HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnv 2009-09-17 - Residential Energy Efficiency Project (REEP) Annual Funding RequestResidential Energy Project
A project of Waterloo Region Solutions
Working together for healthier homes and sustainable communities.
September 2, 2009
Environmental Committee
City of Kitchener
200 King Street West
Kitchener, ON, N2G 4G7
Attention: Colin Goodeve
Committee Administrator
Dear Friends,
I write with grateful thanks to the City of Kitchener Environmental Committee for your strong
support of REEP's programs over the past several years. Your funding is an invaluable piece of
the budget puzzle that we put together every year so that we can carry on with public education
and outreach, as well as concrete services that help Kitchener residents live more sustainably.
I write also to ask for your continued support in 2010, as we add a new service, move forward on
a high profile project, and carry on with ever increasing participation in the ecoENERGY home
energy evaluations. Here are some details of the initiatives REEP is bringing to Kitchener in the
next year.
REEP House: astate-of-the-art, Net-Zero-ready, LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) Platinum sustainable living showroom for homeowners and renters.
Located in the heart of downtown Kitchener at 20 Mill Street, REEP House will showcase to
homeowners multiple approaches to reducing their energy and carbon footprint, while
beautifying, and increasing the value and sale-ability of their homes.
We are "shovel-ready" with this project, after designing the retrofit and outreach plans over
the past year. We recently learned that the project was awarded an Industry Canada
Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) grant of $264,500. This is part of the federal stimulus
funding to help put people back to work in hard hit communities such as Kitchener, and that's
what we'll do in the hiring and contracting of labour and materials for the energy retrofit of
20 Mill Street.
Phone: ~i9-744-999 Emall: info~i~reep~n-aterlooregion.ca WebSlte: v~~n~n-seeptil-aterlooregion.ca
222 Frederick St., Kitchener, ON N2H 2MB 1 ~ 1
The City of Kitchener is participating in this project through a LEAF grant of $60,000 over the
next 3 years, with an equivalent amount coming from the Region of Waterloo in cash and in-
kind support. We appreciate the City and Region's support for this innovative project that will
benefit our community, and we are busy leveraging that support to seek additional funding
such as the CAF grant from other levels of government and private funders. Attached is a
project description and architectural drawing of our plans for the REEP House. Your
comments and feedback are welcome.
2. Riversides: REEP is bringing a public education and awareness program on urban water
runoff prevention to Waterloo Region, called Riversides (see http://www.riversides.or~/ for
more information). We have joined with several other cities through our umbrella
organization, Green Communities Canada, on this pilot program to work with local partners
such as the cities, the Region and the Grand River Conservation Authority, and to develop a
plan for full scale rollout next year if the local partners find it valuable. We are in touch with
the Engineering Department of the City of Kitchener about the program, which dovetails
nicely with the innovative Storm Water Management Master Plan that staff of the cities of
Kitchener and Waterloo are proposing to Council.
3. ecoENERGY: our home energy evaluation service is at an all-time high, with new Certified
Energy Advisors being hired on to meet the demand. An increase of 25% in the grants for
home energy retrofits earlier this year has helped to fuel participation in the program,
combined with the federal tax credit for home renovations. The City and its natural gas and
electric utilities are also instrumental in encouraging city residents to participate through
their funding and support. The program is scheduled to end in March of 2011, and we are
asking our local Members of federal and provincial Parliament to continue the program
beyond that date, based on its success in motivating homeowners to retrofit their homes.
Here below are results specific to the City of Kitchener, showing not only 2008, but also 2009
to date (end of July), and projected results by the end of this year, as well as for 2010.
ecoENERGY Results for 2008 and 2009 to date;
Projected Participation Rate for 2009 and 2010.
