LOCAL FOOD AND CULTURE EDITION
ABSOLUTELY FREE
PETERBOROUGH CITY, COUNTY AND FIRST NATIONS
GREENZINE Building Our Local Living Economy
Together We Can!
The Community Magazine of Transition Town Peterborough
Purple Onion Festival & EV Meet Information Inside
SUN. SEPT 22 MILLENNIUM PARK, DOWNTOWN PETERBOROUGH
THE WELCOME MAT
WELCOME TO LOCAL FOOD AND CULTURE Welcome again - or for the first time - to the Greenzine, your local, free magazine sparking key conversations about local living and supporting locallyowned businesses. We hope each issue provokes new thinking and gets you talking. Maybe even moves you to send us feedback (see below.) Every summer our focus is on local food and culture. What's a culture without food, eh? Transition Town initiated celebration of Local Food Month four years ago. Each year, the City and County have shown their belief in the importance of the food produced by Peterborough area farmers by officially proclaiming September (harvest month) as Local Food Month. The annual LOCAL FOOD GUIDE marking September as Local Food Month is set within this issue of the Greenzine as a standalone, centrespread. The Guide is surrounded, fore and aft, with Transition Town's signature focus on Food's vital role in the Economy, Energy descent, Water, Wellness and Culture. Anne Taylor of Oshkigamong/Curve Lake First Nation lays the ground for all talk about food with her reminder that “All Land Is Sacred.” Public Health's Lauren Kennedy updates us on the New Canada Food Guide. Bill Eekhof features our local Food Charter and gets us thinking about the fall federal election. And of course, you'll find ways to “eat local,” little-known facts about County farms, food careers and other stimulating short reads. Lynn Gehl and Guy Hanchet dig into the Green New Deal. Preston, England gives Peterborough an example of how a municipality can localize its economy. Pat Remy, Linda Briden and Marilyn Freeman offer thought-provoking book reviews, one for kids illustrated by award-winning local artist Bill Slavin. Poets Philip Kienholz and Allan Reeve give us short and long opportunities to reflect on our food and our culture. Jo Hayward Haines names the inner transition of the spirit needed for our times. Peter Currier jolts us into Energy realities and possibilities. The Greenzine closes with snapshots of Transition Town globally and locally and an invitation… - the guiding, indwelling spirit of the entire Transition movement and an invitation to put your skills and gifts into the service of Transition meaningfully through these times as a Volunteer. Read. Enjoy. Think. Be moved to local action.
MISSION STATEMENT Transition Town Peterborough is an incorporated not-for-profit organization founded in 2007 as Canada's first official Transition Town. We are an all-volunteer, citizen-led, social enterprise dedicated to building community resilience in the face of growing economic inequality and climate/energy insecurity. To that end, we focus on the economic localization of our community's life essentials: food, water, energy, culture and wellness.
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GREENZINE
is published quarterly by
Transition Town Peterborough Inc. Business Manager Fred Irwin Art Direction/Production KnowAbout Peterborough Editorial Collective Andrea Connell, Peter Currier, Bill Eekhof, Cheryl Lyon, Patricia Remy This Issue’s Contributors Jim Abel, Andrea Connell, Linda Briden, Andrea Connell, Peter Currier, Bill Eekhof, Marilyn Freeman, Lynn Gehl, Guy Hanchet, Jo-Hayward-Haines, Philip Kienholz, Cheryl Lyon, Allan Reeve, Patricia Remy, Anne Taylor Advertising Andrea Connell
Transition Town Peterborough, 171A Rink St., Suite 166, Peterborough, ON K9J 2J6 General Information info@thegreenzineonline.com www.thegreenzineonline.com Email Art to: art@knowaboutpeterborough.com DISCLAIMER Transition Town Peterborough claims copyright in all original advertising and editorial materials created by its employees or subcontractors and reproduced in this publication. The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors or omission in ads beyond the amount paid for the space occupied by the portion of the ad in which the error occurred. The views expressed by writers do not necessarily reflect those of the Greenzine or Transition Town Peterborough. c 2019
The Greenzine is printed on a 70lb Flo Gloss Sappi paper manufactured with a mixture of post industrial and post consumer recycled fiber and it is tri-Certified: PEFC Chain of Custody certified, SFI forest certified, and Certified SmartWay Transport partner certified. Our ink is vegetable based.
Transition Town Peterborough Inc. www.transitiontownpeterborough.ca
Canada's First Transition Town We acknowledge that we live on the traditional territory of the Mississauga People of the Anishinaabe Nation. We stand in solidarity with Curve Lake, Hiawatha and Alderville First Nations in the land claim processes, sovereignty, and cultural recovery, and respect for traditional values for future generations.
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EDITORIAL
EATING TOGETHER: Co-operating for a Resilient Local Food Economy EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE - My factory labourer Dad often grumpily opined “I shoulda been a barber or an undertaker. They're never outta work.” While that may still be true (at least, maybe, the undertaker part) there's another sector of work which, due to the climate emergency, must now outrank all others – food. (Of course, water necessarily comes along with food, but that's for another editorial.) Alone, we can't feed ourselves. We can do without a haircut (or do it ourselves) and yes, undertakers are a huge help, but we'd get awfully hungry without our economy's long, vulnerable food supply lines of CO2spewing ships and trucks controlled by a few megacorporations that put profit over people and nature. Food has never been cheaper, easier to get or more abundant, but also never more destructive to the land it comes from and the bodies it's supposed to nourish. Big agriculture's farming methods and its international financial and political clout would bewilder my old Dad who grew up on a small farm. The counterbalance to that worrisome picture is local. Right here within 'Peterpatch' City and County. Though thousands daily drive to big grocery stores, order take-out meals or shop online, our area farmers markets are multiplying. So are smaller farms offering shares in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). The city has the highest per capital rate of Community Gardens. Urban agriculture is spreading. More local restaurants and caterers use ingredients, often organic, from Peterborough suppliers. More people are learning to cook via Myrtle's Kitchen at Peterborough Public Health and elsewhere. Food Not Bombs continues its long-time offering of free, locally-gleaned food Monday nights to all comers in Confederation Park. The Mount Community Centre has a full commercial kitchen for food processing small businesses to rent. Trent graduates in Sustainable Agriculture and Sustainable Business programs are a mother lode of talent available for local application. But a truly local, life-sustaining, food economy, needs more. It needs imagination, collaboration and mobilization towards a co-ordinated local food system. Everyone who eats can start by imagining (aided by this issue of the Greenzine) what they and/or their household could do to be part of a local food economy. No matter income level, there's always some way to participate locally. (Some examples in the previous paragraph.) Farmers and cities PAGE 4
are good at distribution, marketing, procurement and moving money around. Municipal councillors' and staff imaginations can take them into creative ways to support local food in municipal purchasing, well-being and zoning policies and infrastructure. Municipalities have convening power with new skills in citizen engagement to bring the community together on local food security. Collaboration. What if local businesses formed themselves, say, into venture capital centres specific to food investment in this area's supply chain? What if the Innovation Cluster, the Clean Tech Commons, and local food and agriculture businesses and associations came together to assist struggling young farmers and Trent grads in food production and consumption informed by indigenous nnowledge and that of generations of county farmers grounded in the realities of local water, soils, plants, geography, history? Mobilization means getting new thinking and practices into play. Things like rallying around a local currency to support trading amongst locally-owned businesses, including farms, to keep money from leaving the community. Like getting local wealth, including city grants and investments, co-ordinated around food as essential to social wellbeing and local cultural identity. Like mandating an economic development priority around local food tourism. Like forming a city/county food future collaborative on how Peterborough region can ensure that as much local food as possible comes from the land and skills of our own communities as crops, transportation and energy necessarily adapt to both climate and economic changes. This is the work of community and nothing brings us together the way food can. At dinner, Dad often said “We're not the only ones at this table.” LIVING LOCALLY
WATER
SNOWFALL CHANGES HURTING FARMERS JIM ABEL – In March 2019, CBC/Radio Canada analyzed snowfall data collected by Environment Canada since the 1950s. “There needs to be a good blanket of snow, without ice underneath, on my fields through the winter, so that my plants can still breathe,” says farmer Yanick Beauchemin. Confined to their warm barn in the winter, his cows normally eat the hay Beauchemin grows in those fields in the spring and early summer. But not this year. The farmer and his ancestors have been working the fields south of Trois-Rivières, Que., for seven generations. “For the first time, I’ve had to buy hay.” The snow cover on his fields just isn’t what it used to be. Winter thaws are more common. And when it rains, a layer of ice forms on top of the snow, smothering the plants beneath. “We never used to worry about winterkill. But now, we’re left to wonder if our fields won’t be dead by the spring.” After difficult winters, followed by periods of drought, other farmers have faced the same problem, leading to a spike in the price of hay. “I can’t go without hay every year. It’s not really worth buying at $300 per tonne. Normally it’s around $150 to $200. But now there’s a shortage.” Luckily, Beauchemin also grows corn and soybeans, which yield more when the season is long and hot, allowing him to break even. And when there’s a change in the amount of snow, that triggers a whole chain of events.” Ross Brown, Environment Canada scientist, estimates that by 2050, the average duration of snow cover could be shortened by another 10 to 20 per cent... Our only option left is to mitigate global warming. “When I’m at a cocktail party and people realize I’m a climatologist... they tell me that they can’t do anything in the face of climate change. It seems like they’re waiting for others to act. But it’s in our hands. We can do a lot. And it starts with individuals. It’s a choice.” Jim Abel is a retired high school teacher, avid cyclist, admirer of the indigenous path to a good life. LIVING LOCALLY
contact us: info@transitiontownpeterborough.ca PAGE 5
COMMUNITY
ALL LAND IS SACRED ANNE TAYLOR - According to ALL First Nations on Turtle Island, ALL LAND IS SACRED. We do not consider that places are more sacred than others. All land must be treated with the greatest respect and honour. First Nations work with proponents every day to protect burials, ceremonial sites, petroglyphs and rock paintings. We are also obligated by who we are as a people to protect the land that we all share.The Anishinaabeg paradigm suggests that the earth is a spiritual being and so should be accorded respect. As beings blessed enough to receive the abundance of the earth, we are expected to care for our Mother, the earth, in a good way. This means working together in unity, in reconciliation if you like, to care for not just the gifts we receive, but care also for the other beings that we share the land and water with. This way we care for each other, for ourselves, for those yet to come, and perhaps most importantly, we care for those who came before us and have left us this knowledge to share with each other. When we do this, our Ancestors smile upon us. The land and all it contains must be cared for in a sustainable fashion, with great respect, kindness and gentleness. We must understand our place in creation and the responsibility that brings. We must always remember to care for the earth, and for those yet to be born. Keeping those ones in our minds and hearts, we are compelled to care for our Mother in a good and gentle way, knowing that someday it will be our turn to pass on the knowledge we have gleaned from our existence. The Anishinaabeg (all First Nations) of Turtle Island know this land better than anyone. Our Ancestors lived and travelled on the land and the waterways, always leaving the lightest footprint possible. Living so closely to the land and water, we are aware that what we did to the land and water directly affected our existence. This is still evident in our languages, our ceremonies and how we relate to the earth. Our language is full of sounds that relate directly back to the land, some sounds even mimicking nature. Our ceremonies always honour the earth and teach us to show respect to each other and the surrounding world. We harvest from the land and the land continues to take care of us. As women, we follow the flow of the earth. Grandmother Josephine Mandamin-ban said this is evident in the spring when our Mother releases water in the form of spring runoff from the ice and snow. This is the first sign that the earth is about to give birth to new life in the form of budding trees, plants and such. Trees follow this very same line when the sap starts to run in the spring, bringing nourishment to the new buds and leaflets. So too, women release water when we are about to bring forth new life. Do you see and understand how closely we are connected to the earth? All land is sacred.
