More than 250 people have come to discuss the future of food and agriculture in Edmonton.

“Cities can work with the ‘leveraging power’ of food to make improvements in almost every area of city life,” said Wayne Roberts, keynote speaker at the conference. Roberts is former manager of the Toronto Food Policy Council and a well known speaker and author on local sustainable food policies.

Roberts cited examples of “food as street furniture” – such as outdoor markets and cafes – and how they contribute to active dynamic street life. He spoke of the opportunities cities have to convert vacant spaces, which can pose a public safety risk, into growing spaces for food and by doing so creating “neighbourhood based food infrastructure.”

“Food can also bring cities and rural growing areas together,” Roberts said, “linking all the people involved with food from producers to consumers.”

The Food in the City conference is one of the key events of the City’s Food and Agriculture project.

“The City of Edmonton is well positioned to be one of the cities embracing food and agriculture as part of its planning and sustainability agenda,” said Councillor Dave Loken, who also spoke at the conference opening.

“And this conference is part of the conversation we want to have to promote and celebrate the innovative and ground-breaking work being done all around our city to help build a resilient local food system.”

The conference will include a variety of presentations and workshops. A highlight will be a summary of the work done to date on a food and agriculture strategy, including research findings on food and agriculture opportunities for Edmonton.

“This is something we bring up regularly – if you smoke, use an ashtray,” said the fire marshal. “If you don’t have a metal or glass ashtray, use a coffee tin with some sand or water in it. It’s that simple.”

A recent apartment fire has also prompted Fire Rescue to remind citizens that charcoal and other solid fuel BBQs are not permitted in City parks or on balconies of apartments, condos and other multi-unit buildings.

The use of fireworks and open burning are both regulated activities that require a permit from Edmonton Fire Rescue Services.

“We want to thank the public for complying with the ban since it took effect on May 11, 2012,” said Deputy Chief of Public Safety Russell Croome. “We understand that many people had plans for their long weekend that this ban may impact. However, safety must be our number one priority.”

During the fire ban, the City has emphasized compliance over enforcement. However, anyone who breaks a fire ban may be subject to fines or charges if the activity causes a safety issue. This may also include covering costs for emergency services.

What is open burning?

Open burning refers to the use of fire to burn organic materials like wood or grass in non-residential areas. Open burning is never permitted in residential areas, where only backyard fire pits are allowed. The City does not allow the burning of garbage or synthetic materials like car tires under any circumstance.

How does the City measure fire hazard?

In 2012, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services began using a tool called the Fire Weather Index System to measure and forecast fire hazard conditions in Edmonton. Fire officials around the world most commonly use this system for rural or forested areas. Fire Rescue has adapted it to the unique wildland-urban interfaces throughout the City of Edmonton and in the North Saskatchewan river valley. The Fire Weather Index System is based on weather data and takes into account everything from temperature and wind conditions to relative humidity and moisture levels in the ground.

“Fire bans are about promoting awareness of the fire risk in Edmonton and preventing fires caused by regulated activities,” said Deputy Chief of Public Safety Russell Croome. “We want to work with citizens and visitors to protect life and property in Edmonton.”

Chief Croome said all residents should practice fire safety and fire prevention regardless of whether or not a fire ban applies to their activities.

“The fact is human carelessness is the number one cause of fires. We all need to practice fire safety and prevention. When it comes to outdoor fires, this means complying with bylaws and the conditions of permits related to fire pits, open burning and fireworks, as well as using an ashtray if you smoke.”

During the fire ban, the City will emphasize compliance over enforcement. However, anyone who breaks a fire ban may be subject to fines or charges if the activity causes a safety issue. This may also include covering costs for emergency services.

Fire officials have been monitoring weather conditions closely since the start of the wildland fire season. Despite recent precipitation, conditions remain dry and windy in Edmonton. Available weather data indicates this trend will continue.

What is open burning?

Open burning refers to the use of fire to burn organic materials like wood or grass in non-residential areas. Open burning is never permitted in residential areas, where only backyard fire pits are allowed. The City does not allow the burning of garbage or synthetic materials like car tires under any circumstance.

How does the City measure fire hazard?

In 2012, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services began using a tool called the Fire Weather Index System to measure and forecast fire hazard conditions in Edmonton. Fire officials around the world most commonly use this system for rural or forested areas. The City of Edmonton has adapted it to the unique wildland-urban interface throughout the City of Edmonton and in the North Saskatchewan river valley.

The Fire Weather Index System is based on weather data and takes into account everything from temperature and wind conditions to relative humidity and moisture levels in the ground.