City of Kitchener 2008 009 to Aug 1 2009* Increase* 2010* Increase*
Initial evaluations 865 603 1100 28% 1320 ZO%
Follow-up eval 342 310 520 30% 660 50%
ecoENERGY grants $527,000 $632,000 $1,300,000 $1,650,000
Energy savings $256,500 $232,500 $390,000 $495,000
Local economic benefit $1,026,000 $930,000 $1,560,000 $1,980,000
COz reduced, tonnes 816 740 1,235 1,575
* anticipated total * increase compared to previous year
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Congratulations to Kitchener homeowners for reducing 816 tonnes of COz emissions through
home energy retrofits last year alone. We are on track to far exceed that amount this year and
next through the ecoENERGY program. These same residents saved a quarter of a million dollars
in energy bills, received over half a million dollars in federal and provincial grants as a reward,
and stimulated the local economy with over a million dollars spending to accomplish their home
retrofits.
Our thanks to the members of the Environmental Committee for helping to make all of these
initiatives possible and effective with your support. We look forward to working closely with the
City of Kitchener in 2010 to continue the environmental and economic benefits in our
community.
Requested funding for REEP in 2010: $25,000
Yours truly,
Mary Jane Patterson
Executive Director
Cc: Barbara Steiner, Senior Environmental Planner
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Residential Energy
Project
2008 Highlights
REEP Waterloo Region
2008 Annual Report
^ Strong growth in current activities,
particularly ecoENERGY and Well Aware
^ Expanded programs serving new markets,
such as Multi-Unit Residential Buildings
^ Active public education and outreach at nu-
merous presentations, events and festivals
^ REEP House Open Houses, design charrette
and education charrette
^ Employment growth, including three new
Certified Energy Advisors and an expanded
Board of Directors
^ The search for (and early 2009 acquisition of)
our new headquarters
^ A renewed Strategic Plan that ultimately po-
sitions REEP to be a leader in the community
, Thank you Local Funders!
11~~ Your funding support keeps
Region of Waterloo us on tracl<through these
J times of growth and change,
and enables us to serve
-~ this community in new and
r
KITCI-TE.,ti'I~is. better ways.
The Corporation
f the t:ity
of Cambridge
Our rateful thanks to:
g
^ Region of Waterloo
^ City of Kitchener
Kitchener
utaiues
^ City of Cambridge
NeY
~~~ ~' ^ Kitchener Utilities
^Kitc~ener-Wilmot Hydro
^ Waterloo North Hydro
Thanks also to the Ontario
`~~?CC/ Trillium Foundation for
Water'°°"°rthFiydr°'"`' funding our Organizational
rte. a~,,.,4,,,.~_; t~ ~aR"~r,~p Development and Strategic
•i4raYitpw. ~ '~ o~'L~~DaTaa ao
"""'~` Planning process.
From the Board
Strategic Planning. REEP's Board of Directors
embarked on an aggressive Strategic Planning
process through 2007 and 2008 under the
generous leadership of consultant Michael
Duschenes. The resulting five strategic goals and
objectives keep us focused on bringing the most
value to our community. Staff further developed
the goals into a work plan that will guide us
through the next three years.
One significant outcome from that process
is a larger and more diverse Board which
maintains our university connections and adds
representatives from the strategic sectors of
finance, construction and high tech.
We welcomed:
^ Jason Ball (President, Ball Construction)
^ Michael Duschenes (Chief Operating Officer,
Perimeter Institute)
^ Kate Neff (Manager, Member Services
and Marketing, Your Neighbourhood Credit Union)
They join existing Board members:
^ Mary-Louise Byrne (Chair, Geography, WLU)
^ Don Eaton (Elora Environment Centre)
^ Jenn Lynes (Professor, Environment and
Resource Studies, UW)
^ Geoff Malleck (Director, Management Studies, UW)
^ Paul Parker (Professor, Geography, UW)
Paul Parker, Chair
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Program Updates
Greening Sacred Spaces. In 2008, REEP Energy
Advisors completed detailed energy assessments
of five Christian churches and one Sikh gurdwara.
Saint Mark's Lutheran Church in Kitchener was
one of several faith buildings that received
energy audits in 2007 and was able to follow
through with retrofits this year, implementing a
full window replacement in their building.
