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Published by the Kingston Greens
GREEN LIGHT KINGSTON #108 |
Issue #108
Monday, May 02, 2005 |
Printed in cyberspace on recycled electrons
To publicise future events, corrections and/or if you have comments, please email Green Light Kingston:
Tel: 384-8504. We welcome new submissions!
Quote of the Week:
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
-Kahlil Gibran, mystic, poet, and artist
In This Issue:
| 1. Website of the Week | |
| 2. Cartoon | |
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| 3. Current Events | |
| 4. Coming Events | |
| 5. Elsewhere Events | |
| 6. Community Action | |
| 7. Worth Reading | |
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| 8. Community Notices | |
| 9. Wanted! | |
| 10. Local Organic Produce | |
1. Website of the Week
| New! H2omes: Sustainability By Design |
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The website for Michael and Christina Hubicki showcasing their award-winning home Unter den Birken. Unter den Birken or, Under the Birches, won the 2005 Canada Energy Efficiency Award for New Homes and it is situated on 65 acres just north of Cobourg. The Hubicki's offer a number of services including sustainability design consulting and training. They also give tours of their beautifully designed and "green" home. Visit the website to get an advance look at the future of home-building in Canada.
http://www.h2omes.net/home_2.html |
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2. Cartoon
3. Current Events
| New! Perennial Pride Plant Exchange |
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Sunday, May 15, 2005 10:00 AM
If you are cleaning out your garden or have plants to divide and feel bad about throwing them away, bring them to McBurney Park, 10:00AM - 1:00PM. Trade, donate, network with other gardeners, or just come to socialize. Look for the rainbow flag. For more info: willy [*At Symbol*] womynkingston.ca |
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| New! Compost & Heritage Tomato Sale |
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Saturday, May 07, 2005 9:00 AM
416 Wing, Air Force Association of Canada Norman Rogers Airport $4/bag, $2.50/plant |
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| New! Ban Righ Foundation annual spring awards ceremony |
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Tuesday, May 03, 2005 7:00 PM
Author, scientist and winner of the National (US) Arbor Day Award 2005, Diana Beresford-Kroeger will be the keynote speaker at this year's Ban Righ Foundation annual spring awards ceremony. It takes place Tuesday, May 3 at 7 pm, Grant Hall. All welcome and refreshments will follow. For more info: Karen Knight, kk9 [*At Symbol*] post.queensu.ca, or 533-2976. Arboretum America, by Diana Beresford Kroeger, winner of a 2005 (National Arbor Day) Media Award in recognition of the power of the media to capture the imagination of the public. Kroeger wrote Arboretum America to teach that the salvation of the planet will be achieved through trees. She focuses on diverse tree groups and their connection to the natural world, considering how each group uses trees to promote health or to counteract the effects of pollution and global warmi ng. The book covers a wide range of topics, including the history of trees in Native American cultures and the traditional medicinal uses of trees. Arboretum America outlines practical ideas and design tips for where to plant trees, natural organic tree care, and the use of other plants to complement trees. |
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| New! Wondering About Your Vitamins? |
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Monday, May 02, 2005 7:00 PM
The Health Pursuits Reading/Study Group will discuss nutritional support with a Certified Nutritional Consultant. May 2, 7:00 PM, Isabel Turner Library, Rm.A. Diane Dawber, facilitator 613-389-7179 R.R.3, Bath, ON K0H 1G0 |
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| New! Let’s Greet "MALWART" – Day of Action |
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Saturday, May 07, 2005 00:00
In approximately 43 cities across the country, the Canadian Labour Congress will try to put as many people as possible in front of a Wal-Mart store to greet shoppers and inform them of Wal-Marts "every day low standards" and "race to the bottom" practices. This will be a peaceful day of action. This is not an attempt to boycott or blockade stores, also, there will be key spokespersons at each location to answer media questions in an attempt to raise awareness locally and nationally. The long run aim is to organize Wal-Mart workers into a union, many Wal-Mart workers, across the country, have expressed a need and want to join a union so we as the labour movement will be supporting them. OBJECTIVES: To create a Canadian trade union response to Wal-Mart about the Freedom of Association and the Right to Bargain Collectively, To build visibility and education about Workers Rights To expose how Wal-Mart operates, and to provide insights on Wal-Marts anti-worker, anti-Canadian values and attitudes, To tackle the myth that unionization will have an impact on Wal-Marts prices. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us. We hope you will help us make this day of action a success and help us send Wal-Mart a message. Peter J. Boyle pboyle [*At Symbol*] kos.net |