Celebrate spring and help your garden grow. As part of International Compost Awareness Week (May 6 - 12, 2012), the City is offering residents opportunities to learn about composting:

• Check out a FREE composting presentation. As part of The Way We Green Speaker Series, Mark Stumpf-Allen, the City’s composting programs coordinator, is presenting Compost: Turning organic trash into “black gold” on Wednesday, May 9 at 12:10-1pm.
• Attend a composting workshop. The City offers two workshops – Backyard Composting and Grasscycling, and Composting with Worms. Workshop and registration details are available online or by calling 311.
• Help your business “go green.” Book a Corporate Lunch ‘N Learn with our waste reduction specialists. Call 780-496-5526.
• Visit the John Janzen Composting Education Centre. An interpreter is available on weekends from May 21 to mid-August to answer questions or give a tour.
• Check out the City’s website for information on composting including how to get started, helpful hints, and how to maintain a healthy compost bin.

The City encourages residents to compost to reduce their household waste. Close to 30% of single family households are practicing backyard composting. The City also composts the organic portion of all household waste collected. Composting reduces greenhouse gas emissions, conserves water, and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.

To learn more about composting or to register for workshops, go to www.edmonton.ca/compost or call 311.

This is the first of 12 Big Bin events being held throughout the city from May to September. Bins will be at each location from 9am to 5pm on specified dates.

City residents can drop off items such as old furniture, mattresses, appliances and other items too large for regular collection, at no charge. Computers and other electronics are also accepted for recycling.

Household hazardous waste such as paint, varnish and used oil are not accepted at Big Bin events and can be taken to one of the City’s three Eco Stations.

In transporting items, residents are reminded to secure their load properly by tying down large items to their vehicle and covering loose material with a tarp.

All of the items collected at the Big Bin events are taken to the Edmonton Waste Management Centre. Big Bin events are provided by Waste Management Services as one of many City services that help make Edmonton a clean and safe place to live.

For more information visit www.edmonton.ca/springcleanup.

Big Bin Events Schedule

All events run from 9am to 5pm

Date	Location	Address
May 5 & 6	Commonwealth Stadium	112 Avenue & 90 Street
May 12 & 13	Millwoods Town Centre	23 Avenue & 66 Street
May 26 & 27	Callingwood	17740 – 69 Avenue
June 2 & 3	Abbottsfield Shoppers Mall	118 Avenue & 34 Street
June 9 & 10	Blue Quill	11304 – 25 Avenue
June 16 & 17	Woodcroft	13915 – 115 Avenue
June 23 & 24	Castle Downs	11520 – 153 Avenue
August 18 & 19	Jasper Place	9200 – 163 Street
August 25 & 26	Northlands	11203 – 73 Street
September 8 & 9	Blue Quill	11304 – 25 Avenue
September 15 & 16	Commonwealth Stadium	112 Avenue & 90 Street
September 22 & 23	Millwoods Town Centre	23 Avenue & 66 Street

The City of Edmonton is providing $200,000 for C Returns to help residents make their homes more energy-efficient. C Returns is a local non-profit organization that coordinates energy and carbon audits as well as green retrofits. They work with a skilled group of tradespeople, general contractors and energy efficiency experts who specialize in bringing older homes to a higher environmental standard.

“Making our homes more energy-efficient is one of the most effective ways of lowering utility bills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our environmental footprint,” said Councillor Don Iveson, lead on Council's Environment Initiative. "That's why the City of Edmonton is so pleased to have provided start-up funding for the C Returns initiative. We believe this organization will be an important partner in achieving The Way We Green goal of a more sustainable and resilient city."

C Returns works with homeowners to understand their options, calculate their savings, and apply for rebates and grants. The end result is a retrofit plan tailored to their budget and needs.

“We made the decision to focus on existing homes and buildings because we know that’s where we can have the biggest impact,” explains Godo Stoyke, one of C Returns’ founding partners.

C Returns aims to complete over 3,000 home audits and over 1,700 green retrofits in its first three years. Three of Edmonton’s mature neighbourhoods, Belgravia, Glenora and Parkallen, have been selected for the first phase before C Returns expands into other areas.

It’s estimated that over three years, the annual cash savings for all participating homeowners will be $3.2 million, preventing a total of 321,891 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

“A clean and safe Edmonton is a shared responsibility,” said David Aitken, Branch Manager, Community Standards. “The 15-to-Clean Challenge is a simple and quick way for residents to pitch in and support a city-wide spring cleaning effort that will have an instant impact in the community we love.”

During the week of April 23-29, 2012, Edmontonians are encouraged to take 15 minutes during their day to pick up litter or report graffiti. Challenge yourself, your neighbours, friends and family to contribute 15 minutes to the effort. Report your clean up online or by calling 311 and you will be entered in a draw for one of two computer tablets.

“When you start adding up all these micro-volunteer efforts, the result is quite substantial. Last year 4,500 residents filled the equivalent of 22 garbage trucks,” said Don Belanger, Manager of Capital City Clean Up. “Never underestimate the value that a 15-minute contribution can make to the clean-up effort as a whole.”

This year, Capital City Clean Up is excited to introduce a new partner in the quest to clean up Edmonton. GLAD Canada has contributed clean-up kits that contain a garbage bag, glove and instructions for reporting a clean up.