Greening Sacred Spaces Animator Jane Snyder
brought faith communities together through
several networking events and a Strawberry
Summit, with funding from Faith and the
Common Good, and outreach assistance from
Interfaith Grand River, Mennonite Central
Committee and Community Renewable Energy
Waterloo (CREW). Representatives from over
30 faith groups shared retrofit success stories
and discussed creative uses of faith buildings,
including community gardens and community
shared agriculture.
Greening Sacred Spaces was recently approved
for renewed funding from the Ontario Trillium
Foundation to continue working with faith
groups in Waterloo Region over the next four
years. Thanks to Trillium and to Faith and
the Common Good for keeping this worthy
initiative going!
Well Aware. Throughout the spring, summer
and fall of 2008, our trained Water Guides
showed over 100 rural homeowners how to
safeguard their well and septic systems through
guided 'self-assessments'. Articles in the
Waterloo Region Record and Region of Waterloo
Environews helped to get the word out about
this free service funded by the Ontario Ministry
of the Environment.
In June, REEP hosted a Community Water Forum
to explain how groundwater systems work and
how to be responsible stewards of this shared
resource. An additional workshop in the fall was
geared specifically to the 67 Cambridge real
estate agents who joined us for a half-day of
training about wells on rural properties.
Well Aware returns in 2009, the third of a
three-year program through our membership
in Green Communities Canada. Local partners
Region of Waterloo Public Health and the Grand
River Conservation Authority contribute in-kind
services and expertise that helps make this
program a success.
Co-op and Non-profit Homes. REEP worked
with the Region of Waterloo and IRC Building
Sciences Group of London to create a customized
energy audit service for co-op and non-profit
housing properties throughout the Region. Our
Energy Advisors will assess the insulation levels,
air leakage levels, furnace efficiencies, and
more, in townhouse units at 81 sites in Waterloo
Region. We are pleased to work with these key
partners on ways to upgrade our Region's co-op
and non-profit homes.
Leanne Lobe of the Region of Waterloo Water Services and
Anne Loeffler of the Grand River Conservation Authority
speaking at our annual Well Aware Community Water Forun
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Saint Mark's Lutheran Church in Kitchener received a Greening Sacred Spaces
REEP House Update
In 2008, we continued to refine the REEP House design by
gathering expertise and inspiration from our community.
Our plan is to retrofit two century homes in
downtown Kitchener and provide educational
opportunities to homeowners on how to reduce
the carbon footprint of their homes, enhance
property value and increase home comfort.
Community Participation. Fifty neighbours
and visitors came to our first open house on
March 29th to have a look at 20 Mill Street,
the "before" version. This was followed by
a presentation at Joseph Schneider Haus
explaining the results of the energy evaluations
done at 20 and 24 Mill Street and our plans for
retrofitting both houses, including photographs
and architectural drawings.
On August 21st, our community partners and
funders were invited to the second open house
at 20 Mill Street to talk with designer Graham
Whiting of Whiting Design and see the working
drawings of the demonstration house.
An Integrated Design. Two collaborative
charrettes were held, in August and September,
to focus on the educational components of
the demonstration house and the technical
possibilities for achieving net zero energy use.
Ongoing meetings of the Design/Tech Committee
informed the emerging design, with expertise
generously donated by local architectural and
building design professionals.
At 24 Mill Street, we are aiming fora "50/30"
solution: A 50% energy reduction for $30,000.
The energy performance of the finished retrofit
will be monitored once the home is occupied to
assess the results and compare them to pre-
retrofit consumption.
At 20 Mill Street, our ongoing demonstration
house, a wide variety of green solutions for
homeowners will be showcased and explained,
from insulation and various heating options, to
solar power and milk paint. Guided tours will
allow visitors to see the technology in action
and to engage in hands-on displays. The house
will help connect homeowners with designers,
contractors, vendors and lenders.
We have retained Ball Construction as our
construction manager, and are grateful for
their in-kind donation of time in support of the
project. Special thanks to the early funders who
are helping us get this project off the ground:
the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, the City
of Kitchener, the Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation, The Kresge Foundation and The
Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation.
