Neat annual report 2013

Northern Environmental Action Team 2013 Annual Report

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Table of Contents President’s Report Treasurer’s Report Executive Director’s Report 2013 Board & Staff Our Team Food Security Programs Waste Reduction Programs Energy Conservation Programs Water Conservation Programs Community Partnerships Audited Financial Statements

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Vision

A healthy, vibrant community, whose members adopt environmentally sustainable actions in their daily lives.

Mission

Empowering individuals, businesses and institutions to engage in environmentally sustainable practices. We lead by example, creating awareness, educating, inspiring and demonstrating innovative solutions.

Principles

• We recognize that change happens when people are engaged.

• We know that outreach is the most effective and valuable means of sharing NEAT’s mission with our communities.

• We lead by example, creating awareness and demonstrating solutions.

• We are integral partners in the communities in which we live and conduct business.

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The Northern Environmental Action Team, or NEAT, has been working in northeast BC for the past 25 years. We are an award winning organization that has been administering the pRRRdy waste reduction contract on behalf of the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) for over ten years; we are probably most well known for this work.

In addition to the work we do for the PRRD, we have a waste reduction contract with the Northern Rockies and a variety of fee-for-service agreements with municipalities and corporations alike. Over the years some of our partners have included: • The City of Dawson Creek • The City of Fort St John • The District of Chetwynd • BC Hydro • ConocoPhillips • Destination Conservation • Encana • The Ministry of Energy and Mines • Quicksilver • RBC Blue Water • Shell Fuelling Change • TD Friends of the Environment • TransCanada NEAT specializes in crafting custom programming for municipalities and corporations alike.

We take pride in designing community-based programs that encompass strategic goals and official community plan mandates for any budget. We have experience with large, multi-year projects and a strong repertoire of shorter term and cascading projects.

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President’s Report

2013 was a recruiting year for the NEAT Board as well as another excellent year of programs put on by NEAT Staff and Volunteers through Northeast British Columbia. The Board said goodbye with thanks to Siobhan Crawford in Fort Nelson, and welcomed Sheri Fulton, Margaret Fenton, and Rahul Chaudhary. We are on our way to a full board which we hope to see sometime in 2014!

Along with Morgan Peltier, Doug McCracken, Bruce Kosugi, and Ruth-Ann Darnall (Honorary Director) and myself we are very happy to support the organization in our various roles on the Board of Directors.

In 2013 we have again enjoyed working with our Executive Director, Dzengo Mzengeza, in his third full year with the organization. We had fun celebrations, made new partnerships and continued others that have enjoyed many seasons together. I celebrate every partnership opportunity as Team is an integral part of NEAT. Our major fundraiser of Wine and Trees was a success and we look forward to seeing you again next fall for the 25th Anniversary of NEAT! In this our 24th year we are beginning to work with Directors, Staff and Volunteers around the celebrations and events for our 25th year. We encourage you to partake and volunteer in those activities.

Looking ahead to the 25th year of the organization, I would ask you for a birthday gift for NEAT. One of personal reflection upon our actions and their effects on our environment. When we are in our homes, business, institutions, and governments, please ask how can my actions today better the environment? Ask each other this as well. The more of us that ask, the more likely we can move to action as a team to help our northern environment.

In conclusion I encourage those of you for whom the environment and working together with partners are passions to please consider volunteering and joining our organization as a member and a Friend of NEAT. Thank you to our Volunteers, Members, Staff, Partners, and Directors for helping to build a NEAT future. Your efforts help build our vision of a healthy, vibrant community whose members adopt environmentally sustainable actions in their daily lives.

Jarrod Bell President May 30, 2014

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Treasurer’s Report Northern Environmental Action Team Financial Report January – December 2013 Sander Rose Bone Grindle Chartered Accountants conducted a full audit of NEAT’s financial records. This full audit is required by the Peace River Regional District and is a requirement of NEAT’s directors’ insurance policy.

Separate records are kept for NEAT’s contractual Regional District activities’ revenues and expenditures.

Northern Environmental Action Team In a review of the year’s finances, here is a quick summary: Where does the money come from?

• The four major sources of income are Peace River Regional District, PRRD ($308k) Grants ($92k), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (Fort Nelson) ($76k) and Donations ($44k).

Where does the money go?

• The four major expenses include personnel ($381k), administration ($64k), advertising ($46k) and rent ($35k).

• Personnel expense (includes 7 full time staff including the Executive Director, 1 Book-keeper/Administrative Assistant, 5 part-time eco-educators (1 for LiveSmart Program, 4 for Fort Nelson monthly recycling roundup), (1 Eco-advisor in Dawson Creek came back from maternity leave and overlapped with the temporal Eco Advisor for a period of about two months), 1 full time summer student and 1 part-time janitor).