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All First Nations have been stewards of the land from time immemorial. The land is a spiritual being in our cultures and languages. Our fundamental connection to the earth in all we do, say and think is something we all have in common. Our legends and stories tell us of this. “Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the Earth is our Mother. The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst and feed our children. The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath. And what is man without the beasts? If all beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit. This we know. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.” Sealth (Chief Seattle) spoke this admonition to all at the tribal assembly of 1854 just prior to the signing of a treaty. Anne Taylor learned about traditions and culture from her grandparents and great-grandmother. She attended Fleming College and Trent University, and is “a lifelong student of the land and our teachings.” This article originally appeared in Heritage Matters, Autumn 2018. The Greenzine is grateful for the author's permission to use it.
“The perspectives and understanding of Aboriginal Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers of the ethics, concepts and practices of reconciliation are vital to long-term reconciliation.” – Principles of Reconciliation. TRC Final Report, Vol. 6, p.15 LIVING LOCALLY
COMMUNITY
Why we need a Green New Deal GUY HANCHET - Society's approach of infinite growth on a finite planet has led to a morass of intersecting problems. The largely unregulated global economy has led to massive wealth inequality. The fossil fuels that drove economic expansion have filled our atmosphere with enough CO2 to create the climate crisis that society is finally waking up to. To have a chance of turning it around in time to leave a livable planet for our ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren we need to take many steps on many fronts all at once. The Green New Deal for Canada provides ideas for how to do just that. What is it? It calls for political action with a deal that rests on two fundamental principles. 1) It must meet the demands of Indigenous knowledge and science and cut Canada's emissions in half in 11 years while protecting cultural and biological diversity. 2) It must leave no one behind and build a better present and future for all of us. How details are being defined In May about 130 people attended a town hall in Peterborough to collect ideas in the form of Green lines and Red lines, what we want more of and what we want less of. The local ideas were consolidated at the national level with input from more than 150 similar meetings. Green Line ideas were found in the categories of Indigenous Sovereignty, Economy, Government, Green Infrastructure, and Social Justice. Red Line ideas included ending fossil fuel subsidies, phasing out fossil fuel use, protecting biodiversity, and banning single use plastics. Taken together these do not add up to specific policies; they suggest an umbrella under which various policies will power a massive system upgrade for our economy and society. What could Canada look like? Here are a few examples of what 2030 could look like if we start implementing Green New Deal ideas tomorrow. The projects to retrofit every building in Canada and create the renewable energy infrastructure to eliminate our emissions are half completed. These projects provide local employment that allows tar sands workers to move from Alberta. Children riding school buses no longer breathe poisonous diesel fumes since we transformed the fleet to electric. Everyone lives in dignity knowing that a Basic Income Guarantee provides us all with the means to survive. Corporations and wealthy citizens have bowed to moral pressure and have agreed to pay their fair share - they have stopped hiding their profits in off-shore tax havens and have started to pay the taxes they owe. Students no longer graduate from university with crippling debts. Find out more at greennewdeal.ca and insist that politicians incorporate these ideas into their policies. LIVING LOCALLY
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CULTURE
Let's Talk Trash! LINDA BRIDEN - Trash Revolution, written by Toronto author Erica Fyvie and illustrated by Millbrook's Bill Slavin, examines the life cycle of the everyday stuff we use. Trash Revolution uses wonderfully engaging graphics and fun facts to explore what goes into landfill, what gets recycled, and in some cases, what gets transformed into new materials. It centres around everyday items that most kids will find in their backpacks. Some big concepts like sustainability, genetic modification and fair wage work are given a basic introduction. Step-by-step illustrations with clear, simple captions, demystify the stages of recycling for all the basic materials like plastics, metals and paper. There are loads of fun facts including the use of Zoo Poo, invention of Papercrete bricks, compostable clothing and edible cutlery! And, did you know that pig urine can replace petroleum in the development of plastic? More alarmingly, a single pair of running shoes takes 1000 years to decompose. As a retired teacher, I think this book would be an invaluable classroom resource. There are many constructive and practical ideas to draw from, including outlines for debates (e.g. e-books versus paper books) and inspirations for political action (e.g. petitioning your favourite candy company to use recyclable packaging). Each page contains plenty of rich content for launching discussions between kids and adults alike. I guarantee there is something for all ages to learn! For example, have you ever heard of the Land-fill-Harmonic? It's an orchestra created out of recycled materials! Trash Revolution, published by Kids Can Press, is available through Chapters in either hard-cover or e-book format. It is also available locally, at Hunter Street Books, Peterborough. Check it out! Review submitted by Linda Briden, retired elementary school
ULTIMATE EXTINCTION EXPLODING MY MIRAGE the image of the broken globe and me with the motor idling Philip Kienholz is a local poet and permaculturist.
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CULTURE BOOK REVIEW:
WHY THE WEST RULES….. FOR NOW by Ian Morris PATRICIA REMY - This book relates the history of human civilization emphasizing the accidents of geography and climate. Constantly woven into the text is an awareness of the tensions between East and West, currently visible in the demise of the American Empire and the rise of China. Sweeping in its scope and exact in detail where necessary, this 622 page tome by Ian Morris, Professor of History at Stanford University, assesses the social development of numerous civilizations, their rise and fall, from the time of Homo habilis, 2.5 million years ago, to the year 2010, four decades after scientists began to warn us about human-generated climate change. Before H. habilis, there was no human East and West. By 1.6 million years ago, H. Habilis and a new mutant human had spread far enough out of Africa and diverged either into Europe or into Asia, so that differences began to emerge, as evidenced by the differing tools they used. The index for measuring social development is a very approximate instrument, admits Morris, but probably the best available at present. Its parameters: energy capture (from fire to nuclear fission); complexity of social organization /urbanization (from loose hunter-gather bands
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to mega-metropoli); war-making tools and strategies (from sticks and stones to atom bombs); and information technology (from grunts and signals to Wi-Fi). Interesting for readers of the Greenzine is how Morris relates climate change and the use/misuse of geographical resources to the wellbeing of any given civilization. Readers will recognize the now familiar “Jcurve”, which shows exponential growth in overall human energy consumption, population growth, and global warming from around 1750 C.E. to the present. Morris regards coping with climate change as humanity's most serious present task. Nothing as momentous has challenged us, since our distant proto-hominin African ancestors had to adapt to the forest belt drying into savannah. Homo habilis had to mutate into a new species of human, who spent less time in trees, who could dig for tubers in the prairie dirt with sticks and stones, and walk erect for long hours in the pursuit of game. Exit H. habilis, whose time was up. Enter H. ergaster. Spoiler alert: if you intend to read your way through the volume and don't want to know Morris's conclusions, stop reading this review now! If you want the short version, continue. Or maybe you'll read the book anyway, perhaps to fact-check or to learn incredible amounts about human history. Western rule is scheduled to end by 2103 at the latest. At the rate at which the East's social developing is intensifying, it will, once again, pull ahead of the West. Most disturbing, Morris predicts that only another evolutionary leap of the kind hominins made when H. habilis evolved into H. ergaster, will save us. Except it won't be us. H. Sapiens, Morris concludes, will prove incapable of mastering the climate change s/he has brought about. Exit H. sapiens. Enter the bionic, eugenic hominin.
