| History
Mission Statement
The Environment Network is committed to a proactive approach to environmental management through the sharing of knowledge, demonstration of sound environmental practices and direct action.
The Environment Network encourages environmental improvement through community action.
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 and the economy is imperative. We strive to assist in creating a "green industry" and take action to demonstrate environmentally sound practices and improvements.
There are four areas where we concentrate our efforts:
- Energy
- Water
- Waste
- Pollution Prevention
- History
The Environment Network is a small non-profit, non-government organization. Our offices are currently located at 125a Napier Street, 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.
Funding from the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy (MOEE) was eliminated in 1995, but the people at the Environment Network were determined to continue. Several cutbacks were made and we altered the way we operate. It took some time to adjust but to date we have been very successful. The Environment Network remains a member of the Green Communities Association.
Board
The board consists of five members.
The Environment Network is a non-profit organization, democratically governed by its members through an elected volunteer Board of Directors, which include:
- Peter Osmond, President
- Bob MacMaster, Vice-President
- Hans Eijsenck, Director
- Michele Rich, Director
- Abby Stec, Director
|