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| New! Kingston Community Town Hall Meeting: What’s Happening to Our Hospital Services? |
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Thursday, May 05, 2005 7:00 PM
The provincial government has launched a transformation of our health system. The panelists will make brief presentations updating the community on current budget and service plans followed by questions and answers from the community about hospital and health restructuring plans and their impact on local health services. Speakers: Cathy Dunne, President & CEO Providence Continuing Care/St. Marys; Joe de Mora, President & CEO Kingston General Hospital; Hugh Graham, Exec. Director, Hotel Dieu Hospital; John Gerretsen, MPP, invited Location: Regiopolis-Notre Dame Secondary School, Division & Regent Streets Sponsored by the Kingston Health Coalition. For more information call: 374-5258 |
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4. Coming Events
| New! Energy Expo 2005 (Kingston's First Renewable Energy Expo) |
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Saturday, May 28, 2005 10:00 AM
Hearthmakers will host Kingston's first renewable energy expo on May 28 and 29 from 10am to 4pm at St. Lawrence College on Portsmouth Avenue. Come out and learn how to save money and the environment. Topics will include:
The event will feature exhibits, workshops, speakers, a children's corner, and bio-diesel and hybrid cars. http://www.hearthmakers.org/ |
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| Mayfest: Let It Grow on You! |
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Saturday, May 21, 2005 00:00
Bancroft ON - Victoria Day Weekend Mayfest Let It Grow on You! is an Environmental Festival that draws a wide range of exhibitors and attendees. The purpose of the event is to showcase environmental products and services in a range of fields and to promote healthier lifestyles. Exhibits include environmentally safe, organic, recycled and all natural or energy efficient goods and services. Demonstrations and exhibits include sustainable construction techniques such as straw bale, log, adobe block and home energy efficiencies, systems such as water collection, wind and solar, lighting, composting and other natural or recycled home and yard products designed for a lifetime of re-use. A wide variety of natural health treatments and remedies as well as organic farming, local growers, permaculture and organic gardening and property maintenance techniques are showcased. Learn more about safe food production, preparation, storage and healthy eating. Relax and enjoy local musicians and learn more about how you can make a difference in helping to sustain the health of our environment! Mayfest is held each year at the Millennium Park in Bancroft, ON on Saturday of the long weekend in May, Victoria Day Weekend. Join Us! Register Early!! Exhibitor-Demonstration Registration Form (pdf) can be found at http://www.oen.ca/events/mayfest2005.html |
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| New! Spring 2005 Straw Bale Construction Workshop |
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Saturday, May 21, 2005 00:00
May 21, 22, 23, 2005 Spencerville, ON Hank and Anita Carr of the Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition will be hosting a straw bale construction workshop this spring at their home in Spencerville Ontario. The weekend of May 21, 22, and 23 we will be building a 10’ x 14’ light frame straw bale building which will be used to promote straw bale construction at area events. Straw Bale workshops are an excellent way to learn the basics of straw bale construction and to get hands on experience. http://www.strawbalebuilding.ca/may2005osbbc.shtml |
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| Dr. David Schindler to speak at 2005 Great Lakes Conference |
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Thursday, June 9, 2005 00:00