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CULTURE The load of fireworks Peterborough blew up on May 24th was destructive to the natural world and was a violation of fire, a sacred element. The Centennial jet fountain, the highest in Canada, located in Little Lake, that some people call an icon of Peterborough, is also a violation of a sacred element, water, and a complete waste of energy. What is more, Anishinaabeg ancestors once prayed and cried when they cut down a tree. Now people do it all the time so they can have a camp fire with their beer and chips on Saturday night. Yet, trees were here first before humans. Settler people really need to create concepts and practices such as “sustainable and moral entertainment” and begin to value the natural world beyond the human need for fun and laughs at the expense of the natural world. Maybe Peterborough can invent a concept and rally around it as their contribution to building a better green world. Maybe this creation will become the new icon of Peterborough that our children can be genuinely proud of.
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND THE GREEN NEW DEAL LYNN GEHL - Standing alone with your knowledge is very hard, but it is now known that majority thinking is more of an indication of power over that shapes group thinking versus legitimate knowledge. It is also now understood that the most important knowledge sometimes resides in the one person. Permaculture, ecology, sustainable development, renewable energy, managing the carbon footprint, honouring the local economy, emission reduction, living plastic free, community gardening, grounded community efforts, and the Green New Deal are all new settler tools and concepts that are finally catching up to Indigenous ways of knowing and being. If the Green New Deal really desires to be grounded in reality, it must first be firmly grounded in the knowledge system that predates European arrival. If the Green New Deal really desires to shift the paradigm and move away from the current knowledge system that is destroying the land, air, water, trees, and animal world it must stand behind Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous rights, Indigenous jurisdiction, and Indigenous women's rights. Otherwise, any effort at shifting the paradigm will fail us all just as feminism has failed us all. Are settler people really standing behind Indigenous women and Indigenous jurisdictional rights? An ontology of sand will not work. Period.
It is really too bad that state nationalism has washed out of settler people the deep meaning within their ancestral cultures needed to guide them to live in a good way, only to then try and replace it with meaningless entities that are not at all sustainable to themselves and consequently the natural world. We all have Indigenous knowledge and we all have to go back to it. Singing different renditions of “O Canada” is little more than a celebration of the mess state nationalism has placed us in. Anishinaabeg know we have to sing the water song and pray for the trees we take for our survival. Indigenous intellectuals, rather than elders who are mostly practitioners and/or ceremonialists, have become critically aware of the ways our knowledge system is patronized, misunderstood, denied and appropriated all at the same time. Settler people have to stop pretending about these things, and be brave enough to admit Indigenous knowledge always had the answers. Settler people don't have to worry that by genuinely standing behind Indigenous jurisdiction does not mean we will take back the free simple land that your home and cottages sit on.
Photo courtesy of the author
Lynn Gehl, PhD, Algonquin Anishinaabe-kwe, is an author, artist and harsh critic of settler colonial policies and laws that deny Indigenous rights and jurisdiction, destroy the natural world, and harm women and children. www.lynngehl.com
PETERBOROUGH CITY, COUNTY AND FIRST NATIONS
GREENZINE Building Our Local Living Economy
www.thegreenzineonline.com PAGE 10
LIVING LOCALLY
CULTURE
A CENTURY OF FAMILY CONVERSATIONS 1919. William, age 30, is one of the lucky ones, recently repatriated after two hellish years in the trenches of World War One. His 7 year old son, George, can't control his excitement. George: Daddy, daddy, I was afraid you'd be gone again when I got up. William (smiling ruefully): No, George, no, I'm never leaving you and mommy again. I love being home with you and mommy. I love fresh air and clean water. It's wonderful to drink straight from the river! And thank God, that's the last war ever. You'll never have to fight. 1949. George, age 37. His graduation from Queen's University. William, age 60: Congratulations, son. I sure was wrong about my war being “the war to end all wars.” But at least the government took better care of the vets this time than in my day. You got a University education
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out of it. Hardly worth the crap you put up with “over there” though. I'm really proud of you, George. Dennis , age 11: Me too. Dad, how come you and grandpa have never told me what it was like over there? George : I'll just say it was scary and awful. Let's not look back, let's look to the future. I have great hopes that the new UN will be able to keep the peace. And things look great for our family and for Canada. We have our new house in the suburbs. And what about the discovery of oil in Alberta? The sky's the limit! 1989. Dennis, now age 51, and his 22 year old son Adam are watching the news, the 24 hour a day channel, showing the dismantling of “the Wall” live from Berlin. Dennis: I remember a conversation with your grandpa when I was eleven. He was confident that the UN would keep peace in the world and that Canada's economy would boom forever. He wasn't totally right, was he? But look at that wall coming down! The end of communism! The end of the Cold War! From now on,
maybe governments will spend more money on people and less on armaments. Adam: Given our track record, I'm not sure, but I sure as hell hope you're right. 2019. The family New Year's dinner. Hunter, age 15: No! It is real, grandpa! Let's google IPCC after dinner. You should check it out too, Adam. Adam (52): OK, OK. What's with this “Adam”? Call me dad. Dennis (81): IP …whatever, what's that? Hunter: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – hundreds of climate scientists, experts, from around the world. According to their latest report, you guys screwed up. We've all got to work together now to stop using fossil fuels. We've got a dozen years, max, to save the planet. Bombs aren't falling but this crisis is way more serious than the wars in your century! Jim Abel is a retired high school teacher, avid cyclist, admirer of the indigenous path to a good life.
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WELLNESS
INNER TRANSITION
HOW TO BE? WHAT TO DO? “The tipping point has been reached. We are here at a place where meaningful choices can immediately be made and authentic relationships formed. That means we help each other “get straight” as the old saying has it, and become courageous enough to shape lives based on reality. This reality is fed by love and respect for the Earth we live on, with billions of other life forms. When you see us (or are with us!) on the streets, at the prison gates, in the courtroom, at Council meetings, planting gardens, know that it's a dance of life we're dancing. And the music is not a dirge.” – Jo Hayward Haines
CONTEMPLATION HELPS In the face of the immense complexity of nature and our own human systems, and the relatively short time we have to change our course of unsustainable living, we need first of all to slow down in our own life long enough to contemplate those two realities. Can we not take a one quiet moment of stopping to notice something in Nature, even at the smallest level? A fungus, a dandelion, the way the wind moves the trees, the apple I'm eating. Ask : what does Nature teach me about hope and change? Does time ever truly run out, or just our perception of it? Einstein showed us how space and time are one. Is it the end of the world as we know it or an end to our way of knowing the world?” - Editor's compilation.
“Change is the shift from one situation to another. Transition is the internal process we go through to adapt to change, the work of settling into the next normal.” R. Heinberg
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LIVING LOCALLY
Transition Town Peterborough
2019
LOCAL FOOD GUIDE Grown And Prepared Within 75 KM
www.TransitionTownPeterborough.ca/localfood follow twitter@transitionptbo1
facebook.com/TransitionTownPeterborough
Sweet Beast Butcher Shop Local. Ethical. Affordable. Grant Slavin is the owner and head butcher of Sweet Beast Butcher Shop. Grant began his journey into the world of ethical and sustainable agriculture by apprenticing at The Community Butcher Shop, located downtown Peterborough from 20152017. There he developed his craft as a butcher and gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the processes involved in nose-totail butchery, the ethics of sustainable animal husbandry practices, and their significance within our global food system. After the closure of The Community Butcher Shop in 2017, Grant further honed his skills by apprenticing for Master Butchers in both Hamilton and Oakville. However, his love for the Peterborough community brought him back with a vison to open his own shop focused on
offering locally sourced and sustainable meat and fresh seafood. Sweet Beast Butcher Shop buys whole heritage bred pigs and lambs from Sannox Farms in Norwood, Ontario, and works with local familyrun abattoirs to create a supply chain that removes any logistical burden and undue stress on the animals. From the farm, to the abattoir, and finally to the shop in East City, the total travel time is about twenty minutes. Sweet Beast Butcher Shop is proud to offer a variety of fresh and prepared products, such as precooked heat & serve roasts, pork back ribs and steaks that are ready in minutes! Also, now available are seven kinds of deli sandwiches that are prepared and made in shop, featuring panini-pressed Pulled Pork, Roast Beef and Pork Belly Banh Mi sandwiches. Sweet Beast Butcher Shop is happy to be working hand in hand with talented chefs at downtown restaurants, including Fresh Dreams, St. Veronus, Kettledrums and Ashburnham Alehouse. Hope to see you in the shop soon!.