REEP Waterloo Region `~
2008 Annual Report 4 1 H E R E'~ ~ F ~1 f [~1~~ I l l
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Paul Parker addresses our team of experts
P~nFNFR(;Y RPCi
Advisors, who conducted a total of 2,4C
energy evaluations in Waterloo Region.
Homeowners Took Action. We saw a dramatic
increase in community engagement in the
ecoENERGY program in 2008, with 1,724 Region
homeowners signing up for initial energy
evaluations with REEP, compared to our usual
1,000 per year.
Armed with their ecoENERGY reports and
our list of participating local contractors,
677 households implemented some or all of our
recommendations and called REEP back for a
follow-up evaluation to assess and document the
results of their retrofits, provide an upgraded
EnerGuide rating of their house that reflects the
increase in energy efficiency, and qualify them
for incentives from the federal and provincial
governments as a reward for reducing their
greenhouse gas emissions.
An average of 2.4 tonnes of COz emissions were
reduced per household through these actions,
totalling 1,616 tonnes in 2008. These emissions
are an ongoing reduction, saved each year as
participants live in homes that use less energy.
More money is put into the owners' pockets, and
home value and comfort are increased.
A Great Collaboration. The matching federal and
provincial grants made it easy for participants
to do the right thing, as did the province's
contribution of up to $150 towards the cost
of having an ecoENERGY evaluation. When we
match that with the local funding that helps
make this service possible in our community,
which comes from Kitchener Utilities, Kitchener-
Wilmot Hydro and Waterloo North Hydro, we
see a great collaboration working towards the
common goals of addressing climate change and
making our communities more sustainable. We
are proud to be part of it.
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ecoENERGY Results
Accumulative tonnes of
COz emissions reduced by
REEP customers from
1999 to 2008.
Note: There were few
follow-up evaluations done
in the early years of the
program, which made it
difficult to assess results
during that time.
Current Year
Past Years
Initial evaluations 1,724 9,778
Follow-up evaluations 677 2,656
Total evaluations 2,401 12,434
Grants received $1,290,238 $2,382,168
Energy savings per year' $507,750 $1,992,000
Local spending on retrofits' $2,031,000 $7,968,000
COz emissions reduced 1,616t 6,035t
*estimates based on national averages
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REEP's outreach team connected directly
with over 5,000 members of our community
at schools, workplaces, home shows, trade
fairs, and other events, promoting energy
conservation and sustainable living.
Energy Saving Renovation Workshops
Our workshop series ran twice at the Kitchener
Public Library in 2008, free of charge thanks
to the support of Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro and
Waterloo North Hydro. Retired Certified Energy
Advisor and homebuilder Glenn Schmidt showed
participants how to maximize energy savings
when they renovate their home.
The workshops also ran in Cambridge at the
University of Waterloo School of Architecture,
funded by the Grand House Student Co-operative
as part of their Going Green series.
Energy Saving Kits. REEP distributed Energy
Savings Kits at community events and at home
energy evaluations in partnership with Union
Gas and Kitchener Utilities. The free kits, much
appreciated by recipients, contain ahigh-
efficiency showerhead, kitchen and bathroom
faucet aerators, as well as insulation for hot
water pipes.
~~
Getting The Word Out. Thanks to the Region
of Waterloo, City of Kitchener and City of
Cambridge for supporting our outreach efforts,
and for organizing great events. All of our local
partners helped to get the word out about our
programs through bill inserts, web links, phone
referrals, and more.
Kitchener Utilities profiled REEP and the ecoENERGY
erants in their Natural Comforts maeazine
Presentations and Lunch `n' Learns
Empire Public School
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate
Woodland Christian High School
City of Kitchener Environment Committee
ECO Show at the Children's Museum
Grand Hill Village Community Association
Grand River Watershed Water Forum
Joseph Schneider Haus
Kitchener Westmount Rotary Club
Kitchener Public Library Blackout Anniversary
Mennonite Conference Eastern Canada
Northern Digital Inc.