Dr. David Schindler to speak on Thursday evening, June 9, 2005! Dr. Schindler is described by some as the 'world's greatest living freshwater ecologist.' As a Professor of Ecology at the University of Alberta, he specializes in land-water interactions. He has studied the effects of climate warming, alien fish stocks, airborne contaminants and other human impacts on freshwaters of northern and western Canada as founder and former director of the Experimental Lakes Project of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which conducted interdisciplinary research on the effects of eutrophication, acid rain, radioactive elements and climate change on boreal ecosystems. His work has been widely used in formulating ecologically sound management policy in Canada, the United States and in Europe. Dr. Schindler has received numerous national and international research awards, including Canada's highest scientific honor, the NSERC Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal for Science and Engineering in 2001. Joint the IJC at its 2005 Biennial Meeting in Kingston, Ontario to hear keynote speaker Dr. David Schindler on Thursday, June 9. |
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| 2005 Great Lakes Conference and Biennial Meeting on Great Lakes Water Quality |
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Thursday, June 9, 2005 00:00
Queen's University - Kingston, Ontario June 9-11, 2005 "Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that your children and grandchildren are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty." Daniel H. Burnham, architect and city planner Join the IJC for the 2005 Great Lakes Conference and Biennial Meeting to be held June 9-11, 2005 at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. The three-day meeting will focus on the current science and issues regarding the health of the Great Lakes and include breakout sessions and specific in-depth discussions a wide range of topics fundamental to the review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and its future. The current Agreemerp was signed in 1978 and was amended in 1987. It has not been updated or changed in more than 17 years. During this time, technology and our scientific knowledge and understanding has grown immensely. New threats to the well being of the Great Lakes ecosystem are becoming better defined. We need to keep pace with what we know and review the Agreement with an eye toward stimulating profound improvements for the Great Lakes. The Biennial Meeting will be a hub for public participation in the review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Come learn and share your views on the renewal and protection of the Great Lakes and on reinvigorating binational efforts that the Agreement can foster. Kingston is the location of the historic 1985 IJC Biennial Meeting, which lead to many of the changes that were incorporated into the 1987 protocol to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Exactly 20 years later we are at a similar place in time, and the input and involvement from the public is more crucial now than ever. AGENDA Thursday, June 9: Great Lakes Conference This one-day, fee-based scientific conference will present current research being conducted on the Great Lakes with respect to the major themes and purpose of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the chemical, physical, biological and ecosystem integrity of the Great Lakes. There will also be a special workshop held on Annex 2 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. This is not to be missed. Everyone interested and involved in the Remedial Action Plan and Lakewide Management Plan process should attend. Friday and Saturday, June 10-11: 2005 Biennial Meeting and public discussion of the review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. All activities on Friday and Saturday are free and open to the public. The IJC is committed to ensuring that Great Lakes citizens and organizations can participate and be heard. The Biennial Meeting will be two full days dedicated to discussion of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement through plenary presentations, breakout discussions on specific topics and public testimony. Join the IJC to hear keynote speakers Dr. David Schindler on Thursday, June 9 and Dr. David Suzuki on Friday, June 10. |
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5. Elsewhere Events
| Windfall Ecology Festival |
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For the second year in a row, Green Party of Canada organizations in York Region will be signing up members, accepting donations, and selling Goods for Greens at the increasingly popular Windfall Ecology Festival in Newmarket. The festival, to take place June 11 and 12 (Saturday and Sunday), draws thousands of environmentally conscious voters from all over the GTA, most of whom are highly sympathetic to the Green Party and its Key Values.
For details, go to http://www.windfallcentre.ca/default/index.php?section=Festival&page=FestHome |
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6. Community Action
| New! Take action! Keep Kingston's patios smoke-free! |
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The Kingston Greens and their Local Issues Action Committee (LIAC) encourage Green Light subscribers to support the current Kingston No Smoking By-law as it currently stands.
