, but humans too.

Today we built buildings made to hold heat. I tested mine 3 times, and twice the tempature went up to32 degrees Celsius. I flew my kite again, and it still doesn’t fly very well. Tomorrow we will be making solar burners.
Tiria

Today we made little houses with card board to see how munch heat it could hold. Me and tika and camper made one called reeces puff and we won with 35 .
Peanut age 10

Hi im Mr. Innocent pedestrian More yes I said more random words. Church acer fish kites outside ate. Woooow again hurt ankle computer. Duck pond random words me you cat. Fire alarm weird word awkward words. People another dog orange banana. Hot dogs are wieners haha.HA

Today was the third day of camp. Because of the weather, we stayed inside mostly. We made insulated ‘houses.’ We made them out of real house insulation, plastic, duct tape, and cardboard. Then we put a blow dryer a few inches away from an entrance, and heated the house for 1 minute. We then stuck a thermometer in for 1 minute, and the highest temperature won. Our temperature won with 35 degrees Celsius. When we stuck the blow dryer in all the way for 1 minute, the temperature was 45 degrees Celsius.

Today I liked flying the kite. It worked really well .I can’t wait until tomorrow when we make the solar cookers. I hope we cook hot dogs.–Joe

My favourite part of the day was all the games we played in the gym my favourite game was octopus
By popo

We watched a video about recycling and reducing. 8,000,000 trees are cut down and used to make mail order catalogues used in the US every year.
Thrill

C.A.R.E. Jr. Summer Camp - Day Two

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:16:00 +0000

Reflections on Day Two

We made kites. They are some awesome. Even though mine did not fly, I know why. I need to put plastic instead of fabric. I am very interested in building an eco-structure because I think I already know a lot about it as I did one similar to it. On our walk today, I took great pictures of the solar panels. I noticed there was one small panel which was used for heating the water. Tonight I am working on my eco-structure. - Thrill

Wind, a powerful and often destructive force. It causes joy and terror. And in modern days it makes electricity. I’ve got a new idea for this, though it has more to do with solar and 350. I won't explain it all but here it is. What if someone found a way to evolve or mutate a plant so that it could give off energy, I know it seems ridiculous but think about it, we already burn ethanol and oil ( both originally plants ) so isn’t it possible to get it without burning? That whout sure help with 350.That’s all from a fuzzy penut.

Today we made kites. I made one out of two dowels, some string and a garbage bag. It flew pretty well. I liked doing the 350 postcard because I got to draw whatever I wanted.–Joe

Today at camp we made kites. We took them outside to test-fly them, and they fly fairly well. Later on we went to the gentle rain and looked at the solar panels. I learned that it only takes 14 solar panels to power a house, although the gentle rain has 60. I think it is a good way of making electricity without harming the environment and more people should do it. Tiria

kites are awesome becauseThey fly!!! Cici

Today me and my friend Popo made kites and surprisingly they flew. It broke 5 times. We also saw a house with a lot of solar panels. THEY WERE COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

WOW. It’s only been 2 days and today was even better. We went down to the gentle rain and we learned all about solar panels and that 1 solar heater is a lot of money .It’s 4000$ and for 60 solar panels is 80000$.PEANUT AGE 10

My favourite part of today the kites because when we were done we got to fly them. me and cheese balls kite actually flew. By POPO

Today the best thing that we did was go to Gentle Rains and made kites me and peanut made a kite saying 350 and at the end it had a smiley face. I just loved looking at the solar panels and finding out things about the solar panels. I can’t wait to come back tomorrow we get to make house’s that keep in the heat.Tika age 9

Hi I’m Mr. Innocent pedestrian,The Random Words yet again. Fish butterfly flower dog. Happy man old man cool guy wimpy guy. God gimme a minute. Ow I cut myself again not !!!! hahaha o sorry why brilliant. Stratford Mitchell Bahamas your face my face another fish blue fish awkward fish.

We made kites. Mine flew good. Kites are awesome! I learned that there are all different kinds of kites. Kites use the power of the wind. We made 350 postcards to send into a global competition. I went to see something that had MILLIONS of solar panels! And tomorrow we will be starting a competition about making houses that will trap the most heat! I had an awesome day! Signed Sparky

First Day of C.A.R.E. Jr. Summer Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:41:00 +0000

Reflections on Day One

thoughts from Lily:

When you cut down a tree, you do more than just cut down a tree. In fact... Most of the woodland animals depend on trees to survive. Without trees, birds will have no where to make nests and are forced to nest in waterspouts. Woodpeckers would have no insects to eat. There will be too much carbon dioxide.

thought from Tiria:

Today was my first day of camp. We went down to the old grove, and I learned how to identify a wild carrot. It looks exactly like Queen Anne's Lace, but it has one purple flower in the centre. We also saw a lot of plastic and garbage in the river. We learned that plastic takes a long time to break down, and if it is polluting, it will go on polluting, and will probably end up killing the fish. Today we saw many dead carp which probably died of pollution.