Trinity United Church, Elmira
UW Environment & Business Conference
UW Residence Reduction Challenge
WLU Global Citizenship Conference
WLU Commuter Challenge
REEP House Community Forum
REEP's Energy Saving Renovation Workshops
J
Community Events
Family Water Festival
Heart & Hand Festival at Joseph Schneider Haus
WLU EcoHawks Green Day
reThink Waterloo
UW Faculty of Environment Campus Picnic
Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada
Woolwich Green Technology Fair
Navtek Earth Day Event
OTIP Earth Day Fair
Waterloo Sunoco Earth Day
City of Kitchener Wellness Fair
Cambridge Spring Home & Garden Show
Cambridge Fall Home and Leisure Show
KW Spring Home and Garden Show
KW Spring Twin City Home & Lifestyle Show
KW Fall Home and Leisure Show
Fresh Ayr Festival
Wellesley Home & Garden Show
New Dundee Victoria Day Celebrations
New Hamburg Fall Fair
Chamber of Commerce Energy
and Environment Forum
Waterloo Region Apartment Managers Trade Fair
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Finances
Kevin Pratt: Energy Intern
and Operations Assistant
(June 2008-July 2009)
Job Description
Assist in booking and
performing ecoENERGY
evaluations, and perform
various administrative duties.
Accomplishments
Designed program for bulk
evaluations of condominiums
and townhouses, and
passed the test to become
a Certified Energy Advisor.
Congratulations Kevin!
Kevin's REEP Experience
"My time at REEP has allowed
me to take an interest in
building design and energy
conservation, and develop it
into a profession that I can be
continually engaged in and
proud of. I have been involved
in many aspects of REEP
and learned to appreciate the
efforts made by the entire staff
and look forward to working
with them in my new role as a
Certified Energy Advisor."
Where is he now?
Kevin is now training to
join REEP's team of
Certified Energy Advisors.
Statement of revenue and expenses
Client fees
Non-variable grants
Variable grants
Interest earned
Corporate sales
Total revenue
Salaries and benefits
REEP House
Quality assurance
Professional fees
Outreach
Occupancy
Equipment
Communications
Training and development
Insurance
Supplies
Travel
Organizational development
Interest and bank charges
Board expenses
Total expenses
$ 562,349 $ 216,752
$ 221,155 $ 260,536
$ 115,912 $ 131,884
$ 4,729 $ 3,084
- $ 1,000
$ 904,145 $ 613,256
$ 632,155 $ 488,710
$ 60,787 $ 4,923
$ 57,619 $ 25,819
$ 14,491 $ 11,712
$ 12,078 $ 23,398
$ 11,524 $ 7,326
$ 10,096 $ 11,651
$ 6,985 $ 9,140
$ 5,861 $ 4,040
$ 5,212 $ 6,061
$ 3,304 $ 5,169
$ 3,008 $ 2,183
$ 2,896 $ 2,388
$ 1,146 $ 826
$ 203 $ 1,024
$ 827,365 $ 604,370
Kcess of revenue over expenses $ 76,780 I
~o%
60
50%
40%
30%
zo%
io%
6
7
8
Federal Funding
7
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Revenue Breakdown
Client Fees Local Funding Provincial
and Special Funding
Projects
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REEP Waterloo Reg`
222 Frederick Stre~
" Ur,iversityof r-,,,;,,,,.~
Waterloo
Kitchener, Ontario
Telephone: 519-744 9/r ,_
REEP was founded b
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~_ ~ ~~
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~~
Fax:519-603-3453
info @ reepwaterlooregir
www. reepwaterlooregic;
REEP is a member of Green Communities Canada,
REEP is a registered charm, ~ 4 , a national association of non-profit organizations
under the name Waterloo Com munix that deliver practical solutions to Canadian house-
. ~^ `~c° ~~, _ holds. Our ecoENERGY and Well Aware programs
are available through this membership. 1
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"`_
~~ .
~'
~'~ p' REEP House Project
There are 43,000 pre-1960 homes in Waterloo Region
Many of these homes have plaster lathe walls with no effective insulation.