The No Smoking restriction in restaurants, bars and on patios was initiated due to valid concerns over the second-hand smoke health hazard for servers and patrons. People do not have the freedom of choice to just walk away from a smoker on a patio where they are working, or eating, as they do in open air space outside of these areas. This, alone, is reason enough to let the by-law stand as it is. Additionally, to extend the patio season, many are now partially or fully enclosed all or part of the time. Awnings and/or walls installed to protect patrons from wind and rain also trap smoke. The City of Kingston demonstrated positive, progressive thinking - putting health concerns first - by establishing this by-law. Let's not regress by diluting it. Please take a moment to express your concern over this issue. Tell the City that you support this by-law as it currently stands, and do not want to see it changed. Ask that the by-law banning smoking in restaurants, bars and on patios not be modified to exclude some or all patios. Contact Cynthia Beach, Commissioner. Cynthia is the Senior City Official who will be reviewing the issue. Please sign your name and add your address to any emails. Phone: 546-4291 ext. 1150 Email: cbeach [*At Symbol*] cityofkingston.ca. You can contact your City Councillor as well: http://www.cityofkingston.ca/cityhall/council/councillors/ |
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7. Worth Reading
| New! Latest Poll Results - Greens at 10% |
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Friday, April 29, 2005 9:00 AM
Green Party has hit 10% for the first time ever in a nation wide Canadian poll. And the Green Party is polling ahead of the Conservatives and NDP in the Quebec sample, only 6 points behind the Liberals. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1114739209893_35/ |
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| New! Seabed supplies a cure for global warming crisis |
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Sunday, April 24, 2005 8:00 AM
Scientists in England want to use an almost empty BP oil field under the North Sea to store millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, as a way of combatting global warming. This report from the Guardian. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1469010,00.html |
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| New! The end of oil is closer than you think |
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Thursday, April 21, 2005 10:00 AM
Reports of "peak oil" continue to multiply. This from the Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,13026,1464050,00.html |
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| New! Lakeview Closure A Good Start |
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Thursday, April 28, 2005 7:00 AM
TORONTO - Frank de Jong, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, said today that the closure of the Lakeview coal-fired generating station is just the start of a comprehensive clean energy policy for Ontario. "I want to congratulate the McGuinty government for taking an important first step, but we need an effective program for conservation and energy efficiency, so we can save part of the electricity the coal plants supplied," said de Jong. "Energy conservation and efficiency are cheaper than supply, so we must begin investing in them." The Green Party would make it profitable for utilities to sell consumers energy-saving equipment and let them pay from the savings on their utility bills. It would give householders and businesses a clear picture of the profitability of investing in energy efficiency. The Green Party would also set high mandatory standards for the energy efficiency of new buildings and appliances. After 18 months, the McGuinty government's first halting steps toward conservation and efficiency have yet to show results for electricity users. "Some of the electricity provided by Lakeview and the other coal plants can be saved, and some must be replaced," said de Jong. "We need to give Ontario's wind power developers the green light by following the Danish and German model of advanced renewable tariffs for electricity. We need to take them off the leash; they're ready to go." |
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| New! Air pollution kills thousands a year, report says |
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Friday, April 29, 2005 4:00 PM
From Friday's Globe and Mail http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050429.wairpol0429/BNStory/National |
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| New! A statement from Jim Harris, Leader of the Green Party of Canada |
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Friday, April 22, 2005 9:00 AM
Canadians deserve to know who is implicated in all aspects of the sponsorship scandal before rendering judgment. Equally, Canadians deserve a government that can conduct our business. We share a common faith in Canada's judicial system and process. Because of the specific circumstances surrounding the Gomery Inquiry and the overwhelming sentiment of Canadians, a truly fair election can only be held when all the facts are known. It is only then that Canadians can appropriately render judgment on the Liberal Party. The Green Party calls on all parties in the House of Commons to begin the task of restoring the public's faith in our democratic system by returning to the priorities which this parliament was elected to address issues such as Kyoto, democratic reform and continuing Canada's leadership role in the world. Should the opposition parties decide otherwise, the Green Party is prepared to present a vision to Canada which will restore our trust in government. Honesty, integrity and justice are values that we all share. My hope is that we can build a country that once again recognizes these values in all of our institutions. http://www.greenparty.ca |
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| New! An Ugly Face of Ecology |
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Tuesday, April 26, 2005 8:00 AM
George Monbiot of the Guardian explores the tensions between "green" development and conservation. http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,1470427,00.html |
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| New! Whale of an idea |
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Monday, April 25, 2005 10:00 AM
A report about how a Canadian researcher developed award-winning, glow-in-the-dark fishing nets that could save the lives of hundreds of endangered whales. From the Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050426.wxfishHP26/BNStory/Front/ |
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8. Community Notices
| New! Questions or Concerns About LVEC? |
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Tuesday, May 3rd's Council meeting will be the LAST vote on the LVEC (Large Venue Entertainment Centre) proposal. Once the Business Plan is approved at the meeting, almost all the other work can proceed without Council decision-making.