thoughts from Mark:

GARBAGE FREE!!! In different amounts of plastic can be a very a big problem.Try to reduce the amount of plastic you buy.Try to encourage people to help clean up the river. For example, pick out garbage from the river and try to not let people put garbage in the river. Be careful to not let any of your plastic blow away.

thoughts from Joe:

At camp today I liked the walk to the wall game. I was not surprised when I saw all the dead carp today because I saw them when I went canoeing last week. .I think they may have died because people have polluted the water. I loved walking through the forest because I love trees. I noticed it would be a good place to play army with my friends.

thoughts from a camper:

C.A.R.E Stratford is a good organization. The members take their ideas and use them to make Stratford a better and healthier place to live. Not onlythat, but they teach the other residents of their town their ideas through posters, camps, meetings, events and change.

I went to their camp today. We went for a walk at T.J Dolan with a naturalist, who taught us things about flowers, bird calls, and insects. We were able to take tape recorders to record sounds, and some of us had cameras, to take pictures of interesting things such as litter, (emptycigarette boxes, shopping carts) water animals (turtles) and other wildlife.The walk taught some of us a lot, and others learned more about what theyalready knew. It was a very interesting day.

thoughts from a fuzzy peanut, age 12:

One fish, Two fishDead fish, Flu fish. You might wonder why on earth I put the title that I did. Well I'll tell you why, water pollutants (otherwise known as stray plastics ) are reaching ridiculous levels 1 to10 with plankton. I fell like this needs help. I hope that I can do something to aid with this. In my next blog I will include 350 and my idea for a new enviro-friendly power source.

thoughts from Tika, age 9:

The best thing that I have done today was go to T.J. Dolan l just loved observing the animals and seeing all of the animals habitats. You never really relise that when you hear someone talking about how the animals habitats are getting polluted you never really relise that it actually is happening. But when all of us went to T.J Dolan we all relised that it actually is happening. For instance we saw a tire behind a beaver dam. That's the best thing about C.A.R.E.

thoughts from Peanut, age 10:

The care camp is a great camp I've only been here one day and we have already gone a walk to the old grove and we took lots of pictures on the way . We took pictures of things like fish turtles. And we took pictures of dead fish because care camp is about being enviroment . At the start of the day we filled bags with corn for the swans.

thoughts from Thrill:

I didn't know that there were chemicals that could eat plastic. Sparky and some other people found this weird thing in their microscope. It was almost like bark. It looked so cool. We played this one game and we had to closeour eyes and touch the wall. After lunch we were getting water out of theground into a cup. It was cool. We learned about bacteria. It was so cool.Some other people had a rainbow in their water.

thoughts from Mr Boat, age 12:

My favourite part of today was going to T.J. Dolan and taking pictures and sound recordings. I was disgusted by amount of dead fish and how nobody bothers to clean them up. It seems like hardly anybody cares. I know it's not a human but I realize that it is still a life and it should be treated equally. Their homes are being destroyed by our carelessness and we don't care.

thoughts from Cheese Ball:

Today in Care Camp we talked about how to save the environment from plastic. Me and my pal Popo thought of the chopper thingy which will cut plastic into little pieces which the bactiria will eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

thoughts from Mr. Innocent Pedestrian:

devil worm 350 today nothing I am smart. It’s a poetic experience potential of that look at that. Computer animals turtles ducks dead fish tarp garbage and such. New guy old guy tough guy weak guy hat guy. Blue fish fire alarm class windows vista. Fuzzy ball hard ball weird ball cool ball fat ball.

thought from Popo:

My favourite part of camp today was plastic pollution conversation and how we could prevent it me and cheese ball got an idea of a chopper thingy which would cut up the plastic into tini pieces!

C.A.R.E. JR Hosts First Summer Camp Program This August!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:37:00 +0000

C.A.R.E. Stratford Jr. Announces First Summer Camp Program

Calling all campers! C.A.R.E. Stratford is excited to announce a new summer camp program running this August 11th to 15th.

C.A.R.E. Stratford Jr. is hosting "Unplugged!", the summer day camp for eco-adventurers. Sign up now for a week filled with environmental activities integrating art, sports, music, drama games, and exploration. The camp will foster active participation and a joy of environmental learning while providing opportunities to interact with peers with similar interests and abilities. Games, problem solving, and teamwork will help campers better understand themselves and the environment around them; learn to capitalize on their strengths and recognize their potential for excellence.

"Every individual has a role in addressing the environmental issues we face. Education is key as is empowerment. I am thrilled to be a part of C.A.R.E. Jr's first summer camp program as I know that by bringing together students with energy and ideas, new environmental initiatives in our region will emerge," said Kerry McManus, C.A.R.E. Stratford chair.