• The remainder of the expenses are broken down amongst many programs and related costs to support the various NEAT initiatives How do we compare to the previous year?

• Revenue $667k down from 2012 ($698k) due in part with decreasing in grants.

• Expense $731k up from 2012 ($688k) due in part to expenses from the Live Smart program which had carry over funding from 2012.

• PRRD revenue ($308k) similar to 2012.

• Personnel expense has increased ($ 381k vs. 351k in 2012) due to increased wages (the 3 Eco Advisors in the PRRD now work fulltime) and additional staff under the LiveSmart program.

• Net deficit of $ 66k was realized compared to a net deficit of $10k in 2012 due to increase in expenses. (This covered by the income carried over from 2012 of the LiveSmart program.

• Fund Balance $ 190k (equity) reduced from 2012 ($257k).

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is

At the end of 2013, NEAT has 1 year extension to the 5-year contract with the Peace River Regional District for 2009-13. This is an area of financial risk to NEAT, identified by the auditors, if the contract is in jeopardy.

NEAT continues to provide environmental leadership and stewardship in the Peace Region. Thanks to Dzengo and staff for all their dedicated efforts in 2013!

Bruce Kosugi Treasurer May 30, 2014

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Executive Director’s Report

becoming increasingly popular.

We continue to have purpose and to fulfil our mission and vision despite facing new challenges. Waste reduction continue to be our main focus and receives most of our funding , however in the past two years we have managed to introduce new programs that are

One highlight is the food security program Food Secure Kids.

The Food Secure Kids program is aimed at Grade 3 students.

The students plant seedlings and watch them grow in their classroom, when the seedlings are grown they are transplanted into the community garden to share with residents throughout the summer. The students are also encouraged to take a seedling to plant at home. This has been a successful program both in the communities of Dawson Creek and Fort St John.

Some of our highlights are our water conservation programs.

We promoted water awareness and as part of this took students to tour the local treatment plant in Dawson Creek.

In addition we promoted the use of rain barrels and talked about water conservation on radio and during the Trade Show Dawson Creek.

We have also expanded the Waste Reduction Program in the Peace River Regional District to explore diversion strategies for organics, construction and demolition and the ICI (Institutional, Commercial and Industrial) sector waste.

In the Northern Rockies the monthly recycling round ups have become popular and continue to grow with more and more residents taking part with almost 50 tonnes of recycled materials diverted from the landfill.

We partnered with PEDAL an organisation who are based in Vancouver to do the Bicycle Re*Cycle workshop in June.

The workshop was informative and interactive introduction to bicycle repair and maintenance. It also kick started the utilization of the bikes that were stored at the landfill.

We received extended funding from the Ministry of Energy and Mines for the LiveSmart BC: Small Business Energy Advisor program. Our Business Energy Advisors contacted

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many people and showed them the upgrades they needed to do in order to reduce their energy bills. As a result about 471 900 kW potential savings were realised on completed projects.

However the LiveSmart program will end at the end March 2014, the program will take a different format after that.

I would like to thank our funders who fund our programs without their support we will not be able to fulfil our mission.

Our funders include the Peace River Regional District, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, LiveSmart, Encana, BC Hydro, the City of Dawson Creek, the City of Fort St John, District of Chetwynd, Quicksilver, RBC Blue Water, Shell, Spectra, TD Friends of the Environment, TransCanada and many others. We also receive in kind donations and support from many other businesses like Rosenau, Home Hardware, Northern Lights College and many others. Thank you to you all.

I have only highlighted a few programs however there are many other programs and activities that NEAT has been involved in, in the past year which has made our presence felt in our communities and continue to be recognized at the “go to” organization for environmental education in Northeast BC. Looking ahead the MMBC (Multi-Material BC) program will bring some challenges. In April 2013 the BC government approved a new printed paper and packaging residential curbside recycling stewardship program for the province managed by MMBC. The program will start May 2014. It is not certain how NEAT will fit within the program. There are incentives for public education and we have to find out how we can benefit from these incentives. As a result of the MMBC program the PRRD extended our contract by a year to the end of 2014 before announcing a new Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Waste Reduction Awareness and Education Program.

However despite the uncertainty posed by the MMBC program I am hopeful that we will meet up to the challenges and continue to grow and expand our influence. There is a lot for us to do as we seek to fulfil our mission and vision.

Lastly a big thank you goes to our dedicated and committed staff members who make things happen. Thanks to our Board of Directors and volunteers who their time and support throughout the year.