Wine Shoppe on Park "We are a vibrant second generation family owned and operated business in the heart of Peterborough that opened its doors in 1997. My twin sister Jennifer and I are passionate about winemaking and have been crafting wines for over 20 years with our family. We specialize in creating unique blends and personal recipes for our customers using high quality juices, imported oaks, specialty yeasts and other additions to produce a wine that mimics the taste profile of their favourite LCBO wine. We are proud to be the only facility in the area to offer half batches (15 bottles), from fruit wines, reds, whites to rosés. We also offer allinclusive packages for weddings, showers and more. We grew up in Peterborough, are raising our own families here and are proud to offer our joy of winemaking back to our community! Cheers! Sarah & Jennifer”
The Wine Shoppe on Park 392 Brock St. at Park St. Peterborough, ON 705-749-9463 www.wineshoppeonpark.ca
Food Not Bombs Food Not Bombs Peterborough began serving meals on Monday nights in November of 2005 and has never missed a Monday night serving since. Collecting surplus food from community members and local farmers, we are able to serve 200+ free, locally sourced meals each month to anyone whosoever is hungry- for nourishment, for community connection and for justice. Food not Bombs seeks to empower the greatest number of people possible to gain the skills, knowledge, resources and solidarity they need to attain food security for themselves and greater food sovereignty for their community. At Food Not Bombs, people come together to share food, to create caring relationships and to advocate for one another as we strive together to identify and work to meet unmet needs through the economics of mutual aid. We aim to collaboratively create solidarity grounded in compassion, harm reduction, social/economic justice and love.
Traynor Farm In the early 1990's we shifted our family farm working methods toward regenerative farming and haven't looked back! We are pleased to offer our customers a wide selection of 100% grass fed beef, grass and corn supplemented beef, pasture raised chickens, locally raised pork, and our own farm grown veggies. We've recently expanded our operations to include full online shopping and delivery as far as the GTA, Cobourg and Stoney Lake. We believe that a healthy community starts with strong healthy families and we are proud to be 3 generations working side by side on the same farm providing healthy food since the mid 50s. We are happy to serve our community doing the work we love – life just can't get better than that!
HOW DOES LOCAL FOOD FIT WITH THE NEW CANADA FOOD GUIDE? LAUREN KENNEDY - There has been lots of buzz about the updated Canada's Food Guide. So, why does it matter, and what has really changed? How can we apply it to strengthen our local food system? What has changed? The purpose of the guide is still to help Canadians make food choices that improve health and reduce risk of chronic diseases. Interestingly, one of the biggest changes in the guide is how the information is communicated. It not only talks about what to eat, but how to eat to promote health and wellness. The “what” to eat in the new Food Guide recommends a colourful plate filled with half vegetables and fruit, one quarter “protein” foods, and one quarter whole grains. But what happened to “milk and alternatives” and “meat and alternatives?” They are still in the food guide but have been merged into one “protein” group. Protein is recommended with every meal. While water is the drink of choice, including milk is a great way to meet calcium and Vitamin D recommendations for all age groups. Meat and eggs are great sources of protein. Plant-based proteins like nuts, seeds, beans, and lentils also help with getting enough fibre, maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels and can even lower cancer risk. Swapping in a few extra meals made with plant-based protein is a great way to make room in the food budget to enjoy high-quality local meat and support our farms. Eating local produce, meat, dairy and whole grains is a delicious and nutritious choice. You can purchase and enjoy these yearround. Buy extra local produce in the summer months to freeze and cook with in the winter!
FREE VEGAN FOOD SINCE 2005
Visit Our Farm Store 2193 Cty. Rd.#2, Peterborough (705) 931-0696 or Shop On-line www.traynorfarms.ca email: greg@traynorfarms.ca
The “how” to eat in the new Guide reflects that healthy eating is also about cooking more often, listening to hunger cues, turning off screens during meals, and eating together. Unlike ultra-processed foods (like many packaged foods) that can be high in sugar, salt, or saturated fat, much of our local food production is basic, healthy ingredients that are good for our health. Buying from local farmers adds meaning to the food we eat and helps the next generation understand the effort that goes into producing healthy food. Reprint of an article in Peterborough This Week with permission of author Lauren Kennedy of Peterborough Public Health with contribution from the Peterborough Agricultural Roundtable.
“Of course, everything needed locally cannot be produced locally. But a viable neighborhood is a community; and a viable community is made up of neighbors who cherish and protect what they have in common.... A viable community, like a viable farm, protects its own production capacities. It does not import products that it can produce for itself. And it does not export local products until local needs have been met... A community, if it is to be viable, cannot think of producing solely for export, and it cannot permit importers to use cheaper labor and goods from other places to destroy the local capacity to produce goods that are needed locally.” ~ Wendell Berry
Sam’s Place Since 2016, Sam's Place has
Kawartha
been in the business of making
Country Wines
people happy! That's the
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successfully evolved into a thriving
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down hunter street, you can smell the hard work and heart that goes into each smile, after every bite. Every piece of bread and all
has been serving Peterborough and the Kawarthas for 15 years. Our creative development of
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“The Healthy Alternative”
Herbal Pharmacy (1st in Peterborough)
~ Vitamins, Minerals & Herbs ~ ~ Essential Oils ~ ~ Homeopathic Remedies ~ 406 ½ George St. N. Peterborough (705) 740-2313 www.earthfood.net
406 ½ George St. N. Peterborough (705) 740-2313
188 Hunter St W Peterborough 705 876-1900 samsplacedeli@gmail.com
Dry, Off Dry, Social, And Dessert Wines Plus Traditional Red And White Wines And Ciders. 2452 County Road 36, Buckhorn info@kawarthacountrywines.ca 705-657-9916
www.kawarthacountrywines.ca
THE TOWN THAT FOOD SAVED: HOW ONE COMMUNITY FOUND VITALITY IN LOCAL FOOD Ben Hewitt, Rodale, 2009. MARILYN FREEMAN - Psychologists tell us that the only way to change people's minds is through story. Statistics? Facts? No thanks. But a story that resonates? Yes!
Author Ben Hewitt, himself a smallscale farmer, presents stories about the local food system in Hardwick, Vermont, and determines if the model is exportable. The question becomes 'what should a decentralized food system look like?' Surely not just a bunch of artisan producers, but also include folks raised on a diet of cheap
industrial calories as not everyone can or wants to pay $7 for a loaf of fancy bread or $80/kg for cheese. Hewitt outlines his four mainstays of a decentralized system. 1. An economically viable system for small scale food producers 2. Based on sunshine, not chemicals and petroleum 3. Able to feed the local population 4. It must be circular. (Circularity involves compost, seeds, farmers and value-added products e.g. cheese, restaurants.) Hardwick (pop. approx. 3200) has a composting business collecting from residents, farms, restaurants and the supermarket; an organic seed supplier; and organic vegetable producers. Claire's restaurant is an example of doing things differently using local foods. Claire's began on a unique ownership structure that sold 50 shares to the public. A $1000 share entitled the buyer to one $25 dinner credit per month until the
investment was returned in full in the form of food purchased. Six months after opening, it was running 200% over the most optimistic expectations. Its entrées were no more expensive than the diner across the street. Consumers rarely think about the “externalities” in a mass food system: taxpayer subsidies, environmental damage, farmer health, depleted resources. Given these costs, is the 2400 km iceberg lettuce, the 1000 acre soybean farm, the truckloads of green tomatoes gassed on their way to the food terminal really more expensive than what small local farmers produce? Related to appropriate economic scale is the idea of local-ag-aseconomic-driver. The organic seed business owner puts $25,000 to $30,000 into his employees' pockets every two weeks. His workers learn the benefits of shopping locally and keeping the money in the community. Showing people the benefits of local spending works more effectively than telling them shopping at Wal-Mart is 'bad.' If Hardwick's system is really a system, then it must engage citizens, awakening their sense of capacity, that everyone feels “like they've got a dog in the fight” whether they attend meetings or not. This short review can't give a sense of the book's humour, how it connects readers with real people in Hardwick, and a sense of the sheer effort of making the Hardwick “system” work. Will the reader enjoy reading this book, be inspired and not come away feeling depressed and powerless? Yes! “Indeed, the real arrogance is the assumption that we can continue getting something for less than it is worth and that our bodies, communities, and lands won't rebel against this falsehood.” Marilyn Freeman is a member of the Peterborough Bicycle Advisory Committee and the Peterborough Field Naturalists, an avid home gardener and bird watcher. She also plays the ukulele.