Camp facilitators have a broad range of expertise in teaching, environmental education, and the arts. Performer Eileen Smith employs a cross-curricular approach to learning by educating through arts integration and exploration. Educators Barb Smithers, Kerry McManus, and Fergus Cook hope to inspire and empower the youth to reach their community.

"I'm excited to be working with such a dynamic and diverse group of educators. This is a summer camp not to be missed," said Barb Smithers, camp facilitator.

The camp is being supported by the Community Conservation Initiative Program of the Ministry of Energy. Unplugged will run daily from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and will be held at Stratford Central Secondary School. Registration forms are now available at P'Lovers and are due by Friday, July 11th. Campers, grades 3 to 8, are encouraged to sign up now as space is limited. The cost is $175 per camper for the week and includes all materials and activities. For more information, email carestratford@cyg.net or phone Barb Smithers at (519) 271-1125, Elizabeth Walkom at (519) 273-3090 or Eileen Smith at (519) 273-4954.

UNPLUGGED!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Tue, 27 May 2008 01:29:00 +0000

UNPLUGGED! Energy Conservation Week 2008 ~ May 25th - 31st.

Do you have a clothespin? Want to help raise energy awareness and promote energy conservation? Then join C.A.R.E. Stratford's Unplugged Campaign by writing "UNPLUGGED!" on a clothespin and wearing it for the week. Use this as a reminder to look for ways to reduce energy and as a conversation starter to encourage others to do likewise. "Everyone needs reminders now and then to look for ways to reduce our impact on the planet and the clothespin seemed like the perfect symbol for our Unplugged Campaign."said organizer Kerry McManus.

Energy Conservation Week in Ontario began on Sunday, May 25th and runs until the 31st. The campaign was launched at St. Marys DCVI with John Wilkinson, MPP; Jamie Hahn, Mayor of St. Marys; Dan Mathieson, Mayor of Stratford; Janet Baird-Jackson, Superintendent for the AMDSB and Doug MacDougall, Festival Hydro Chair on Friday May 23rd.

C.A.R.E. Stratford encourages you to look for ways to unplug and conserve energy. Enjoy time with family and friends away from the computer and television screens.

Earth Day with Stephen Lewis Event - "Enough Already!"

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:19:00 +0000

Momentum is building around environmental issues and a watershed moment is on the horizon in Stratford. On Earth Day, Tuesday April 22, 2008, Stephen Lewis will deliver the keynote address, "Enough Already!" at C.A.R.E. Stratford's Earth Day event. "For too long, we've taken a fragmented approach to ecological and social justice issues, we need to act cognizant of the fact that everything is connected," said organizer Kerry McManus.
From his role as chair of the "International Conference of the Changing Atmosphere" held in 1988 in Toronto to his current position as Professor in Global Health, Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University, Stephen Lewis is keenly aware of the connections between environment, poverty and health. "We are at a pivotal time in history where it is vital that we understand the interplay of our actions on our world. When choosing a speaker to deliver this message, our committee quickly agreed that no one was better suited for this responsibility than Stephen Lewis," commented McManus.
Inspired by the theme for the event, Pam Gerrand has written a song that she will share that evening. "The conditions of the world are calling us all to take action, to step into the heart of compassion and harness the power of our individual efforts to make a change for global good. This razor's edge has brought us to a point of urgency and powerful awakening, to a point of 'Enough Already'. This theme spoke to my heart, and I am honoured to share the song that was born of this inspiration at the Stratford Earth Day event, featuring the keynote address by a uniquely inspiring and passionate advocate for conscious change, Stephen Lewis,"stated Gerrand.
As evidence of the building environmental movement, C.A.R.E. Stratford has received more nominations for Environmental leader awards than ever in its history. Celebrating local unsung heroes is important to C.A.R.E. Stratford. In a time when smog alerts are commonplace and frustration over inaction is typical, pausing to reflect on the positive is important to re-energize and re-focus our collective attention. Though barriers exist, inspiring examples of persistence and ingenuity are around us as well.
During the day a program for elementary students will include both action and awareness components. Stratford's Volunteer Civic Beautification and Environmental Awareness Committee, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and C.A.R.E. Stratford have organized a full day where participants will plant trees, package Swan Food as well as learn about composting and proper disposal of batteries.
Doors and exhibits will open for the evening event at 5:30 with the formal program beginning at 7p.m. While the speech by Stephen Lewis is the centrepiece of the evening, the organizers are hoping all attendees will spend time visiting the exhibits. The exchange of ideas and current programming has long been an integral element in C.A.R.E. Stratford's events. A key objective for the organization from its onset was to provide an opportunity for cross-pollination of ideas and activities.
Tickets are $25. In Stratford, tickets are available at Anything Grows, Blowes Stationery, the Gentle Rain and P'Lovers. For those outside of Stratford, tickets are available by contacting Kerry McManus at (519) 273-9012 or by emailing carestratford@cyg.net.
C.A.R.E. Stratford, Common Action for the Restoration of the Environment Stratford, is a grassroots environmental group which seeks to restore the local environment by thinking globally and acting locally.
For additional information, please contact:
Kerry McManus
(519) 273-9012
kerrmcma@fc.amdsb.ca
www.carestratford.org

C.A.R.E. Stratford Seeks Nominations for Environmental Leader Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:23:00 +0000

Know an unsung hero in our community? Someone who has made a difference in the Environment? Nominations are now being accepted for C.A.R.E. Stratford’s Environmental Leader Awards. There will be an award given in each of four different categories: individual, group, business and organization.