The Heat loss and cold wall effect are equivalent to leaving the front door
wedged open 2-3 inches all winter. A 50% reduction of their energy use would
conserve the equivalent energy of 750 million kwh of electricity, reduce
greenhouse emissions by 163,000 tonnes annually, and activate $1.3 billion
dollars of local economic activity.
Beyond ecoENERGY
With the current ecoENERGY program, regional homeowners are
averaging a 25-35%~ energy reduction in their older homes, and at our current
pace we will not see all of the Region's older housing stock upgraded unti12041.
How can we accelerate this process already underway, and gain the benefits
sooner? How can we encourage people to do deeper, more valuable retrofits?
Why dori t we see a solar panel on every roof? What is holding us back?
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5 Solutions in BEEP House
REEP's customer service and energy advisors have carried out 10,000
evaluations in the last 10 years, currently 10 a day - and we talk to many more
people who would love to participate, but. There are 5 main buts -the REEP
House Project offers the following solutions:
KNOWLEDGE
We need to show people how their house is constructed, what a double
brick wall is, and how it is insulated. This will let them imagine solutions,
and supervise contractors.
MONEY
We must connect 1omeowners (through lenders) to their own capital, so
they can experience green renovation as a win-win scenario of flowing
home equity through a local contractor, and then depositing it right back
into their home, while enjoying the upgrades.
AESTHETICS & COMFORT
We have to demonstrate that energy retrofits will improve the look of their
house, and let them experience the huge jump in comfort they will be in
for.
BIG PICTURE DESIGN
We need to give homeowners the tools to evaluate their options and
realize how simple it can be to prioritize their needs. Should I put in new
windows, or insulate the basement? Which makes more sense for me, geo-
thermal, or a tankless water heater?
CONNECTIONS
We must provide a connection point where 1omeowners, bankers,
designers, contractors, property appraisers, realtors, building inspectors,
and retailers can all find each other easily, and create an environment
where all of those parties can understand each other and work together.
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Community collaboration
BEEP House is a collaboration between a highly accredited team of
science-based designers with the help of the University of Waterloo, a network of
contractors and technology vendors, realtors, property appraisers, and bankers,
all guided by a committed, leading-edge green designer.
First
REEP House is the first century brick home completely renovated to near
net zero in our region offering guided tours and resources to the public, over a
multi-year period.
The first R-2000 demonstration home in Canada drew 40,000 visitors in its
initial year. Our guided tours will walk people through the house in small,
intimate groups; uncovering details, answering questions, and showing them,
with our workbooks, how they can understand and balance all the costs, and
find the right local people who are trained to do the work.
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We will make green retrofits as simple as:
1 Take the BEEP House tour.
2 Use our planning tools, certified home evaluators,
advice and connections to create a plan for your own
sustainable home.
3 Select your professionals and get cracking.
Payback - $ Value of $30,000 ~ 50"/o Green Retrofit
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Years
Stand inside the house of the future
We believe that people need to stand inside the finished product to be
inspired, informed, and convinced. We'll offer every single process completely
documented in photographs and video, and left open in safe public displays so
homeowners can literally put their hands inside the walls, and see exactly how
things work.
REEP House will include a Smart Meter, solar hot water, solar PV, and a
wind turbine, all scaled to residential use to show homeowners how easy it is to
reduce their draw on the grid, or achieve Net-Zero energy use.
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Reaching our community
People need a lot of support and education to change their habits. The
REEP House project has a comprehensive multi-year public outreach component
to bring our message into neighbourhoods, find people who are ready to
renovate, help t11em through the process with BEEP House, and encourage them
to be models and supporters for their neighbours. To do this, our funding is
coming from a wide, community-based group of supporters.
A local solution
Global climate change and economic turmoil can both be remedied,
together in fact, by simply changing human behaviour. We in Waterloo Region
cannot solve the entire global problem by ourselves, but we don't need to, we
only need to do what we can right here in our own community, and have faith
that we are part of a global movement of communities engaged in similar
activities.
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