8
Local Food Security Connecting the dots to the climate crisis FRED IRWIN - I must confess. I have three smart grown sons who are unable to connect the dots between their own food security and the climate crisis. For starters, they are all increasingly isolated and yet remain proud climate change deniers. How indeed does that happen? I really need your help with that! All three of my sons believe that they eat well and eat healthy food... one of them eats close to 100% organic. They all relate to their food pretty much like most Canadians.... that is they believe that we should all work hard get an education and a good job, pay for our own food and look after ourselves. They are responsible. However, they all fail to connect even their own food security to the climate crisis and the burning of fossil fuels let alone the food security of their respective communities, all of which are in Canada. All of my sons would understand that the abundant availability of fossil fuels has fired global population and economic growth since the first industrial revolution and created the mass global migration from farms to cities. They likely also know that our livestock release large amounts of methane into our atmosphere as a greenhouse gas with much greater potency than Co2. However, none of my sons have ever followed fossil fuel through our food system and connected it to our climate crisis. In fact our industrial food system consumes much more energy (mostly fossil fuels) than the energy we humans, get from eating that food. We are virtually eating oil. The system is simply unsustainable as the climate crisis forces us all to think in terms of the efficient use of energy for our very own security in all aspects of our lives, including the food we eat. Farmers Feed Cities is a compelling reality and yet it fails to connect that our very food security is connected to the excessive use of fossil fuels and hence to the climate crisis. Here in Peterborough we have formally recognized the climate crisis in the Sustainable Peterborough Plan (SPP ) and the Climate Change Action Plan. The SPP even lays out the goal of Peterborough feeding ourselves by 2036. However, you can scour the city and county budgets to try to find ten cents to help make the Greater Peterborough Area more food secure. It's just not there. In reality
the City and County of Peterborough have not yet accepted any jurisdictional responsibility for local food security...so it's all up to us citizens to lead the way. The climate crisis demands that we think systemically and connect the dots to the energy, food and housing crisis all of which are playing out here in Peterborough in real time. The transition towns movement here in Peterborough and around the world was founded on the belief that our best chance to mitigate and adapt to these predicaments is to forge much stronger partnerships between local municipal governments, local not for profit organizations including the faith community and locally owned businesses. We in transition, continue to believe in and pursue this strategy with locally owned businesses, and other nonprofits but find the weakness in the strategy to be the lack of financial participation of our local municipal governments needed to kick-start and leverage the community effort as a whole. For me, it comes down to implementing what I will call the 2% Municipal Solution to Support Mitigation and Adaptation to the Climate Crisis. How to implement? Firstly, I advocate the freezing of many of the budget centres at 2019 levels going into 2020. Then set aside 1% of the Operating Plan in the first year for the Climate Crisis Deep Adaptation Fund then in future years add 10% more each year until we get to 2% in 10 years. Of course, it will soon become critical to find a low cost means to leverage these funds and equitably distribute them throughout the community. The 2% Municipal Solution will be expanded upon in the next Climate Change Edition of the Greenzine. In the interim, please feel free to contact me at fred.e.irwin@gmail.com. We certainly need your help to present this to council and to work on the economic impact of a more food secure Peterborough. Fred Irwin Founding Director Transition Town Peterborough
9th Annual
Transition Town Peterborough(TTP) is proud to present the 9th Annual Purple Onion Harvest Festival – Celebrating Local Food and Culture. Community resilience is grounded in its ability to unite around local food and culture. This year we are showcasing our culture and food as never before! Come see the rich abundance our local Peterborough has to offer. Peterborough is absolutely overflowing with fresh locally grown food this time of year and we're here to celebrate it!
The Vibrant Culture of Peterborough The POF brings you some of the very best examples of local Peterborough Culture! Whether it's the variety of local entertainers on the Sun Stage, the artists presenting their work for sale in the display room behind the Silver Bean or the authors and vendors showing off their books and art throughout the grounds. The festival boasts a huge variety of food and farmer artisans, clothing and textile artisans and many practitioners giving mini sessions of many healing arts. Come see what the working hands of Peterborough are busy doing and selling! Our ambassadors were chosen for their passion and commitment to using and promoting Local food to their community! Visit both at their booths in the Taste of the Kawarthas tent and say Hello!
The Taste of the Kawarthas Foodie Experience! The Taste of the Kawarthas food tent features 6 local chefs that are excited to present to you tasty samplings of the best local food available! It more than just lunch – it's a local food experience! We have also challenged our chefs to create something special for our Local 3 Sisters Traditional Staples Competition. The competition features Corn, Squash, and/or Beans. This is a friendly competition with customers voting with beans in a jar! The Chef with the most beans in their jar is the winner! Come cast your beans and try something new.
Church Key Brewery is hosting our Beer Garden this year. This award winning local craft brewery brings 3 different kinds of beer to enjoy while listening to the sweet sounds coming from the sun stage all afternoon long!
Meet your 2019 Local Food Ambassadors Local Food Month Ambassador Steve Elmhirst of Elmhirst Inn and Downtown Culinary Hub Ambassador Tina Bromley from Tiny Greens are pleased to welcome you to the 9th Annual Purple Onion Harvest Festival
FREE ADMISSION EVERYONE WELCOME WEAR PURPLE! The Sun Stage Every year the Sun Stage plays host to some of Peterborough’s best musical talent and this year is no different. Enjoy the music of Lauren Anne at 11am, Michaela Hetherington @ noon, Tami J. Wilde & Jimmy Deck @1pm, Mike Kidd & Jeremy James Daignault of High Waters Band at 2pm and then join us and Dance for the Climate at 3pm!
5th Annual Electric City Electric Vehicle Meet This just gets bigger and better every year! Local EV car dealers, EV enthusiasts, Plug n' Drive, and the Kawartha Chapter of the EV Society have all come together to 8. The POF hosttotoanswer the showcase their is cars, 4th Electric City Vehicle questions and even offer test Meet! Come check drives. Come see whatout they are so new and used EVs, askanything excited about! There isn't questions andknow take test these folks don't about EV's! drives! See what's new in Peterborough's EV world!
Kawartha Loon Exchange:
ResilientPTBO 2030 Pavilion New to the festival this year is the ResilientPTBO 2030 pavilion that is designed to educate, converse and demonstrate how we can ALL build a resilient Peterborough through 3 well established and dynamic programs. Stop in for a chat and see what we can do together!
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22 11AM - 4PM
MILLENNIUM PARK, DOWNTOWN PETERBOROUGH
The Purple Onion Festival uses the Kawartha Loon as it's exclusive currency for the day. Immerse yourself in the totally local experience of using Peterborough's own currency. All vendors are Kawartha Loon Exchange members! Stop by the on site bank of Peterborough Community Savings booth (across from the Silver Bean) to exchange your Canadian dollars for KLs and instantly earn 10% more purchasing power. Have questions? Ask – we're happy to tell you all about it and why this is important to building a resilient Peterborough!
TAKING ROOT – PETERBOROUGH'S FOOD CHARTER ENCOURAGES A TASTE OF HOME BILL EEKHOF - When it comes to growing interest in eating local, Peterborough's Food Charter maps out what a just, sustainable food system should look like in the area. First pitched four years ago this fall, and following public input, the current Food Charter – or strategy – was approved by the Peterborough Board of Health in May 2017. Since then, nine other groups have endorsed the charter – and others are encouraged to do so as well. So how exactly does Peterborough's Food Charter support local agriculture, sustainable food-growing practices, the production and
consumption of local food, and food support programs for low-income individuals? “A Food Charter highlights a community's vision for a just and sustainable food system,” says Lauren Kennedy, a Registered Dietitian with Peterborough Public Health, the agency that champions the Charter. “In our case, the Food Charter is a summary of what we have already been working towards. We can look back at past accomplishments and forward to actions and policy that can support increased access to local healthy and sustainable food for all.” If you haven't seen Peterborough's Food Charter, it's worth a look. It includes statements outlining what can be done to support local food initiatives (a key aim of Transition Town in helping this region become more environmentally and economically resilient.) These statements lay out what a local, inter-
Lakefield Farmers’ Market The Lakefield Farmers' Market has been, from its conception in 2009, a verified local farmers' market where all the farmers are third party verified as selling only what they have grown. Lakefield Farmers' Market draws approximately 25-30 vendors from a closer than 100 km radius. These quality vendors include a wide variety of prepared food vendors who use local ingredients and artisans selling their handcrafted wares in addition to our foundation of agricultural producers. Community members and visitors gather here to shop, meet up with friends, enjoy music and children's activities, and to develop meaningful connections with their farmers and other local business people.
connected food system should look like, including farmlands, waterways, wildlife habitats, rural areas, and urban communities. The Charter also includes seven 'value' statements on a local food system: health, social justice, culture and community, education, economic sustainability and the environment. Under each value are ways the community can support it. For example, in valuing its local food system, the Charter calls for Peterborough residents to support “local farmers and their commitment to sustainable stewardship of foodproducing lands” and “land-use policies that protect food-producing lands.” To support social justice, the Charter encourages “dignified access to healthy and local food for all,” as well as a “living wage for the production of food.” Under education, the Charter calls for “public awareness of the food system's role in our lives” and “the connections between our health, the environment, and our food choices.” While 'value' and 'support' statements look good on paper, how can they be put into action? “That's a great question, and we need to be asking this as a community,” Kennedy acknowledges. “Every person has unique ways that they can put the Food Charter into action in their home, workplace, business and community.” For instance, individuals can aim to buy $10 of local food per week, reduce food waste in their homes, get involved in a community garden, and advocate for policies/programs that improve incomes and access to food. The Food Charter is inspiring community action in other areas, says Kennedy, pointing to 'eat local' initiatives such as the Nourish Market dollars program and food boxes providing Ontario-grown produce to school nutrition programs.
Thursday 9 am – 2 pm, Mid-May - October Lakefield-Smith Community Centre Parking Lot (next to Isabel Morris Park)
20 Concession Street, Lakefield, ON Free admission and Parking
“Food matters,” Kennedy says. “When people and groups come together, we can work towards a just, sustainable local food system that will promote health and well-being for all!”