"Recognizing environmental leaders has always been an important component of our Environmental Symposia. By pausing to celebrate, we do more than honor the recipient, we create an opportunity for education and inspiration," said Kerry McManus, event organizer.
Previous environmental leader winners have included Eric Eberhardt, Donald McTavish and Martin Penner for their dedication and action. Rachel & Ryan Hacking were recognized for their work developing and promoting Swanfood; Sheila Clarke, Nora Walden and Stacey Wilson of Canadian Federation of University Women for their work on cosmetic pesticides.

"The awards are a time to highlight the breadth of opportunity for environmental action. They serve as a chance to honour the contributions made. They also help educate the broader public thereby building momentum for projects at any stage of development. The Environmental Leader awards prove the fact that people can influence their environment and that every action can make a difference," Stacey Wilson, Environmental Leader award recipient.

The Environmental Leader Awards will be presented on Earth Day with Stephen Lewis to an individual for his/her outstanding contribution to making an environmental difference; a group who has actively fostered environmental awareness and activism; a business whose actions have positively impacted the health of our planet and local communities and an organization who has worked to embed environmental action in their facility and/or programming.

Nomination ballots can be picked up at the Stratford Public Library or by emailing carestratford@cyg.net. Deadline for submissions is April 7th, 2008. Nominations may be dropped off at the Stratford Public Library or submitted electronically to carestratford@cyg.net.
The Awards will be presented on Earth Day with Stephen Lewis, Tuesday April 22nd at 7 pm at the Rotary Recreational Complex.

Earth Day 2008 -- Enough Already!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:54:00 +0000

C.A.R.E. Stratford is hosting Earth Day 2008 with Stephen Lewis delivering the keynote address. A shift from previous annual events, this year's event is being held on Tuesday April 22nd at the Rotary Recreational Complex. During the day, local students will participate in a program run by Stratford Civic Beautification and Environmental Awareness Committee, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and C.A.R.E. Stratford. The evening will draw on the success of previous Environmental Symposia with renowned speaker, Stephen Lewis, and an exhibit hall to showcase the work being done to address environmental and social justice issues.

"We are excited about our new venue as it will allow more individuals to hear Stephen Lewis' timely message. In terms of our exhibit hall, the space is more limited than in previous years so we encourage potential exhibitors to contact us soon." said organizer, Kerry McManus. For organizations wondering whether their work reflects the intent of the event, the organizers have created guidelines. Exhibitors must be able to display how the purpose of their organization promotes a) beneficial efforts toward preserving/healing the environment in sustainable, measurable, and locally-engaging ways, and/or b) directly addresses issues of injustice, inequity, marginalization within the community or beyond with sustainable long-term solutions. Preference for space will be given to those organizations able to meet both criteria.

Any organizations wishing to secure a space in the Exhibit Hall are asked to contact Kerry McManus at carestratford@cyg.net.

Turn on the Tap 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:57:00 +0000

Join in this year's Turn on the Tap Campaign!

C.A.R.E. Stratford's Turn on the Tap Campaign is back! On Friday November 23rd, Common Action for the Restoration of the Environment, C.A.R.E. Stratford, invites you to make tap water your beverage choice for the day and your regular choice for drinking water. "Last year's campaign is still being talked about as the impact of water takings is being felt in our region," commented Kerry McManus of C.A.R.E. Stratford.

Beyond drinking tap water on November 23rd, C.A.R.E. Stratford urges you to make tap water your regular choice for water. Bottled water cannot compete with the cost of drinking water and the decision to purchase bottled water requires a sacrifice of actual needs for some in our community. While PET plastic is recyclable, many plastic bottles end up in the landfill or as litter. Transporting bottled water adds to air pollution and use of fossil fuels, not to mention the impact drawing water for our use has on the source's supply.

Participants are encouraged to donate the money saved by drinking tap water only on Friday November 23rd to Rotary's Aquabox program or C.A.R.E. Stratford for water conservation projects. Participants from outside Stratford are encouraged to support water initiatives in their region. Rotary's Aquabox program is a great initiative that helps provide a means to purify water when a region's municipal supply becomes contaminated. For more information, visit http://rotarystratford.com/aquabox. Donations to C.A.R.E. Stratford will enable us to purchase materials to help individuals decrease their water consumption.

