| History
Mission Statement
Environment Network is a non-profit organization working together with communities and the public to promote sound environmental practices and encourage sustainable thinking.
Overview
The Environment Network operates as a cooperative, providing people with opportunities for work and a place for people to learn how they can make less of an impact on the environment while still operating their business or home in an economical fashion.
We believe that making the link between the environment, society and the economy is imperative. We strive to assist in creating a "green industry" and take action to demonstrate sustainable practices and improvements.
There are four overarching concepts of sustainability
These are the areas where we concentrate our efforts:
- Energy
- Water
- Waste
- Pollution Prevention
- History
The Environment Network is a non-profit, non-government organization. Our offices are currently located at 44 St. Marie St., Collingwood, Ontario. We have been in existence since 1993 when we opened as a storefront for the Collingwood Harbour Remedial Action Plan (RAP). The purpose of the Environment Network was to provide a central location for the various activities of the RAP. It also provided residents with an environmental resource library, but most of all it gave residents and visitors to the community a place to go with environmental questions and concerns.
Since 1993, the Environment Network has developed into a rather unique organization. We continue to provide the community with all of the above and more. We have accomplished a
great deal. For instance, Collingwood Harbour has been de-listed as an Area of Concern, meaning that it met all of the environmental standards set in the clean up of the Great Lakes. For more information on this, click here.
In 1994, prior to the de-listing, the Environment Network became part of the Ministry of Environment and Energy’s Green Communities Initiative because we felt it was imperative to continue the work initiated by the RAP. A Strategic Plan was created by the Environment Network for the "Greening" of the entire community. The Strategic Plan contained goals with specific objectives, detailed Action Plans with specific activities identified by the community and implementation was coordinated by the Environment Network.
We are very proud to have accomplished all that was set out in the Strategic Plan within a period of two years.
The organization continues to update its direction annually to ensure the needs of the community are met.
The Environment Network remains a member of the Green Communities Association. We are a founding member of the Natural Step Learning Network as well.
Board
The Environment Network is a non-profit organization, democratically governed by its members through an elected volunteer Board of Directors of 5 members, which include:
- Peter Osmond, President
- Bob MacMaster, Vice-President
- Hans Eijsenck, Director
- Michele Rich, Director
- Abby Stec, Director
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