FARMERS' MARKETS IN THE KAWARTHA AREA Apsley Village Market (behind Hunter's General Store) 137 Burleigh St. Apsley Sat 9am-2pm May-Sept Bobcaygeon Farmers' Market Bobcaygeon Fairgrounds 47 Mansfield St. Bobcaygeon Sat 8am-1pm May-Oct Douro Dummer Market At Rhema Christian School, County Rd. 4 (Parkhill Rd. E) Fri 8am–1pm until Sept. 30 Dunsford Station Farmers' Market Hwy 36 at Cedar Glen Rd Dunsford Sat 8am-1pm May-Oct
Fenelon Falls Farmers' Market John & Bond St (old arena lot) Fenelon Falls Fri 11am - 5pm May long-weekend to Thanksgiving weekend
Lindsay Farmers' Market Victoria St Lindsay Sat 7am-1pm May-Oct
Keene Farmers Market Foley Park Keene 3252 County Rd 2 Each Fri of each long wkend 12pm - 4pm May-Oct
Peterborough Downtown Farmers' Market Charlotte St. between Louis St. and George St. Peterborough Wed 8:30am-2pm Jun-Oct
Kinmount Farmers' Market Main Street Kinmount Sat 9am-2pm May-Oct Lakefield Farmers' Market Downtown Lakefield Thurs 9am-2pm May-Oct
Omemee Farmers' Market Behind the Royal Canadian Legion Omemee Fri 1pm-6pm May-Oct
Peterborough Farmers' Market Morrow Building Parking Lot Peterborough Sat 7pm-1pm All Year
Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market Citi-Centre Courtyard, 307 Aylmer St N Peterborough Sat 7am-1pm May -October Argyle Farm Market 264 Glenarm Rd, RR 6 Woodville Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat 9am-5pm Fri 9am-9pm Sun 10am-5pm All Year
Lunar Rhythms Gardens
The Downtown Culinary Hub
Lunar Rhythm Gardens is your local Community Shared Agricultural(CSA) Farm. For 10 years now, Lunar Rhythm Gardens have been growing certified organic vegetables and offering them through easy online ordering of weekly bountiful baskets. Our hope is to make a difference in how people experience their food. We have a very intimate relationship with Nature and her cycles and have learned how to respond quickly to changes. This work is extremely rewarding and we are constantly adapting as we grow. We are happy to personalize our customer orders (see online for details) and are happy to be serving the Durham Region and the Kawarthas including Port Perry, Bowmanville, Peterborough, Lakefield and now Brooklin.
Peterborough has some of the finest dining and freshest food to be found in any urban area. Local food is a vital component to any thriving community in building a new economy that is conscious of the climate crisis. Businesses supporting the local food supply chain can be proud to be part of such an important movement! The Downtown Culinary Hub showcases these progressive businesses and helps consumers identify them at a glance. Help your community by supporting local food whenever you go out to dine! This year's Downtown Culinary Hub Ambassador is Tina Bromley from Tiny Greens located at 431 George St. N., Peterborough. Drop in to say Hello!
Reggies Hot Grille When we took over Reggies Hot Grille in 2016 our hope was to turn Reggies into an affordable family friendly restaurant. Our locally sourced ingredients have turned everyday family favourites, like burgers and fries, into delicious healthier choices. We enjoy being deeply entrenched in our East City Peterborough community and all the local connections we have made since we came. We support our local butcher, our local bakery and local farmers for our produce. It's a pleasure to see those same people come back to eat here with their families. We also support college and university students with a 15% discount with their student cards. A little home cooked food does everyone good.
50% Local Food Currently 95% of our food is imported! The intent and plan for 50% Local food is ultimately to shift our food purchases to local sources supporting the entire local food supply chain. A working action plan has been created including developing a current Economic Impact Analysis to then working out what economic and physical infrastructure that will support local food as an economic driver, job generator and resiliency builder for our community. See how you can get behind this important initiative contact Fred info@ transitiontownpeterborough.ca
Locally Owned and Operated by Chef Carolyn Effer
HOUSEMADE BURGERS
& FRESH FARM SOURCED PRODUCE!
Every Menu Item is cooked fresh to order!
Affordable family friendly menu, with Gluten Free and Vegetarian Options
Take Out -Eat In Online Ordering -Delivery -Catering
Certified Organic Vegetables & Naturally Raised Pork, Beef & Chicken Summer & Winter CSA Program
253 Gray Road, RR 2 Janetville, ON (905) 986-9612 www.csafarmdurhamkawartha.com Lunar Rhythm Gardens is your local Community Supported & Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) Farm
FAMILY FRIENDLY MENU
89 Hunter St E (Eastcity) Peterborough 705-874-1471 www.reggieshotgrill.ca Hours of Operation: Free Parking Tuesday - Wednesday 11am - 7pm Downtown East City Thursday - Saturday 11am - 8pm facebook@reggieshotgrill Sunday 12 noon - 7pm instagram@reggieshotgrillptbo
Cherish What We Have In Common “Of course, everything needed locally cannot be produced locally. But a viable neighborhood is a community; and a viable community is made up of neighbors who cherish and protect what they have in common.... A viable community, like a viable farm, protects its own production capacities. It does not import products that it can produce for itself. And it does not export local products until local needs have been met... A community, if it is to be viable, cannot think of producing solely for export, and it cannot permit importers to use cheaper labor and goods from other places to destroy the local capacity to produce goods that are needed locally.� ~ Wendell Berry
TRY ONE OF OUR BREWS Northumberland Ale - Holy Smoke Scotch Ale West Coast Pale Ale - Church-Key Red (Irish Red Ale)
Open 7 days a week, 10 am till dusk.
1678 County Rd # 38 Campbellford, On K0L 1L0
Your Host at the Purple Onion Harvest Festival Beer Garden!
FOOD IS WHERE WE MEET ALLAN and LYNN SMITH REEVE - There’s a “permanent culture” emerging that thrives on diversity and the inclusion of weeds as part of an eco (economic, ecological, ecospiritual) system. This permanent culture affects “all my relations:” to the earth, to humans of all stripes, to wealth and to waste. A recent report tells us 40%, or $31 billion worth of food is wasted in Canada annually! Meanwhile 16.5% of households in Peterborough are food insecure. The Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough tells us that 48% of residents living in the downtown ward are living below the poverty line - a waste of energy, passion, creativity and relationships. Consumerism and corporate greed benefit from these losses. Community suffers. Wealth and waste. Food is the place where relationships are fostered. The corporate food chain has divided families from their farms, and buyers from their producers, divided the kitchen table from its connection to the earth, to our neighbours, and to the means of sharing abundance. While we enjoy fruit in winter and cheap processed meals for the on-the-go family – what have we lost? A permanent culture wastes nothing. It is rich in relationships. It discovers how to mimic nature’s ways of redistributing the wealth of waste back into interdependent cycles of life, death, and the compost of generations. Because of a permanent culture’s rich relationships, we grow used to trusting in the complexity of dozens and
The Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market The Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market (PRFM) is your downtown Saturday farmers' market, serving up local food you can trust from our regions finest farmers and prepared food vendors – along with art, music, culture and community. We are a verified farmers' market. This means at least sixty percent of our vendors are primary producers who have gone through a third party inspection process to verify they grow 100% of what they sell. The central mission of our market is to provide a venue for farmers within the Peterborough region to sell their products, and thus it is of utmost importance that we maintain our integrity as a true farmers' market. In addition to this, we strive to promote a festive and vibrant community experience by hosting handpicked prepared food vendors
dozens of diverse solutions at work in our eco-systems rather than seeking the seemingly simple single solutions under one corporate, political, religious, or social banner. Rich relationships enjoy the cross-pollination of ideas and practices that are in harmony with the earth, with community, and with a wealth generated for the common good. Food is where we meet. Food is where relationships are fostered. Food is where we choose to be part of a consumer culture or a permanent culture. Do we choose convenient, cheap, global food chains that give us fruit in winter and starve the workers who grow it? Or do we choose to sacrifice those benefits in order to become pollinators of a new culture based on ancient wisdoms? Transition Town calls for a goal of 50% local food by 2030. No one single policy, organization or business plan will get us there. Instead, we will inspire a thousand different choices that will inspire a thousand different enterprises that will inspire new habits of purchase, production and political policymaking. We will inspire invitations into relationships between neighbours, among strangers, into social, economic, and spiritual gatherings to grow a new permanent culture – one relationship at a time. What lifestyle changes are you willing to offer the gods of life and death, and all generations in order to become part of this permanent culture? What are you waiting for? Allan David Smith Reeve and Lynn Smith Reeve lead Bedford House, a community catalyst for social and spiritual responses to changing times. www.bedfordhouse.ca
and artisans from the Peterborough region. These vendors showcase the value-added production of local food, as well as the artisanship of local craft-makers within the region. Lastly, we strive to support and give back to our community by providing a space for local groups to promote their causes and programs. Community is at the centre of our market. There are many ways to get involved and take part in shaping this thriving community asset. For example, we are currently seeking participants for our Inclusion & diversity working group, our Kids & families committee, and our Sustainability working group, among others. Please get in touch if you're interested: info@ptboregionalfarmersmarket.com.