Please join members of C.A.R.E. Stratford as we turn on the tap to remind ourselves that we are fortunate to enjoy safe municipal water and to help provide safe drinking water to others. Through conservation, we help provide water to future generations and through the Aquabox program, we help provide potable water to others around the world.

To register as a participant in the Turn on the Tap event, contact Kerry McManus at 519-271-4500 ext. 24 or by email at CAREStratford@gmail.com

C.A.R.E. Stratford's All Candidates Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:44:00 +0000

Thursday September 13th, 7pm-9pm
Kiwanis Community Centre
111 Lakeside Dr.
Stratford, ON

C.A.R.E. Stratford is proud to host a debate where all provincial political party candidates may give their party positions, and respond to questions on environmental issues. The debate will be held from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm on Thursday September 13th, at the Kiwanis Centre, 111 Lakeside Drive, Stratford and will be followed by information about the referendum on the Mixed Member Proportional voting system.

Solutions to Ontario's needs in the areas of energy, water, environmental education and sustainability are all-important, and it is critical that local citizens have an opportunity to understand the political parties' positions, and hear responses to their own questions.
"An all candidates meeting provides voters with the opportunity to interact with local candidates in much the same way as a job interview facilitates hiring the most suitable employee." said moderator Charlene Gordon. There will be an opportunity for audience members to submit questions to be directed at individual candidates.

C.A.R.E. Stratford, Common Action for the Restoration of the Environment Stratford, is a non-profit organization started at Stratford Central Secondary School that has been very active in raising awareness about environmental challenges.

For more information, please contact Carol Rees at 519-272-9617 or email carestratford @cyg.net

Dr. Van Boekel's Presentation to Council on Cosmetic Pesticides

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 22:26:00 +0000

My name is Dr. Patricia Van Boekel and I am here to talk to you about why I am resigning from the Integrated Pest Management Education Ad-Hoc Committee. I am currently a resident of Stratford and I grew up on a farm near Tavistock. I am a family physician with special training in Emergency Medicine. I received my medical degree in 1998 and I am currently an emergency physician at the Stratford General Hospital.

I am aware that Stratford’s city council has been reviewing the issue of cosmetic pesticide use for several years. Many of the studies I am presenting are new since the last presentation to council. The medical information I will be giving you tonight is found in several well respected medical journals and it is supported by the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) and The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). Our motives are very different from that of industry. We are concerned about the health of our local citizens, especially children and pregnant women and for our environment. Tonight I have brought a petition signed by Stratford General Hospital physicians asking for a ban of cosmetic pesticide use and public education of pesticide free lawn care. In the last two weeks, 51 physicians have signed this petition. In fact, a poll done in January 2007 showed that 71% of Ontarians support a provincial law prohibiting lawn and garden pesticides.

Currently there are 129 Canadian municipalities and the province of Quebec with pesticide bylaws. The first ban was proposed by a family physician in Hudson, Quebec. Industry sued that town and it went to the Supreme Court of Canada which ruled that municipalities have the right to implement a ban.

In 2004, The Ontario College of Family Physicians produced a substantial document reviewing the health effects of pesticides. The College has since asked for the immediate decrease in exposure to all pesticides. This document discusses associations between pesticide exposure and childhood kidney and brain cancer, Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and leukemia (ALL). They also stated that pesticides are hormone disrupters, neurotoxicants and carcinogens. In addition, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment states that chronic exposure to pesticides increases the risk of miscarriages. Last month, The David Suzuki Foundation released a report that states the number of acute pesticide poisonings in Canada exceeds 6000 people per year and almost half of the victims are under the age of six.

Children and fetuses are at much increased risk of adverse health effects from pesticide exposure. A Montreal study showed that many children break down pesticides more slowly than adults. In addition, they are exposed more as they play on the grass and put their fingers in their mouth. A 1999 study done by the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States showed that people track pesticides into their homes on their footwear, up to one week post application. These scientists believe that this "track in" exposure may exceed that from fruit and vegetables. In children, pesticides have been linked to developmental delays, motor dysfunction, leukemias, and lymphomas. Exposure to 2,4-D, a common lawn care pesticide, in pregnancy and childhood was associated with a two fold increase in leukemia incidence.

