Manitoba Excellence in Sustainability Awards

2011 Winners

News Release

The Manitoba Round Table for Sustainable Development announced the 2011 winners of the Manitoba Excellence in Sustainability Awards at an awards reception on April 5, 2012 at the Manitoba Legislature. The awards announced are as follows:

Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability Award
The Marquis Project, Brandon

• This community-based, non-profit organization educates Manitobans on economic, political and social issues at local and global levels and actively participates in sustainable projects and partnerships aimed at improving the quality of life in small, rural communities in developing countries.

Action on Climate Change, Air Quality and Energy Efficiency Award
Prairie Architects Inc., Winnipeg

• Prairie Architects uses green building strategies in their building designs to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and improve indoor air quality.

Sustainability in Water and Natural Area Stewardship Award
Rural Municipality of Dufferin

• The Rural Municipality of Dufferin introduced the Dufferin Wetland Tax Credit Program to encourage wetland preservation and restoration.

Honourable Mention
Upper Assiniboine River Conservation District, Miniota

• This conservation district is engaged in research looking at how the land around waterways can be used to create income for landowners while protecting water quality.

Sustainability in Pollution Prevention and Product Stewardship Award
Lake Friendly Campaign, Clandeboye

• The South Basin Mayors and Reeves Inc. developed the Lake Friendly Campaign to reduce nutrients entering Lake Winnipeg. The campaign works to engage Manitobans and educate consumers about products that are the best environmental choice for reducing nutrient contributions and improving Lake Winnipeg’s water quality.

Honourable Mention
Kevin Freedman, Winnipeg

• Mr. Freedman created the Water Conservation Challenge to raise water awareness and promote water conservation. Participants in the challenge strive to use only 25 litres of water a day during the month of March.

Education for Sustainability Award
Evergreen School Division, Gimli

• This school division is implementing a comprehensive plan for sustainability which focuses on increasing sustainability in governance, education for sustainable development, human resources, and facilities and operations.

Honourable Mentions
Manitoba Council for International Cooperation, Winnipeg

• This coalition of non-governmental organizations delivers programs such as Fair Trade Manitoba and public engagement programming for schools and communities.

Rick Wowchuk, Swan River

• Mr. Wowchuk is a teacher at Swan Valley Regional Secondary School where he teaches senior level students about sustainable natural resource management. He has coached teams for 14 Manitoba Envirothons and his team took first place at the 2011 North American Canon Envirothon.

Innovation and Research for Sustainability Award
The Netley-Libau Nutrient-Bioenergy Project, Netley-Libau Marsh

• This project examines how cattail plants capture and store nutrients, how harvesting the plants can reduce nutrients entering Lake Winnipeg and how the plants can be harvested for use as a low-carbon fuel source. The project is a collaborative effort by Richard Grosshans, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the University of Manitoba and Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Honourable Mentions
Kim Ominski, Winnipeg

• Dr. Ominski leads the sustainable forage-beef cattle production systems research program at the University of Manitoba and the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment where she is engaged in research and outreach aimed at increasing the sustainability of cattle production.

Rural Development Institute, Brandon

• This non-profit organization contributes to sustainable rural development through research, information-sharing and the creation of opportunities for community involvement in rural development.

Champion for Sustainability Award
Shane Johnston, Winnipeg

• Mr. Johnston is the co-owner of Dollar Wise Quality Cleaners. He has increased the sustainability of the dry cleaners’ operations by using an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional dry cleaning chemicals, creating an environmentally-friendly laundry detergent, increasing energy efficiency, introducing hanger recycling and Enviro bag programs, and using green cleaning products in the company’s buildings.

 

Back to top