Who We Are

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Overview

Collaborating for a Healthier Planet

Green Neighbours 21 (GN21) unites local residents of Toronto’s Ward 12 through its Steering Committee, organizing monthly meetings and special projects on sustainability. An accredited Climate Action Network Canada member, GN21 empowers collective action toward lasting environmental solutions.

Monthly Meetings

Connect with community members on climate action topics through regular public meetings and our Eco-Fair at Wychwood Art Barns. Ideas and volunteer help are warmly welcomed!

Collaborative Projects

Join small teams leading unique sustainability initiatives, and help foster environmental awareness in Toronto's Ward 12 and beyond.
Our Team

Steering Committee

This is a picture of Lee Adamson, Steering Committee Member

Lee Adamson

Steering Committee Member
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This is a photo of Valerie Endicott, Steering Committee Member

Valerie Endicott

Steering Committee Member
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Paul Antze

Steering Committee Member
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This is a picture of Mike Green, Steering Committee Member

Mike Green

Steering Committee Member
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History

Our Journey Toward Sustainable Change

Green Neighbours 21 was launched in February 2007 at a community meeting attended by 60 enthusiastic people who shared their concerns about the environment and ideas for action. Since then we have held monthly meetings, which often include a speaker, organized a number of special events, and implemented a special project – Green Together – to help people make energy saving changes in their homes [link to section on Green Together]. We have an extensive email list providing notification of Green Neighbours 21 events and other green events in the city. All work is done by volunteers, under the direction of a steering committee, with task groups formed for specific projects.

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2009 to 2019

EcoFair

Founded and co-hosted EcoFair at the Barns from 2009 to 2019, the event shares and celebrates the many ways individuals, non-profit organizations, and eco-friendly businesses are creating a more sustainable future for us all, it grew to become EcoFair Toronto.
June 2007 and June 2008

Strawberries & Asparagus

Co-sponsored Strawberries & Asparagus in Cedarvale Park, a celebration of community, the environment, and local food.
2007

Community Events

Had information tables at numerous community events including Environment Days, Strawberries & Asparagus, school fairs, and the local farmers’ market.
2007

Recycling Program

Directed volunteers to help with the recycling program at Salsa on St. Clair, and with the local Farmers’ Market.
September 2007

Provincial Election

Held an all-candidates’ meeting for the provincial election focusing on climate change and energy issues.
November 2007

Climate Change Evening

Held a climate change evening “Convenient Solutions for An Inconvenient Truth” at Oakwood Collegiate – a live presentation of the slides from Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. followed by a panel discussion of solutions).
March 2008

Conservation & Solar Fair

Co-hosted, with the Conservation Council of Ontario, a Conservation & Solar Fair where people met directly with organizations and companies that could help them go green.
October 2008

First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto

Co-sponsored with the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto an information evening “Putting a Price on Carbon” which included a panel discussion with representatives from the candidates in the federal election.
2007 - 2008

Fact Sheets

Produced several fact sheets.
2007 - 2008

Film Screenings

Hosted film screening:
  • “The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil”
  • “Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home”
  • “Be the Change: Uplifting stories of real people living lightly and loving it”
  • “Escape from Suburbia”.
Invited Speakers

Voices for Sustainable Change

Janet McKay

LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests)

Ben Marans

Smart Living St. Lawrence

Chris Winter

Conservation Council of Ontario

Rhonda Teitel-Payne

The Stop Community Food Centre

Jeff McCormick

City of Toronto, Water Efficiency Program

Lorraine Gauthier

Now House

Randy Park

Post Carbon Toronto

Andrew Knox

Transition Toronto

Blake Poland

Transition Oakville, on “Building Transition Communities”

Councillor Joe Mihevc

Toronto’s Green Vision

Geoff Singer

Urban Planner, on “Building Sustainable Communities”

Mike Schreiner

Food policy consultant, on “Local Sustainable Food Systems and the Emerging Green Economy”

Leehe Lev

Toronto Cyclists’ Union, on “Safe Cycling

Tom Devenishek

Autoshare, on “Car-sharing”

Liz Curran

The Stop Community Food Centre on “Join the Local Food Revolution”

Susan Poizner

Growing for Green & Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard on “Join the Local Food Revolution”

Laurel Atkinson

Not Far From the Tree, on “Join the Local Food Revolution”

David Carrington

Toronto Hydro, on ways of reducing your summer electrical bills

Mike Alkema

LEAF, on gardening to cool your home and save on water use
Featured Project

Green Together

Launched in 2009, Green Together was an 18-month initiative by GN21 to support energy-saving projects in Ward 21 homes through community-based outreach.
With funding and partner organizations, GN21 trained 20 volunteers to guide residents on home energy audits, contractor selection, and rebate access.
By June 2010, 199 participants had joined, with over half actively engaged in ongoing energy projects; a follow-up study assessed long-term impacts.
Green Together

Launched in January of 2009, Green Together was an 18-month project carried out by members of Green Neighbours 21 as an experiment in using community-based social marketing to promote home energy-saving projects in and around Ward 21. Grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Community Go Green Fund enabled us to hire a Coordinator and rent office space. Working together, the Coordinator and Project Management Team then recruited a group of 20 volunteers who underwent training in various aspects of home energy savings.

A group of partner organizations (GreenSaver, Toronto Water, WISE, RiverSides and LEAF) contributed to this process, while a series of special events, most notably our “Eco-Energy Fair” held in the Wychwood Barns, helped to draw in residents considering energy saving work on their homes. Linking up with homeowners, volunteers drew on their training, personal experience and knowledge of what others had done in the community to provide advice and support through all aspects of these projects, including the EcoENERGY audits, decisions about products and work to be done, selection of contractors and accessing government rebates.

By the time the project reached its formal conclusion in June of 2010, Green Together volunteers had signed up 199 participants. While only 14 of these had completed the final EcoENERGY audit, an additional 109 were still engaged in some aspect of their home energy work, so many of these are likely to get second audits in the months ahead. For this reason a follow-up study is planned for June of 2011 to gain a more accurate picture of Green Together’s long-term effects.

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Green Together – Lessons Learned

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Green Together – Final Report

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