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency of Health Canada (PMRA) consults various stakeholders including lawncare companies and Landscape Ontario in their decisions to licence a pesticide. Health Canada approves pesticides based on animal studies done on rats. In 2004, a mapping of the rat genome showed that rats have genes for detoxification of chemicals that don’t even exist in humans (so they can live in sewers and dumps and we can’t). Rat studies shouldn’t be used to claim the safety of pesticide exposure in humans. Many of the pesticides were registered without rigorous review. As of May 2006 there wasn’t even a licenced Canadian physician on this agency in Health Canada, but there is a lot of representation from industry and, in fact, 25% of its funding is from industry, a huge conflict of interest. Recently, 2,4-D was reviewed and passed by the PMRA as a cosmetic lawn care pesticide. This chemical has been linked to Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and has been banned in many European countries. 2,4-D and other pesticides were found in the urine of children in Quebec and the breast milk of Inuit women. When reviewing these pesticides, Health Canada reviews studies involving the active pesticide individually. The so called "inert ingredients" in all pesticide solutions are sometimes quite toxic themselves. We are not exposed to just one pesticide at a time. They are sprayed as a solution of many pesticides. Studies have shown that being exposed to two or more pesticides at once has a synergistic effect. This means that the toxicity is not merely additive but exponentially increased.

Some are promoting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as a solution to the call for a ban. You must know it is an industry promotion that does not eliminate the use of pesticides. In fact, the Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa states that some municipalities that use IPM actually see a rise in pesticide use. It just tranfers the use of pesticides from homeowners to lawn care companies. If council promotes IPM, it suggests to the public that pesticides are safe, as long as you hire an IPM accredited company. It would be a lot of free advertising for the pesticide industry and could increase pesticide use. The only lawn care that council can responsibly support is pesticide free lawn care. Last month at our IPM education ad hoc committee meeting I put a motion forward to change our mandate to the education of pesticide free lawn care. This would mean eliminating IPM education, and that motion passed. If this motion does not pass at council I will resign from this committee. As a member of the Ontario College of Family Physicians I cannot remain on a committee that supports any pesticide use. Even the committee for IPM education knows it is not in the citizen’s best interests.

Many people who use pesticides are not aware of the alternatives. There are practical and effective alternatives to chemical pesticides. This is why public education is very important. Industry needs to be removed from any education component or ban implementation. You wouldn’t invite the tobacco industry to aid in the education of smoking cessation programs. Industry just doesn’t have the same motives we do and are not the most informed on alternatives. As far as economics are concerned, in Halifax, the number of landscaping companies in the city increased by 53% after the ban was implemented. Contracts for next year can be rewritten to use non pesticide means for lawn care. In fact, more people may use lawn care companies as they will not be using pesticides themselves. Local industry and retailers that promote organic lawn care will likely see an increase in business.

It is unacceptable that the citizens of Stratford are being exposed to pesticides for cosmetic use only. We cannot avoid them. They are sprayed on our neighbour’s lawns, at workplaces, grocery stores and unfortunately our sports fields. It has been stated by industry that "poor" turf is associated with sports related injuries and therefore spraying is necessary. Bare spots in the field may increase injuries but weeds in the sports field have not been shown to increase injuries. Our local sports medicine physician, Dr. Paul Weir did a literature review and stated there is no hard evidence that spraying sports fields prevents injuries. In fact, you are exposing the most vulnerable citizens of Stratford to pesticides by spraying sports fields.

When my husband and I were moving back to Southern Ontario one of the reasons we chose Stratford was that we thought it was a progressive community. We were impressed there was a public smoking by law when the community we were coming from did not have one. I thought I was going to be practicing medicine in a community that is proactive in public health issues. A firm stand against cosmetic pesticide use may be helpful in recruiting young physicians.
The bottom line is that pesticides are harmful to our health. We need to discontinue the IPM education committee. Tonight, I ask you to pass a motion to immediately ban the cosmetic use of pesticides and to implement a pesticide free lawn care education program. There are many communities with good bylaws and education programs already in place. These could be used as a model for a Stratford ban. It is the responsibility of local governments to protect the public health of its citizens whenever possible. We need to protect our citizens and most importantly the children of our community.

Meadowrue Workday tomorrow!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 02:49:00 +0000

C.A.R.E Stratford is looking for seasoned and rookie gardeners of all ages to attend a gardening day at Meadowrue Corner on Saturday June 23, 9:30 a.m. to noon.

"Meadowrue volunteer days are great opportunities for everyone to get involved in the community and really help shape what it looks like," said Holly Jones, who co-champions the Meadowrue project with John Burtenshaw. "They're also a good opportunity for people to provide their input and learn more about native wildflowers and gardening."

At a recent work day kids in grades four to seven at the Stratford Montessori School pulled an approximately 1.5-meter high pile of garlic mustard, a plant considered highly invasive in southwestern Ontario.

On Saturday, June 23 C.A.R.E. hopes to turn its attention to trimming, more weed pulling managing some of the more vigorous native plants. Some materials that would be handy to bring include pruning shears, trowels and gardening gloves.

Ms. Jones also suggests that people bring sun hats, sunblock and water if it is sunny and rain gear if it is rainy. She says the volunteer day will run rain or shine unless it is "pouring."

Meadowrue Corner is a pesticide-free community-maintained garden located at the bottom of "snake hill" just east of lower Queen's Park and the Festival Theater.

