[getsmart-l] Ontario students awarded over $15, 000 for their ideas for a sustainable future

[Media Release]

Emacs!


Media Release - PHOTOS AVAILABLE

Ontario students awarded over $15,000 for their ideas for a sustainable future

(Markham, Ontario, April 3, 2007)  The Cement 
Association of Canada (CAC) recognized students 
in Ontario with the best sustainable future 
ideas, awarding $15,000 in cash and prizes to the 
students with winning ideas yesterday.  The 
contest was part of the CAC's annual Sustainable 
Future Day, held this year at Seneca College in 
Markham where over 100 people attended, including 
local MPP and Ontario Minister of Revenue Michael 
Chan and Ontario Minister of Transportation Donna Cansfield.

Each York Region District School Board (YRDSB) 
finalist received $250, with the 1st place 
winner, Emma Ryman of Unionville High School, 
receiving an additional $500.  Seneca College 
group finalists each received $500, with the 1st 
place winner, Heather McGregor of Mississauga, 
receiving an additional $500.  And Trent 
University (Peterborough) finalist groups each 
received $1000, with the winning group, which 
includes Caitlin Bragg, Julia Canning and Andrea 
Maitucci, receiving an additional $1000, which 
they have chosen to donate to a First Nations 
charity.  (For all of the winners and project 
descriptions, see the chart below.)

The winning projects proposed novel solutions to 
sustainability challenges; integrated 
technologies to enhance efficiencies; addressed 
key elements of sustainability features; and 
clearly identified sustainability goals.

"By holding this contest, we're encouraging 
sustainable thinking in youth and sustainable 
building for our future," said Sally Moore of the 
Cement Association of Canada.  "The level of 
awareness and creativity shown today by the finalists is truly impressive."

"The winners were innovative and passionate, 
bringing a holistic view of what the environment 
and our place in it means," said Seneca College 
Professor Christine Doody-Hamilton who was one of the judges.

"I was extremely impressed by the quality of the 
presentations, and the depth of the students' 
passion about sustainability and the promise for 
positive change that their work represents," said 
Renee Stephen, Queens University Integrated 
Learning, who also judged the projects.

Minister Chan spoke to the students at the awards 
ceremony about the inspiring role they are 
playing in the quest to build a better 
future:  "You have all worked very hard to 
further the vision of a sustainable future."

Minister Cansfield commended the students for 
their efforts, and then went on to discuss her 
plan to enhance sustainable transportation in 
Ontario, and complemented the cement industry for 
taking the lead in sustainable initiatives.

MPP Ernie Parsons spoke about how much has 
changed since the 50's and how bottling water 
would have been silly to people, whereas now, we 
have created a 'throw-away' society.   He said 
that the Cement Industry's Building a Sustainable 
Future Day was all about turning that tide and 
learning to live more sustainably.

In addition to the awards and prize money given 
out yesterday, there were two People's Choice 
Sustainable Innovation Awards.  Guests and 
students from other schools voted on the best 
projects for Seneca and YRDSB.  The winners were 
Heather MacGregor for Seneca College, who won a 
portable DVD player and a DVD of Al Gore's An 
Inconvenient Truth; and Corey Neale from YRDSB, 
who also won a DVD, in addition to an iPOD.

Steve Rensink from YRDSB's Character Matters 
showed the students and guests images of his work 
building self-esteem in countries in Africa and 
around the world, and talked about how issues of 
climate change, water, and land use are critical 
the world over.  He inspired the students to know 
that their actions and ideas will make a 
difference in environmental thinking worldwide.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Sally Moore, Cement Association of Canada, (416) 449-3708, smoore at cement.ca

Photos are available upon request from Brent 
Kulba, ECO, 416-972-7401, kulbab at huffstrategy.com


Partners for Building a Sustainable Future Contest:
Cement Association of Canada (CAC), Ontario 
Concrete Pipe Association (OCPA), Centre for the 
Built Environment at Seneca College, 
EnerQuality/R2000, Ontario Masonry Training 
Centre (OMTC), Ready Mixed Concrete Association 
of Ontario (RMCAO), Town of Markham, Trent 
University Indigenous Environmental Studies 
Programme, Warner Bros Entertainment Inc., and 
York Region District School Board

Please see the following sites for additional 
information: www.cement.ca, http://sustainablecontest.cement.ca


2007 Sustainable Future Day Winners

Further information about the winners and 
projects can be found at http://sustainablecontest.cement.ca


York Region District School Board

1st place
$750
Emma Ryman, Unionville High School

-Resident of Thornhill
-16 years old

Project Name:  The Health Farm - A Sustainable Rehabilitation Centre

Emma's rehabilitation centre for people suffering 
from drug and alcohol addiction incorporates 
gardening, composting, recycling, cooking, 
cleaning and maintenance of the various microgeneration power sources.

The 3,000 square metre centre would be built with 
extruded straw panels and local agricultural 
waste fibers, with permeable concrete streets 
leading up to it.  In addition, eco-friendly 
varnishes and paints would be used on surfaces in 
the centre; argon insulated windows would allow 
for passive solar heating; and thermally 
activated radiant concrete floors would be used 
for cooling and heating.  The concrete floors 
would contain tubes with water running through 
them, while displacement ventilation at the floor 
level would bring in fresh air, and vents at the 
ceiling level would exhaust stale air.