And mark your calendars: Saturday mornings, year-round, downtown! If
you're looking for a festive market atmosphere with Peterborough's finest producers, prepared food vendors, artisans and musicians, we're at the Citi-Centre from 7:30AM-1:00PM until October with FREE and abundant parking. Starting in November you can find us (all winter long) at our cozy space in Peterborough Square! SATURDAY MORNINGS. MAY – OCT @ THE CITI CENTRE NOV – ARPIL @ PTBO SQUARE
BILL EEKHOF - Fall is a great time to sink your teeth into local food. The bountiful harvest comes with plenty of selection… and many benefits too. Eating local supporting local farmers and producers, keeps money circulating in the community, helps create a secure food future and reduces carbon footprints. Unsure of how to eat local? Whet your appetite with these ideas: Choose what's in season. Foodland Ontario. ontario.ca/foodland/foodland-ontario is a good source of information.
1) To market, to market. Locallygrown food is overflowing at farmers' markets and farm gates. 4) Get growing! While too late for this year, commit to growing your own food next spring. Plant a garden or help out at one of the many community gardens in this area.
7) Lend currency to local eating. Discover the Kawartha Loon. The local currency is accepted at a lot of local businesses and helps keep money circulating in Peterborough. 9) Go out for dinner, but still enjoy 'home' cooking by choosing a local restaurant that sources as much of its food from this area as possible.
2) Buy a 'steak' in a local farm. Many local farmers sell their meat directly to customers, so check out what's available here: kawarthachoice.com/listing-plain-heading
5) An apple a day… Visit a local apple orchard. A great family outing and you can literally have the 'pick of the crop' – right off the tree.
8) Map what you eat. This ideal family or school project involves plotting on a map the food you eat in a day or week. Your aim is to bring your food purchases as close to Peterborough as possible.
10)Aim to eat one local meal per week. Plan and prepare meals around what's in season. Unlock Food. unlockfood.ca has ideas/resources on how to do this.
3)Share and share alike. Extra produce from your garden? Donate the surplus to a local shelter, food bank, or student nutrition program. 6) Paint the town purple! Attend the Purple Onion Festival on Sept. 22, 2019 at Millennium Park, downtown Peterborough. The event celebrates local food and culture, and features local farmers/growers and the always-delicious Taste of the Kawarthas tent.
Just Doing Stuff!
If you’ve been inspired and have some of your own to add please send your actions to info@thegreenzineonline.com
Join us for the 9th Annual
www.purpleonionfestival.ca
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22 11AM - 4PM
MILLENNIUM PARK, DOWNTOWN PETERBOROUGH
FREE ADMISSION EVERYONE WELCOME WEAR PURPLE!
Taste of the Kawarthas Tent Local Chefs Serving Local Food! + Craft Beer Garden Local Farmers on the Green Commons Sun Stage Local Entertainment Wellness Village Electric City EV Meet Local Climate Crisis Response ResilientPtbo 2030 Pavilion
SPONSORED BY
transitiontownpeterborough.ca
HOSTED BY
ENERGY DESCENT
WHY NOT HERE TOO? Other Municipalities’ Adaptive Economic Planning 1. A pending project in, Barcelona, Spain: Pop: 1.7 million. Creation of AN ENERGY COMPANY AND A LOCAL CURRENCY among City Hall, citizens and business. Aims: to improve buildings and community capacities; to involve the community in the energy transition process by realizing savings from management of energy supply points, energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Will mean a new network of relationships and capabilities, reduction of energy consumption and a better local economy by use of a local currency. 2. Sucy-en-Brie (France): Pop. 26,000: MUNICIPAL HELP TO INCREASE VISIBILITY OF SHORT SUPPLY CHAINS OF FOOD AND OTHER LOCAL PRODUCTS. Within the food local supply chain, two associations deliver local organic food each week to members; another delivers other products (meat, cakes, cheese, cider etc.) monthly from a nearby organic food farmers group. Municipality gave a 100 sq.foot common place, more visible for delivery than existing spots. 3.
Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona (Spain.) Pop. 120,000. THE ECONOMY AT THE SERVICE OF PEOPLE: Smarter public spending for a local green economy. Aware that a real impact in the local economy can only happen in coordination and unison of all the areas of the public administration, City Council introduced a digital payment system used as part of public spending. The system includes a series of bonuses and incentives oriented towards intensifying the circulation of money locally - an instrument to introduce a paradigm shift in the interpretation of public spending policies, with a clear focus on the relocalization of the economy through the creation and encouragement of short commercial circuits, with its positive effects in the protection of the environment.
4. Seoul, South Korea: Pop 9.8 million. INTEGRATING Transit and Debit Cards: Transit passes are cheap and work in all subways, buses, and taxis and can be used as debit cards at local stores. Also, through its Eco-Mileage program, participants in the City’s home energy saving program earn points according to the amount of energy they save, and those points can be redeemed as public transit vouchers. Information courtesy of Transition Network transitionnetwork.org. LIVING LOCALLY
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ENERGY DESCENT
ENERGY: THE DOLEFUL AND THE SOULFUL PETER CURRIER Oil Work: One barrel of oil does the work of 12 1/2 years of human labour. Imagine pushing your car up Armour Hill to the Peterborough Museum. You'd need ropes, a dozen strong people, a good hour, and an ice-free road. Now estimate how few ounces of gas it takes to do the same job. Shows how dependent we are on fossil fuels. Enduring Blight: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is comprised of an estimated 80,000 metric tons of plastic and assorted other sludge and detritus. Like the North Atlantic garbage patch, it continues to accumulate. And almost all of it was once the black goo you see on marinebirds' wings after an oil-tanker spill. Imagine how much energy would be produced if we harvested all that plastic and found a method to cleanly burn or recycle it! Climate Grief: The devastation of the Earth by our bad energy habits and addiction has led to a widespread sense of disempowerment and depression. The young are reluctant to have kids and see a low ceiling over future plans. Homes fly, species die, forests fry, springs go dry, and seas acidify: that is the sorrowful cadence that underpins climate grief. As the earth atrophies, grief will turn to mourning unless we act now. But If We Act Now… The Soulful Picture EROEI. Energy Return On Energy Invested measures the energy it takes to mine, pump, dig, gather, capture and refine/process everything from coal, tar-sands petroleum, wind, natural gas, sunlight, and biomass energy from crops like corn. An example of low EROEI in the oil patch is harvesting low-grade products required to build a road, mobilizing tanker trucks, digging, pumping, and refining intensively, and shipping to market, only to find that in the end the petroleum yield was less than the energy it took to capture it. The tar sands EROEI is quite low. For a camper building a fire with an ample supply of nearby deadwood, the EROEI is huge. And then here is ..... Hydroelectric Power. It has a large return on a small energy investment; some estimates put its EROEI at 84:1. Although per capita Canadians use five times more energy than the average world resident, we are second only to China in hydroelectric power production. Result: we leave the same oil and gas footprint as the world average. And we are phasing out coal. Further, as fossil fuel supply dwindles, renewables will be cheaper energy sources. Give thanks for the Otonabee River.
LIVING LOCALLY
Energy Descent. This occurs as we adapt to a declining supply of fossil fuels. As we contract, retract and retool energy supply and use, we become more resilient, starting now to use more sustainable, greener energy - on a massive scale. Re-purposed Labour. Currently the oil and gas industries employ less than 3% of the Canadian labour force. Now, geothermal, biomass, solar, and wind sources account for only 3% of Canada's energy. In Denmark it's nearly 24%, Portugal, 15%, and Germany about 13%. Transferring energy production to renewables can potentially provide jobs not only for all current fossil fuel workers, but for hundreds of thousands of others in a new fossil-fuel free economy. And that transition means giant steps closer to meeting emissions targets. Greta Thunberg. This 16-year-old Swedish activist and youth around the world are rising to promote any effort to thwart their future life. Extinction Rebellion is currently one of the most influential activist groups with a huge youth presence in Europe, and a growing profile in Peterborough. Vegetarianism. More and more average folks are calling the food industry to account by their personal lifestyle choices and by protest from, for instance, investing in climate-aware, responsible corporations to unwrapping over-packaged foods on the spot and leaving the supermarkets to deal with it.
GOOD NEWS IN LOCAL ENERGY REDUCTION “In 2015, our local energy distribution company, Peterborough Distribution Inc. - was given until the end of 2020 to achieve local energy reductions of 37.88 GWh (approximately the energy used by 50,000 homes in a month.) They were initially concerned about how achievable this target would be. Remarkably, at the halfway mark they had achieved 83% of the target, while spending less than half of our budget to do so. If the additional 200 business customers currently enrolled in programs who haven't yet completed their retrofits are included, PDI forecast that they will exceed target. All of the Local Distribution Companies in Ontario, combined, have already succeeded energy reductions of more than 11,000 GWh. The provincial target was 7,400 GWh by the end of 2020.” – Peterborough Utility Services Inc. report 15/06/2019
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Recharging Your Transportation Future!
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22 11am-4pm at the
Purple Onion Harvest Festival
MILLENNIUM PARK
SHOW OFF YOUR EV!!
EV’S, HYBRIDS & E-BIKES
ALL WELCOME!! Dealer Displays Test Drives Free Information Charging Station Information Public Park & Show** and more!
Mix & Mingle with other EV Enthusiasts ** DRIVE YOUR EV, PARK IT & DISPLAY NO REGISTRATION
www.purpleonionfestival.ca sponsored by KAWARTHA CHAPTER
CLIMATE CHANGE
The Electric City EV Meet at the Purple Onion Festival
powered EVs do not need a complicated transmission. Fewer, more reliable parts means significantly lower costs for maintenance.