“Our goal as a company is to promote social and environmental responsibility. We want to give back by partnering with Canadian cities and communities to help keep them clean and beautiful. GLAD Canada couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of Edmonton’s 15-to-Clean Challenge,” said Mark Malo, General Manager, GLAD Canada.

These kits are available for pickup at any Edmonton Public Library location.

More information on Capital City Clean Up’s spring clean-up programs can be found at www.edmonton.ca/capitalcitycleanup.

“Alberta is an energy superpower. This project builds on that history and capitalizes on an area where we have yet another natural advantage – capturing the sun,” said NAIT President and CEO, Dr. Glenn Feltham. “As one of Canada’s leading polytechnics, we pride ourselves on our applied research capabilities and exploring different forms of alternative energy production. We are excited to be working with the City of Edmonton to provide the information that will lead to greater adoption of solar energy technology.”

Natural Resources Canada has ranked Canadian municipalities on their yearly potential for producing solar energy. Edmonton is ahead of Canadian cities like Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto and international locations like Beijing, China and Washington, D.C.“The City of Edmonton is pleased to support this solar reference array project in cooperation with NAIT,” said Edmonton Councillor Ben Henderson. “Increasing our knowledge about, and adoption of, renewable energies is one of the goals of The Way We Green, our city’s environmental strategic plan. The students who use the information provided by the array will be the experts who lead our adaptation to renewable energies in the future."

The total capital cost of the project is $50,400, with approximately half coming from NAIT and half coming from the City of Edmonton.

The data from the solar reference array will benefit homeowners and industry, becoming a reference for solar PV potential in the Edmonton area and surrounding communities. With this information, a homeowner could accurately determine how much power a residential system would generate, based on location and angle. The array could serve as a model for similar systems through western Canada and the north.

The reference system consists of six PV modules arranged at fixed angles on the roof of the Shaw Theatre at NAIT’s Main Campus, near the corner of Princess Elizabeth Avenue and 106 Street. The angles correspond to those typically used for solar installations in Edmonton. Each of the six modules is paired with a duplicate module placed at exactly the same angle. During the winter months, snow will be cleared from half of the modules. By pairing modules at exactly the same angles, researchers will be able to compare the effect of snow clearing versus snow cover on energy production.

Energy produced by the modules will be tracked and measured. This data will be made available to students in NAIT’s Alternative Energy Technology program, researchers within the NAIT Centre for Renewable Energy Technology, the City of Edmonton and the project engineers at Howell-Mayhew Engineering Inc., who, along with the Solar Energy Society of Alberta, acted as consultants on this project. 

“This is a unique municipal post-secondary collaboration that will greatly benefit our students,” said Dr. James Sandercock, chair of the Alternative Energy Technology program.  “The design and system evaluation associated with this project mirrors the type of work our graduates will do in solar, geothermal and other alternative energy technologies. We’re very excited about all the possibilities this presents.”

The City of Edmonton has created a web page that provides useful information about solar PV systems. In time, data from the array will be shared through this portal. For more information visit www.edmonton.ca/renewableenergy. One of the goals of the city’s The Way We Green plan is to be less dependent on non-renewable energy.

To download photos of the solar reference array suitable for publication, please visit NAIT’s Flickr page at www.flickr.com/nait and search “solar reference array.”

“The Food in the City conference will examine the potential and possibilities of a made-in-Edmonton agriculture strategy,” said Councillor Dave Loken.

“The City recognizes the growing community, public and business interest in supporting local food producers,” added Loken. “Food in the City is an opportunity for Edmontonians to participate in the conversation, so that we can capture and integrate diverse ideas into a consensus around a new strategy.”

Food in the City will draw on the lessons learned in other municipalities but will also offer opportunities to share local ideas and viewpoints. The keynote address will be by Wayne Roberts, author of The No-Nonsense Guide to World Food and former manager of the Toronto Food Policy Council. A unique feature of the program will be a delicious “Taste of Alberta” reception, with local food being served.

HB Lanarc Consultants will share a first draft of a city-wide food and agriculture strategy at the conference, that will include the latest findings and research to date. HB Lanarc was instrumental in helping to develop the food and agriculture policy section in the Municipal Development Plan – The Way We Grow.

Food in the City is one of several opportunities for citizens to be involved. Leading up to the conference, ideas and opinions will be shared through focus groups, citizen panels and online questionnaires. The University of Alberta Centre for Public Involvement will lead a unique series of citizen engagement discussions. The Food and Agriculture Strategy Advisory Committee, made up of individuals representing a broad and diverse range of interests, is providing ongoing input into the development of a strategy. 

“The conference will help the City, citizens and interested groups to understand and weigh the opportunities and constraints for addressing food and agriculture issues within the resources and abilities of the City,” said Peter Ohm, Manager, Urban Planning & Environment Branch.

“Edmontonians have the chance to be involved and speak to Edmonton’s approach to food and agriculture. The conversation we want at Food in the City can only help us build a stronger and more sustainable Edmonton.”