Dzengo Mzengeza Executive Director

Staff & Board 2013 2013 Board of Directors

2013 NEAT Staff

Jarrod Bell, President Morgan Peltier, Vice President Bruce Kosugi, Treasurer Sheri Fulton, Treasurer Margaret Fenton, Director Siobhan Crawford, Director (resigned) Doug McCracken, Director Rahul Chaudhary, Director Danielle Smith, Director (resigned) Ruth Ann Darnall, Honorary Director

Dzengo Mzengeza, Executive Director Karen Mason-Bennett, Program Coordinator Tammy Hrab, Communications Coordinator Jennifer Bourke, Eco-Advisor, Fort St John Liz Biggar, Eco-Advisor, Fort Nelson Sarah McKenzie, Business Energy Advisor Rochelle Thomas, Business Energy Advisor Catherine Henry, Eco-Advisor, Dawson Creek Kayla Boyd, Eco-Advisor, Dawson Creek Jen slater, Eco-Advisor, Chetwynd Lorn Kennedy, Eco-Advisor, Fort Nelson (recycling round-up) Ashley Kennedy, Eco-Advisor, Fort Nelson (recycling round-up) Meaghan Rae, Eco-Advisor, Fort Nelson (recycling round-up) Owen Law, Summer Student Heather Stark, Janitor Tracey Stevens, Bookkeeper Domini Pope, Bookkeeper Sally Emory, Advisor Val Bailey, Scrapbooking

Thank You To the following People, to whom, “Awareness into Action� is a Verb.

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Our Team

Dzengo Mzengeza, Executive Director

Dzengo joined NEAT as the new Executive Director in October 2010. He moved here from Grande Prairie, Alberta with his family and has made Fort St John home.

Dzengo has a background in engineering and business administration focused on the non-profit sector. He has a wealth of experience in private and public sector and a commitment to community improvement.

Dzengo agrees with NEAT’s message that being green isn’t about taking things away from people but adding long-term value to quality of life for everyone. He was drawn to the position because of NEAT’s commitment to its community members, particularly youth and for the organization’s momentum in education and awareness programs to sustaining our communities. Dzengo believes there is a collective responsibility in addressing environmental issues since they affect each one of our lives and the life of the future generations.

Karen Mason-Bennett, Program Coordinator

Karen moved to Fort St John with her family in 2006. She joined the NEAT team in 2009 and truly enjoys her job. She has a BA in Comparative Development Studies and Cultural Anthropology from Trent University and has almost completed her Master’s Environment and Business from the University of Waterloo.

Karen is an energetic leader that has a broad range of interconnected interests. She is working on Food Security programming and chairs Fort St John’s Communities in Bloom committee. Karen believes in the strength her team and takes pride in collaborative successes.

Tammy Hrab, Communications Coordinator

Tammy moved to Fort St. John in the summer of 2004 with her family. She immediately fell in love with the town and surrounding landscape. Since then, she and her husband have been involved in various groups and activities in the area. With Tammy’s background in customer service, discovering ways to help people with their questions and needs comes second nature. Tammy is instrumental in crafting the story of NEAT and communicating our mission and vision to the community. She is an invaluable member of the team.

Jen Slater, Eco Advisor, Chetwynd

Jen moved to Chetwynd in January of 2010 with her family. Originally from Prince George, Jen appreciated the clean air right away! A small town girl at heart, Jen fell in love with Chetwynd’s beautiful landscape and never misses an opportunity to explore the many miles of trails in the area. She can be found walking, hiking, or biking with her golden retriever, Sonny, and whoever else she can wrangle into getting some exercise.

Jen is a strong events planner and excels creating unique community programming that meets NEATs mission and vision. She enjoys a challenge and has become a visible example of environmental sustainability within Chetwynd.

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Rochelle Thomas, Eco Advisor, Fort St John

Rochelle Thomas was born and bread in The Peace and her love of the natural beauty in the area is never in doubt. Rochelle was part of our LiveSmart team which provided energy conservation advice for small businesses throughout northeast BC. Since this program ended, she has moved into more mainstream community-based programming. Rochelle is currently working on our Food Secure Kids program and is spearheading Rot ‘n’ Research, our compost diversion research project. Rochelle is a strong events planner and has planned our annual fundraiser, Wine & Trees, for the past two years. She is a creative and dedicated member of the NEAT team.

Catherine Henry, A.Ag, Eco Advisor, Dawson Creek (Mat Leave)

Catherine and her family permanently settled in Dawson Creek in 2011. She has a Master of Science, Natural Resources and Environmental Studies from UNBC and has put her skills to good use reviewing the BC Hydro Site C Clean Energy Project Environmental Impact Statement on behalf of the Peace River Regional District. She has a strong background in contract management, proposal writing and environmental monitoring. Catherine initiated the planning of Water Works: Exploring the Value of Water at Home and Abroad, a water conference planned with Grade 10 Leadership students at Dawson Creek Secondary School. She has clear program vision and the planning background to make those visions a reality.