The centre would also feature solar hot water 
heating, solar panels for electricity, several 
wind turbines, skylights for natural light, a 
green roof, energy saving lighting and 
appliances, grey water recycling, 
water-conserving faucets and showers, and compost toilets.


2nd place
$500
Jasmine Chung, Unionville High School

Project Name:  Green Building Design - The Last Drop

Jasmine's ecologically designed coffee shop 
incorporates waste reduction, in both the design 
of the building and its operation, through 
reducing, reusing and recycling.  Bicycling would 
be encouraged, but the shop would also be located 
near a transit stop, and have a small pervious 
gravel parking lot that would allow 
drainage.  Trees and a garden would fill any remaining space.

Powered by geothermal energy, the 2,000 square 
foot building would incorporate insulating 
concrete forms (ICF) to increase energy 
efficiency; cork flooring and bulletin boards, a 
non-toxic, renewable resource, would reduce noise 
and create a calm environment; recycling would be 
mandatory; the positioning of the building and 
windows would allow for maximum natural lighting; 
the washrooms would have low-flow equipment; 
rainwater would be collected for flushing the 
toilets and watering the garden; and, there would be a green roof.


3rd place
$400
Stephanie Carter, Unionville High School

  - 17 years old

Project Name:  Green Yoga Design

Stephanie's eco-friendly yoga studio would be 
constructed with concrete for its high thermal 
mass and insulating properties.  Not only would 
her studio be energy efficient, but affordable to 
build and durable.  The floor would be made from 
engineered lumber made from chips and left over 
strands, and the roof would be a green roof.

In addition, the building would be positioned to 
take advantage of  solar heat; incorporate ground 
source heating, use displacement ventilation, be 
well insulated; maximize natural lighting; draw 
electricity from a wind turbine; have compost 
toilets; and collect rainwater for watering plants.


Centre for the Built Environment at Seneca College

1st place
$1000
Heather McGregor

- Resident of Mississauga
- 22 years old

Project Name:  Alternative Approach to Apartment Living

Heather's project involves taking an existing 
apartment building and re-designing it with 
sustainable technologies.  The key principles for 
the project are the collection and reuse of water 
within the building, encouraging community 
strength and involvement, integrating local food 
production and consumption, and using natural heating and cooling methods.

Water collected from the roof would be filtered 
and stored in cisterns on each floor for 
drinking/tap water, showers and dishwashers.  The 
discarded water would then be used to water 
plants, with the water that seeps to the bottom 
of the planters reused to flush toilets.
Low-scale food production within the structure 
would encourage local consumption. This would 
decrease the residents' dependency on outsourced foods.

Indoor plants would regulate the humidity and 
temperature of the building; structural passive 
solar design and enhanced concrete and thermal 
mass would help naturally heat the building; and 
operable windows would allow for air circulation 
and a means to cool down rooms.
Community gathering areas on each floor would 
encourage residents to interact with one another, 
allowing them to work together as a team on 
projects and events which bring culture and life to the building.


2nd place
$750
Raoul Jean-Claude Tan-Yan

- Resident of Toronto
- 22 years old

Project Name:  Baril Technology
An alternative to tap

Raoul's project uses Baril Technology to harness 
rainwater for outdoor use.  But unlike a simple 
barrel which can be used to fill up buckets, 
Baril Technology uses a hand pump to create water 
pressure.  This allows one to water the lawn or 
wash the car more easily, for example.
The use of this system would help residents 
reduce their water consumption, while encouraging a conservationist lifestyle.


3rd place
$650
Giuseppe Tony Ricciardi

Project Name:  Green Government Buildings - Sustaining Our Future

Giuseppe's project involves improving the energy 
efficiency of government buildings by 
incorporating green building technologies, such 
as geothermal technology, reflective roofs and rain water recovery systems.

During the winter months, the geoexchange system 
would bring the earth's natural warmth into the 
building through a heat pump; and in the summer, 
the reverse would occur by transferring the 
earth's cooler ground temperature into the 
building; the reflective roof would reduce the 
heat that is generated by the sun, allowing the 
ventilation system to work more efficiently to 
reduce the indoor temperature in the summer; and 
the rain water collected would be filtered and 
stored in a storage tank, to be used for sanitary 
purposes and other facility needs.


Trent University Indigenous Environmental Studies

1st place
$2,000
Caitlin Bragg
Julia Canning
Andrea Maitucci

Project Name:  Health, Agriculture and Economy

The goals of this are to achieve balance between 
mind, body, spirit, culture, and earth, in order 
to create a healthy place to live, accomplished 
through re-connecting with traditional foods, 
medicines and lifestyles of the Haudenosaunee.

The group members analyze current health 
problems, and propose preventative measures 
through a sustainable model of food production 
which adheres to a traditional diet.  Broken down 
into zones, the group looks at the options 
available within the city, on the fringes of the 
city and outside of the city, in addition to food 
production inside ones own home (i.e. indoor plants and herbs).

A sustainable ecological economy would be created 
to support the model for food production.  The 
primary directive would be qualitative 
development rather than quantitative growth, to 
increase human well-being and meet everybody's 
needs equally without compromising any ecological system or life force.


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