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Living Green for today.
Picture of a residential block in South Barrie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I have been involved with, and on the Board of a local charity for over four years. When I started, I felt I had a full plate, but they needed board members so I joined. Since then we’ve gone from an organization that did things on a project by project basis, to an organization that now has long term projects such as Off the Rack, and FruitShare. Of course this organization is Living Green Barrie (AKA Environmental Action Barrie).
Environmental Action Barrie has existed for over 25 years to bring the people of Barrie and surrounding communities together to learn about environmental issues, and to change habits in favour of environmentally – friendlier practices. We currently have ongoing eco-projects and we are always looking for volunteers. – Living Green Barrie
This past week, I was elected Chair of Barrie’s environmental charity. This is very different from anything I have done before. As President of the Barrie Green Party, the Executive is more collaborative, and flexible. With the Board of Living Green, everyone works well together, but there are certainly more strong personalities there. Both have their pros and cons. The beauty of this new challenge, as Chair of the Board for Living Green, is to 1) impartially chair board meetings, and 2) ensure the organization stays on track, and stays according to its mandate.
As President of the Barrie Green Party, I am an involved participant, despite the fact I chair the meetings of the Executive Board. I direct policy, and direction. But as Chair of Living Green, I don’t have control of anything. It’s a big contrast.
But at the end of the day, it’s all worth it. I know I am up for the challenge. With the Green Party I got us working with Robert’s Rules of Order to help streamline Executive meetings, and getting us to where we aren’t there all day, instead now we actually have a few small committees.
Hopefully with Living Green, we may get a few committees going, and be the charity Barrie deserves. We’re there, we just need to go the extra mile.
If you would like to join either the Board of Living Green, or the Green Party, email me!
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Reflections on a Green Century
I have been a Green Party member here in Canada since 2004. Most people know this story – I got involved because a friend of the time who was doing a Master’s program at Ottawa’s Carleton University was telling me about Green Party tax policy, and suggested we become a member. 7 years later and I don’t know if he’s still a member, but I’m the only one of us who got involved.
In the last 2 – 3 years, we have made major strides. Elizabeth May became our first Green MP in the Canadian House of Commons,
English: Green Party leader, Elizabeth May. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
representing Saanich–Gulf Islands in British Columbia. If you’ve never been to Victoria, BC you should really go. It’s such a beautiful area, and Elizabeth is lucky to represent it. Now this year we’ve earned a spot in British Columbia’s Legislative Assembly, with Andrew Weaver representing Oak Bay–Gordon Head.
This is truly exciting. Two elected Greens in Canada. Plus Adriane Carr on Vancouver City Council, where they do have municipal political parties. Sure we have other municipal elected officials, but unfortunately due to the non-partisan nature, they often go unrecognized.
So we truly are in the Green Century. The Green parties in Canada have evolved, and changed so much since I became a member in 2004. We’ve gotten better, higher quality leaders like Elizabeth May, and Mike Schreiner (leader of the Green Party of Ontario.) And higher quality candidates. This tells me that we will continue electing people, even under the antiquated first past the post system. And Fair Vote Canada recently gave the Canadian government a petition of 25,000 signatures on their Declaration of Voters Rights.
In Barrie, we have a plan to elect Ontario’s first Green MP. We’re calling the Order of the Green Century. The plan is pretty simple. Like a legion of 100 centurions, we’re recruiting 100 volunteers, and 100 monthly donors. With this we will be able to have a fully funded election campaign, and enough volunteers to knock on every door in the electoral district at least once. Because this century is the Green Century, and I want it climate change-free. Want to get involved? Email me!
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Why @GeorgianCollege needs to be held accountable.
This is a Computer Fundamentals class taking an exam. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The good news is I passed the Investment Funds in Canada exam!!
The bad news is I had a terrible experience after writing the exam at Barrie’s Georgian College.
So after writing the exam, I was feeling pretty good. Proud of myself. I got in my car to leave, and stopped at the gate to pay my $5. The gate didn’t open. It didn’t like any of my coins. In fact there were other coins in the coin return. I tired all of them, then I pressed the button for the parking guy.
First thing out of the guy’s mouth (over the intercom) is to try to accuse me of stealing. He did let me and my car go, and the money was left behind, but if the College had bothered to keep it’s equipment in top condition and/or up-to-date, none of this would have happened.
But that’s not why I think Georgian College should be held accountable. Yes it was a shitty experience, so I wrote a letter to the Manager at the Parking Office. After a week I had no reply, so I sent a copy to the College’s Public Relations department, and after another week, still no reply.
The Ontario Ombudsman has been lobbying the provincial government to gain authority to investigate the “MUSH” sector, which is colleges, universities and hospitals. Ontario is the only Canadian province where their Ombudsman CANNOT investigate this sector.
It’s about time this changed, and about time the College replied to my letter.
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