Shana Labatch, Eco Advisor, Dawson Creek

Shana joined NEAT in March 2014 after moving to Dawson Creek from Fort St. James. She earned a Master in Education from Simon Fraser University where she explored art as praxis for learning. An artist herself, Shana is a member of the Dakelh First People’s culture and a natural relationship builder.

She has stepped in to take over the primary planning and facilitation role within Water Works: Exploring the Value of Water at Home and Abroad, a water conference planned with grade 10 leadership students in Dawson Creek.

Susan McGarvey, Eco Advisor, Fort St John

Susan is a recent addition to the NEAT team. She has a strong education background with a BS in Elementary Education with a minor in remedial reading from the University of Indianapolis. She has experience creating feefor-service programming that meets demands within the community. She is excited to be joining the NEAT team and will be stepping into the education program development role.

Domini Mannoly, Bookkeeper/Administrator

Domini joined NEAT in 2013. She has an extensive background in management and has brought her skills to the NEAT office. She is a strong team player that is always willing to step in and help. She is the Fundraising Coordinator for Studio 2 Stage Dance Company. Her creativity and business savvy are great assets to the NEAT team.

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Food Security Programs Food Secure Kids

Food Secure Kids is aimed at grade three students that are learning about plant systems in their science curriculum. In this four-part class, students plant seedlings that they watch grow in their classroom.

Once the weather warms up, students transplan most of their seedlings into the community garden to share with residents throughout the summer. Students also take a seedling home to nurture over their holiday.

This program is designed as a beginner look at food security and engages students in conversations about food miles, healthy eating and pollinators while they explore their role within the local and international food systems.

This program is in it’s second year and has five classrooms participating. This is a great program for municipalities starting to explore food security in a practical grass roots way.

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Community Can The Community Can is a two-fold program that both shares canning and food preservation skills throughout participants and also created a donation of locally processed food for the local food bank.

This program was piloted in Fort St John in 2013 and donated more than 120 jars to the Salvation Army.

Calvary

Baptist Church 13

Waste Reduction Programs Our waste reduction programs have centred around education.

We see more than 1000 students every school year to talk about Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and composting. School-based programs are fundamental to fostering long term environmental change.

In addition to school and community programs, NEAT has worked with the PRRD to explore diversion strategies for organics, construction and demolition and ICI sector waste.

We have hosted roadside cleanups, clothing exchanges and repair programs as part of our waste reduction efforts in the PRRD and the NRRM. Throughout all of these programs NEAT strives to be innovative, bringing fun and education together. The annual pumpkin plunge in Fort St John and Fort Nelson sees pumpkins flying off of scissor lifts and fire truck ladders. In the midst of the fun, residents are learning about composting and organics diversion.

Strong partnerships make these programs come to life.

Whether it is Quicksilver and PEDAL helping with a reused bike workshop or Encana supporting the Fort Nelson Clothing Exchange, the work that we do could not be completed without this support. A special thank you to Rosenau for their continued support of the monthly Fort Nelson roundups.

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Energy Conservation Programs NEAT has built strong energy conservation programs with multiple funding partners. Whether you are exploring energy in your own home with Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Watts or had a LiveSmart Energy Advisor out to your small business to help save energy and money, NEAT is dedicated to facilitating energy exploration.

Waste Watchers explores waste of all sorts within communities, touring students through local landfills, water treatment plants and hydro-electric dams under the premise of exposing the waste that runs rampant in our every day lives. Students have been moved through their participation to start action plans in their schools and at home to further promote conservation.

NEAT hosted the second annual Do It in The Dark 5K Earth Hour Run this year. This neat event invited Fort St John residents to run the first 5K of the season in the dark. Support of this event is growing annually and provides a great outreach opportunity.

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Water Conservation Programs Exploring water systems and establishing value is an integral component in promoting water conservation. For students, an opportunity to tour through the local water treatment plant is the beginning step to understanding the value of water within their community and their role in ensuring this resource is responsibly managed.

With support from Encana, NEAT hosted It’s a NEAT Wave at Rotary Lake Park in Dawson Creek. Although the weather was a bit cool, we still had a great time promoting local water resources and reminding residents that less is more.

Part of NEAT’s mandate is illustrating solutions. We strive to provide practical tools for residents and clients alike to meet their goals. A bulk rain barrel order was an effective and efficient way of promoting water conservation throughout the region.

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Community Partnerships There is no doubt that the strength of NEAT’s programming lies in the partnerships we have built throughout the years. Support comes in many shapes and sizes, sometimes it is financial and allows us to spend time developing new programming, sometimes in-kind partnerships allow us to stretch each dollar to the max.

We are humbled by the support that has been shown to us throughout the years. As we embark on our 25th anniversary, we have started looking both into the past and the future and are very proud of the journey we have completed and all the friends we made along the way.

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10027-100 St Fort St John, BC V1J 3Y5 www.neat.ca 250-785-6328 (ph) 250-785-6378 (f)

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