Members of Jen Hunter’s Green Party youth group chalking at a Bridgehead on Bank Street.
Colourful chalk messages are popping up all over the Ottawa Centre riding to recognize homes and businesses that are taking measures to promote a healthy environment.
Jen Hunter, the local Green Party candidate, kicked off the “Great Work Lives Here” initiative alongside her federal election campaign.
The project involves high school and university student volunteers who discover what practices already exist in the community, that demonstrate the three core pillars of Hunter’s platform: a green economy, sustainable living and participation that counts.
“It’s an innovative approach for engaging the hearts and minds of youth,” said Hunter. “Instead of stuffing envelopes, they get hands-on interactive engagement.”
Hunter says that the concept behind this volunteer campaign is based on a growing field of work called “appreciative inquiry,” which is a search for the best in people and their organizations, by engaging in a civic discourse. Students are heightening positive potential by chalking to identify specifically what practices are helpful in the community, such as geothermal homes and families that carpool.
Boushey’s Fruit Market on Elgin Street is one of the businesses in the riding that has been recognized by Hunter’s project.
Mark Boushey, the co-owner of the market, says that they carry many organic products and have eliminated lights and freezers to save on electricity.
“It’s good to encourage people to do as much as they possibly can. It’s the way of the future,” said Boushey.
Emily Brunt, 15, spoke with the manager and environmental specialist at a Westboro-area Bridgehead to learn about the business’s commitment to fair trade, organics and the environment.
“I think it is a great way for students to get involved and show what they care about, and also to show Ottawa that the future of green living is already here in many ways,” said Brunt.
She discovered a long list of interesting green practices including the fact that the coffee chain’s cutlery is made of potatoes and their cups are made of corn.
Bridgehead has also installed water-efficient toilets that only use three to six litres of water, versus the nine to 12 litres that the average toilet expends.
Every Saturday afternoon during the election campaign, the volunteers meet with Hunter to share the ideas, insights and experiences they discovered in the community.
These meetings include photos from cell phones and digital cameras that students use to capture the artwork and positive messages that they have spread.
“It’s the highlight of my week!” said Hunter.
There currently aren’t specific criteria for homes and businesses to meet in order to be recognized by the initiative. Hunter says the essence of the approach is to acknowledge any effort that subscribes to the “borrow, use, return” philosophy, versus “take, make, waste.”
Other practices that have been recognized so far include composting, chemical-free cleaning products, recyclable bags, locally grown food, solar panelling and biodegradable packaging.