Council will have to vote on the Official Plan and zoning changes but these are technical matters and even councillors who are wavering now and have concerns about the lack of detail in the Business Plan and errors in the Parking Study, may feel obligated to vote for them, following staff recommendations and Planning Committee's decision. After that, the LVEC won't come back to Council until March 2006 when there will be final decisions on the design, the building contractor, and the site management company. If you have questions or concerns about the LVEC proposal NOW is the time to call city councillors and tell them what you think. They have a duty to represent citizens and they have a duty to make decisions based on the best available information. A contact list of city councillors can be found at the following website: http://www.cityofkingston.ca/cityhall/council/councillors/ There is a wealth of critical information about the LVEC plan at the following website: http://www.kcal.ca/ |
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| New! Election-O-Meter! |
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Election uncertainty getting you down? Well, fret no longer. Visit the Kingston Greens Election-O-Meter (http://www.kingstongreens.ca/MainPages/Campaigns.asp) to get an up-to-date reading on the chances of a spring election, the latest in advanced election predicting technology. |
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| Join the Kingston Greens |
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Free newsletter, articles, talks etc.
Get involved in community actions (for example: Lobbying Council for a Ban
on the Cosmetic use of Pesticides, Fighting Urban Development on
Conservation Land, Survey on Green Issues that affect Kingstonians, Election
Canvassing etc.). Green momentum is building in Kingston. Come out and help us bring a sustainable future to Kingston! Membership to Kingston Greens is free but we encourage membership to the Green Party of Ontario $20 and the Green Party of Canada ($10). Memberships taken out now run until Dec. 31st 2004. Remember: You can get up to 75% of your donation to the Kingston Greens back at tax time! The current government will help you subsidize the greening of their own non-Green policies! Give generously and you'll receive a generous dividend in return: a 75% tax credit and more progressive government. Please send your cheque made to: KINGSTON GREENS (please specify Provincial or Federal membership on your cheque. Unfortunately, separate cheques are required for each.) - P.O. Box 1691, Kingston ON, K7L 5J6 Please note: Only cheques for $30 or more will qualify for a tax credit. More info: 384-8504 or info1 [*At Symbol*] kingstongreens.ca |
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9. Wanted!
| Your Input! Send Us Your Tips and Advice on Being Green |
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We want to add a new section to the Kingston Greens website: A Practical Guide to Being Green. It's easy to talk the talk, which as a political organization, we do a lot of! But not as easy to walk the walk. So, if you have easy-to-achieve tips and advice on how to live a more environmentally conscious life please send them in. Hopefully in the next few weeks we will have a new website section that will help all Green supporters incorporate our values into their daily lives.
Please email thoughts and suggestions to webmaster [*At Symbol*] kingstongreens.ca. |
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10. Local Organic Produce
| Kingston Organic Foodlink |
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The Kingston Organic Foodlink is a one-stop resource for finding local, environmentally friendly, family-farmed food. It is organized by The Sleepless Goat Cafe and Workers' Co-op. The online brochure includes an easy-to-use map of the Kingston area clearly identifying where the food suppliers are located.
Many thanks to Aztext Electronic Publishing in Tamworth, the Foodlink's graphic designers, for making the brochure available to the Kingston Greens. They run their operation entirely from clean, green, renewable solar power ensuring minimal environmental impact (for more information: 613-379-3066). To view the online brochure click here (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing .pdf files). |
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