Rural BC homeowners share their retrofit stories, plus fisheries advocacy in Ottawa
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Carol Woolsey, a resident of Quadra Island, BC, shows off her new heat pump. (Shannon Lough/Ecotrust Canada photo)
“Without the funding from ECAP [Energy Conservation Assistance Program], I wouldn’t have gotten a heat pump because I couldn’t afford it.” — Carol Woolsey, Quadra Island
Through our Community Energy Program’s work on the ground, we see the positive impacts of home energy retrofits every day. The impacts on people’s lives include energy and cost savings, improved health, safety, well-being, aging in place, and resilience in extreme weather. The benefits are far-reaching, diverse, and unique to each household, and numbers in a report don’t fully capture them.
To offer a glimpse into the experiences of homeowners who, with guidance from our Home Energy Savings Program, accessed financial support through government-supported retrofit programs, we are sharing the stories of seniors, families, and community organizers in a series of short videos.
We hope hearing directly from people will show decision-makers the value of these retrofits and encourage renewed funding so BC residents most in need can access these impactful renovations.
Remembering Stuart Loewen
In May of this year, Ecotrust Canada lost a friend and ally when Stuart Loewen passed away. Through the Loewen Family Foundation, Stuart and his family were early supporters of our vision: thriving communities and First Nations working together toward a more sustainable and equitable future that all of us might share.
Stuart was passionate about the coast of British Columbia, where he spent time adventuring, exploring and getting to know the people who live and work there. Most recently, Stuart travelled to Prince Rupert to see our partnership with Metlakatla First Nation firsthand. True to his adventurous nature, he embraced everything the visit had to offer, from scouting secret coves by boat to tasting scallops straight from the sea. He was ready for every moment, and his excitement, curiosity, and humour were contagious.
Stuart and the Foundation were essential to launching several key projects in their early stages, including our mariculture work with Metlakatla. He also saw the potential of our Indigenous Homelands program and its partnership with the Nuxalk Nation, which launched its Routes to Roots project just last year.
Stuart’s vision and entrepreneurial mindset were a natural match for Ecotrust Canada’s “radically pragmatic” approach. We hope to honour him by carrying that spirit forward into the future.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the entire Loewen family.
New & Noteworthy
Advocating for BC’s Fishery in Ottawa
This month, Ecotrust Canada was in Ottawa with partners from the Fisheries for Communities Network, calling for urgent policy changes that support and rebuild British Columbia’s commercial fishery. On the Atlantic Coast, licences and quota are held by working fish harvesters. On the Pacific Coast, corporate, foreign, and speculative investors have bought up access, leaving BC harvesters to lease licences and quota at up to 80% of the value of their catch. The result is the lowest fishing incomes in Canada.
The Fisheries for Communities Network met with decision-makers and urged the federal government to bring an owner-operator licensing model to the Pacific. Parliamentary committees have recommended this change twice, and four successive DFO ministers have committed to it, but it has yet to be implemented.
An Opinion Piece on Bill C-39 in the Times Colonist
All regions are of national interest and can power Canada’s economic security and prosperity if the communities within them have the means to shape development.
Ecotrust Canada CEO Chuck Rumsey, Board Co-Chair Velma McColl and Board Member Tamara Krawchenko weigh in on Ottawa’s proposed Bill C-39 in the Times Colonist.
Blog: BC’s electricity demand is rising. Who should pay?
Smart thermostats and load controllers are helping some BC households stay warm, electrify their homes, and cut energy bills. But renters and lower-income families are often left out. Our UBC Sustainability Scholar explores why, and three ways BC Hydro can make load management work for everyone.
Clean50 Award for Board Member Dr. Tamara Krawchenko
Ecotrust Canada board member, Dr. Tamara Krawchenko, was a Clean50 award recipient this year. The awards celebrate exceptional contributors to the clean economy across multiple sectors. Dr. Krawchenko was honoured for her collaborative research on community energy policy and planning across northern BC.
We’re so inspired to have her on our team!
Top 100 Charity
For the third year in a row, Charity Intelligence has named Ecotrust Canada a five-star, top 100 charity. The independent evaluator rates more than 750 Canadian charities on transparency, accountability, and impact.
Thank you. Your support makes this possible!
Where We Work
A fisherman harvests salmon in Phillips Arm, within BC’s Discovery Islands. This year, we began monitoring the Area B seine fishery and Area D gillnet fishery.
(Renee Samels photo)
P.S. What would you like to learn more about in future newsletters? Just hit reply and let us know.
Proving the Possible
Ecotrust Canada is a 5-star, top 100 Canadian charity with a 30-year history of proving the possible through place-based, practical, on-the-ground solutions. We work with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities toward building resilient, local economies. Headquartered in British Columbia and established in 1995, Ecotrust Canada operates nationally, across five priority initiatives: Climate, Indigenous Homelands, Fisheries, Energy, and Food Systems.
Thank you for your continued support!
The Ecotrust Canada Team