For more information, please contact Meadowrue volunteers at meadowruegardens@gmail.com or John Burtenshaw at (519)272-8710.

Hallowed Ground: The Church and the Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Sat, 26 May 2007 13:55:00 +0000

Join the Stratford & District Council of Churches, CARE Stratford and Stratford's Energy & Environment Committee to learn how to green your world and your church.

We invite church leaders, stewardship teams, environmental committees, interested churches and community members, to work together to reduce the environmental impact of worship spaces in Stratford.

Listen to Don Eaton of the Elora Centre for Environmental Excellence share his expertise on energy efficiency for church buildings; view local environmental information displays; share ideas about how energy can be saved in church facilities; and contribute other environmental practices to your fellow community members.

The event takes place on Thursday, May 31st from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Ontario Street Baptist Church. Please RSVP Terry Hastings at thastings@knoxstratford.on.ca

Refreshments will be served beforehand. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the program will run from 7-8:30. If you have planters (3-6"), used cell phones, printer cartridges or socks that you no longer need, please bring them with you.

For more information contact:
Terry Hastings
Minister, Knox Presbyterian Church
Stratford, ON
thastings@knoxstratford.on.ca

Kerry McManus
C.A.R.E. Stratford
(519) 271-4500 ext. 24
carestratford@cyg.net

C.A.R.E. Stratford is selling Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Wed, 16 May 2007 20:09:00 +0000

CARE Stratford is partnering with Green Student Fundraising to raise funds for C.A.R.E. Stratford’s renewable energy project. $1 per CFL sold will go towards this program. Orders need to be placed by Friday May 19th.

A Word from C.A.R.E. Stratford

C.A.R.E. Stratford is selling compact fluorescents again! This time, the money raised will go to our renewable energy project in Stratford. Currently, we are investigating a range of ideas and so complete details are not yet available but we assure you that all funds will help reduce our energy needs in Stratford either through conservation or renewable energy generation.

Green Students has partnered with Landlite to provide CFLs with industry leading energy efficiency, rated life and environmentally friendly packaging. All of our bulbs are Energy Star & CUL approved. Unlike many other CFLs, Landlite has a form of end of life protection which prevents any electrical issues that may arise.

Key Benefits of CFLs Important Things to Know

Use about 80% less electricity.
They cannot be used with dimmers.
Last up to 10 times longer Energy Star certified CFLs products provide a 2 year warranty.
Operate cooler CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury.
The mercury content in CFLs is minimal (our CFLs contain less than 5mg). No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use and they pose no danger to you or your family when used properly.
It is important to dispose of CFLs properly to help minimize pollution in our landfills. Information regarding CFL safety and local disposal sites will be provided in detail with your receipt.

CFL Selection Guide
All three CFL’s are instant on and come to full brightness within 12 seconds.
13W- Warm White
15W - White Warm
20W - Sunshine CFL

CFL Characteristics 13W 15W 20W
Equivalent Bulb 60W 75W 100W
Lumen Output (Light) 900 1100 1400
Energy Star Rated Life 10,000 Hours 10,000 Hours 10,000 Hours
Energy Reduction 78.3% 80% 80%
All Prices include
GST and Ontario PST
13W 15W 20W
Single $6 $7 $10
5 Pack $25 $30 $45

Interested? Please email Kerry McManus with orders at carestratford@cyg.net, please include a phone number where you can be reached. You may also order by phone at (519) 271-4500 ext. 24.

Green Students Fundraising
info@greenstudents.ca
www.greenstudents.ca
Phone: 416-644-1025
Fax: 416-644-0116

Mailing Address:
Green Students Fundraising
Centre for Social Innovation
215 Spadina Avenue, Ste 400
Toronto, Ontario
M5T 2C7

Tree Planting...Wednesday April 25th

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:56:00 +0000

Location:
Bob and Marg Irvine's farm. Just west of Shakespeare beside Rosemarie's Family
Restaurant on the north side of highway 8. (911# 2252). Look for the tree planting site sign.

Wednesday, April 25th at 9:00 am - early afternoon

- Neighbours Helping Neighbours -

Information:

Roger and Elaine Cook 271-1978
Craig Merkley (UTRCA) 451-2800 Ext 235

What's Happening?
Planting the second half of the 5 acres field started last year
Planting a mixture of 1600 seedlings and 30 large hardwood trees.
Junior students from Sprucedale and gr.10's from Stratford Central Secondary School are helping us again this year.
Bring a lunch. Shovels, snacks and drinks are provided.
We should be finished by early afternoon.

Thanks to the Donald McTavish Conservation Fund through the Stratford and
Perth County Community Foundation and the Adopt a Watershed Pilot Project.

Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 22:29:00 +0000

Attached is a poster outlining events happening this weekend for Earth Day. There are at least two other activities happening that aren't included on the poster. One is a presentation by Victoria Serda at Pazzo's on Friday night. She was selected and trained to present "An Inconvenient Truth." Whether you have seen the documentary or not, this will be an informative evening as I'm sure the discussion will be fascinating. The second is Saturday afternoon with a hike on Cooper Standard's nature trail. If you would like more information on either of these, contact Chris Doherty at cdoherty@wightman.ca.

As much as I'd love to attend them all, I will likely only make it our booth at the LINC Parent fair and for Sunday afternoon. For those coming on Sunday:
• If you plan to help garden, please bring gloves and your favorite tools.
• If you plan to help with the river clean-up, please bring gloves as well.
• If you have used printer cartidges, old cell phones, Campbell's soup labels, single socks, milk bags (the outer printed ones), pennies (this will go to Sleeping Children Around the World), spider plants shoots, or plastic planters (preferably 3" - 9" in diameter) please bring them.

Film Screening

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 23:21:00 +0000

Tuesday (April 3rd) we will be screening two films at Knox at 7pm:

Lawn and Garden Pesticides:
Reducing Harm CAPE'S (Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment) film on lawn and garden pesticides. This unique 10 minute video sets out the scientific evidence linking common household pesticides to a variety of serious illnesses, including cancer, reproductive problems and neuorlogical diseases.

Organic Prophecies:
Organic Prophecies chronicles Dr. Ken Taylor's innovative approach to farming without GMOs, chemical fertilizers and herbicides while growing thousands of heirloom nuts, vegetables and fruits, helping to preserve our vital heritage. We also meet some of the customers who buy his organic produce--people who depend on it for healthy food and peace of mind. This film makes prophetic statements about the sorry state of conventional agriculture and the viable alternatives.

Film Screening

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:22:00 +0000

Planet in Focus's Cross-Canada Tour stopped in Stratford for a screenings of Alphabet Soup and Curse of Copper

Tuesday March 6th at 7p.m.
Knox Presbyterian Church
142 Ontario St.
Stratford

Admission was by donation.

Alphabet Soup Ian Connacher
Canada, documentary, 2005
13 min.
*Synopsis:*
The crew of the Alguita sets sail to gather samples of the millions of pieces of plastic floating in the Pacific like an alphabet soup. Their research voyage raises the alarm that every piece of plastic ever made, from fluorescent tubes to pop bottles, still exist and won't go anywhere for a long, long time.

The Curse of Copper Jenny Sharman
England, documentary, 2006 34 min.
English and Spanish with English subtitles
*Synopsis:*
Canada is the biggest investor in global mining, and Vancouver's Ascendant Copper plans to open a mine in the Ecuadorian rainforest, one of the world's most threatened biodiversity hotspots. According to local citizens, the mine would destroy the precious ecosystem and disrupt their lives. Already, concerned citizens face death threats, physical intimidation and an atmosphere of far, attributed to CODEGAM, a P.R. front financed by Ascendant. *The Curse of Copper *follows the battle between a profit-driven company and villagers who simply want to maintain their life and ancient home.

Both films offer perspectives on the environment that are not usually addressed in the media - the horrendous mess in our oceans caused by human dumping of plastics and the ignorance of Canadian investments which ultimately support the distruction of some of the world's most precious and rare eco systems.

Sponsored by CARE Stratford, Energy & Environment and Giant Squid Independent Video.

Sometime in December We will be starting the first of film screenings.

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 00:31:00 +0000

The exact film has not yet been decided but some of the possibilities include: Life in Debt, Who Killed the Electric Car? and Escape from Suburbia

"Turn on the Tap."

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 00:27:00 +0000

Click here for details!

November 11, 2006 Visiting Environmentalist Jon Naar Knox Church at 1:00pm

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry McManus) — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:24:00 +0000

Jon Naar is an internationally acclaimed photographer, author, renewable energy advocate, and public speaker, with multiple careers spanning seven decades in the public and private sectors. Born in England, he moved to New York in 1947, where he lived until 2000. He now resides in Trenton, New Jersey.

He has traveled extensively, and his photography reflects the various eras he has lived through. Jon introduces himself as “a political person” and this is evident in the kind of pictures he has chosen to take; www.jonnaar.com, Faith in Graffiti 1974, Getting the Picture, 2005.

Two books moved Jon into environmental activism: Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962) and E.F. Schumacher's Small Is Beautiful (1973). In 1975, he traveled around the United States interviewing and photographing the pioneers who were designing and using renewable energy in their homes. This was the basis for his best-selling book Design for a Limited Planet,1976 (Ballantine), the first popular book on solar energy. Jon went on to publish The New Wind Power, 1982 (Penguin).Design for a Livable Planet, 1990(Harper & Row) and This Land Is Your Land - A Guide to North America's Endangered Ecosystems, 1993 (HarperCollins).

Jon will also be giving a presentation on his photography called "The Art of Urban Identity". Please see his Poster for details.