BILL BRUESCH - Once again, the Purple Onion Festival will be hosting the Electric City EV Meet for 2019. This is the fifth year for the Meet, and it promises to be the biggest and the best show yet! The Purple Onion Festival emphasizes living, shopping and eating locally as a way to improve our lives, the economy and the environment. Cleaner, greener, healthier and more sustainable is the future envisioned by the participants and attendees of the event. That makes the EV Meet a perfect fit!
All of these points are important and compelling, but here's the clincher: EVs are a better, smarter and dramatically cleaner way to move people and things. As power generation continues to move into a clean, sustainable future, EVs are the logical, necessary choice.
The EV Meet has grown every year. More visitors, more EVs, more people introduced to the many advantages of electrified transportation. Countless questions asked and answered. More people learning that an EV is the better choice for their personal transportation needs. The Electric Vehicle Society of Ontario A big part of the Meet's success can be attributed to the enthusiastic support and participation of the Electric Vehicle Society of Ontario (EVS), a not-for-profit organization whose members have participated from year one. Since the 1990s, the Electric Vehicle Society has provided a foundation and a forum for EV enthusiasts who are eager to share their passion for EVs. The Society's mission is to help shift our transportation culture toward a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future through the adoption of electric vehicles of all types. Our diverse membership is a cross-section of the local community and we drive a variety of makes, models and types of vehicles. We strive to “spread the word” and educate the community about EVs in an upbeat, proactive way. Since EVs virtually “sell themselves” as people learn more about them, all we have to do is give honest, straight forward answers to questions and share our own experiences with anyone who is curious. A test drive in an EV usually turns curiosity into enthusiasm! Electric transportation Electric vehicles offer drivers countless advantages over traditional gas powered counterparts. - Electric motors provide full torque the moment they start to spin. That means instantaneous power with no lag for smooth, quiet, powerful acceleration. - EVs have a lower centre of gravity that gives them great handling characteristics. - Electric motors provide a quiet, vibration-free ride that lets you enjoy your travels and you entertainment. - Versatile EVs provide clean, reliable transportation for any job. Whether it's the family car or a cross-country transport, electric vehicles are the logical choice. That's why so many vehicle manufacturers, both existing companies and startups, are jumping on the EV bandwagon. - State-of-the-art EVs provide truly effective “futureproofing” to keep your vehicle up-to-date for more years of carefree driving. - EVs have far fewer parts than current fossil-fuelled cars. An electric motor only has ONE moving part and batteryLIVING LOCALLY
Just the facts, Ma'am There's enough lithium on earth to last us for centuries, and the lithium in old batteries can be reclaimed and reused. In addition to that, though Lithium is the best choice now, promising new battery chemistries and technologies are being explored all the time. Employees in industries that are losing their markets will find that enormous numbers of jobs are opening every year in the new greener economy. Many job skills are directly transferable and employers are offering training and skills enhancement at every level. In the early years of the twentieth century, electric cars were more popular than fossil-fueled models. Thomas Edison's General Electric developed advanced batteries (for their time) expressly for the EVs of the era. The existing transportation infrastructure was largely built around steam-powered railways and oat-powered horses. Electrification was just starting to ramp up and, of course, there was no such thing as a “gas station” or “gas island”. That all changed with the advent of exorbitant government subsidies (that is, your tax dollars) lavishly poured into oil companies that gave fossil-fuelled automobiles the edge. Access to electricity became commonplace over the next couple of decades, but electric vehicles became niche products as more and more drivers chugged down overcrowded roads spewing noxious vapours into an overstressed atmosphere. Just as horses and steam locomotives gave way to automobiles and diesel trains, now it's time for fossil-fuelled transportation to give way to electron power. Think electric, then go electric. The Earth will thank you!
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CLIMATE CHANGE
FOR THE STATISTICALLY-INCLINED: FARMING IN PETERBOROUGH COUNTY
Mark Woolley spending some loons!
Characteristics of farmland in Peterborough County like many parts of central and eastern Ontario has meant that large scale agriculture is not the norm: · Virtually no change in number of farms involved in organic production over last ten years · 178 farms sell direct to consumer which is 18% of total farms compared to provincial average of 15% · 6 farms participate in Community Supported Agriculture type sales · 27% of farmers work full-time on the farm compared to provincial average of 49% · 21% of farmers work full-time off the farm compared to provincial average of 27% · Proportionally more farms under 69 acres · 72% of farms have under $50,000 in gross farm sales compared to provincial average of 50% · Proportionally more beef and small livestock farms and less fruit and vegetable farms Courtesy of Steve Duff, Chief Economist, Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs
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“Agroecology [the application of ecological principles to agricultural systems] practices not only increase food security via the production of food for local markets, they also preserve cultural heritage and community well-being by ensuring dignified livelihoods, helping to keep family farmers on the land. Further, agroecological practices increase resiliency to climate change by replenishing local resources such as soil fertility, water tables, species biodiversity, and carbon capture. Agroecology isn’t just a technical practice, it’s an agricultural science and a social movement to transform the food system.” May 8, 2017. Feeding the World Without Destroying It. Eric Holt-Gimenez huffingtonpost.com/entry/feeding-the-world-without-destroyingit_us_5910a108e4b046ea176aedad
LIVING LOCALLY
CLIMATE CHANGE
CLIMATE ACTION: MAKE YOUR MARK AT THE BALLOT BOX BILL EEKHOF - Health care always scores high when it comes to important election issues, but is the future wellbeing of our planet also becoming more prominent in voters' minds? A Forum Research poll released in July 2019 suggests that. The environment was named by 26% of poll respondents as the most important issue heading into this fall's federal election, just edging out the economy (25%) and health care (16%) as top concerns. “This is quite a shift – normally the perennial No. 1 and 2 are the economy and health care,” Forum president Lorne Bozinoff tells the Toronto Star. For Transitioners and others promoting resilience in the face of climate change, it's heartening to see the environment taking more prominence in the lead-up to federal election day on October 21, 2019. Climate action is not possible without political action, and that's why this election matters. Knowing who the candidates are in your riding and where their party stands on climate change issues is essential. This short election primer can give you a starting point, but you're encouraged to dig deeper. As political strategist Jaime Watt suggests in a June 2019 column in The Star: “It also behooves us to understand our role in the electoral process. And our role is not simply to stand at the side of the road, watching as the parade goes by. Our role, the role of each citizen – and note that I did not say each taxpayer – is to become part of the parade...” Joining the parade, Watt says, means: getting involved, reading party platforms, attending an all-candidates' meeting, asking questions, volunteering, donating to a preferred candidate, writing a letter to the editor, walking with your kids to the polling station and modeling being an informed voter. With the climate clock ticking, it's time to make your ballot count! Nominated Candidates in Peterborough-Kawartha Riding Maryam Monsef, Liberal (x- incumbent) Michael Skinner, Conservative. Candace Shaw, NDP Andrew MacGregor, Green. Alex Murphy, People's Party Ken Ranney, Stop Climate Change Party
Political Parties & Key Environmental Promises Liberals (www.liberal.ca) · Put a price on pollution by continuing with a carbon-pricing mechanism of $20 per tonne of emissions across the country · Phase out coal-fired electricity by 2030 · Ban harmful, single-use plastics as early as 2021 Conservatives (www.conservative.ca) · Eliminate carbon pricing since it is a tax grab that increases the cost of everyday items · Set emission standards for major emitters and force largescale polluters to reinvest in clean technology · Create a two-year 'green homes' tax credit to help homeowners pay for energy-saving renovations NDP (www.ndp.ca) · Invest $15 billion over four years on public transit, green infrastructure, zero-emission vehicle subsidies and other initiatives · Ban single-use plastic by 2022 as part of broader waste reduction strategy · Commit to retrofit all housing stock by 2050 to make more energyefficient, as well as making Canada's electrical grid and new buildings emissions-free by 2030 Green Party (www.greenparty.ca) · Double Canada's emission target to 60 per cent by 2030 · Halt all new fossil fuel development projects and retrofit every building in Canada by 2030 to be carbon neutral ·Create a federal cabinet from all political parties to tackle climate change and declare a climate emergency People's Party (www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca) · No clear evidence to link human activities to global warming · Plans to withdraw from Paris Climate Accord and abandon unrealistic greenhouse emission reduction targets Stop Climate Change Party (stopclimatechangecoalition.wordpress.com)
Immediately stop using fossil fuels and switch to sustainable electricity
Visit Elections Canada (www.elections.ca) for a full list of candidates and voter information
LIVING LOCALLY
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ECONOMY
CHERYL LYON - Outside City Hall in Preston, England, stands the new market, built by local contractors and filled almost entirely by local businesses employing workers on a real living wage. Money made and spent there is money that would otherwise likely flow out of the community to distant big corporations’ shareholders and executives.
Led by a foresighted Councillor, Preston persuaded six local public institutions to commit to spending locally wherever possible. They now spend almost four times as much of their budgets in Preston as they did in 2013. A practical example: one community housing body of 6500 units used to outsource repairs and grass cutting; now they are inhouse with no drop-off in quality, and only marginal cost increases. Another idea: get around procurement restrictions by breaking projects up into smaller tenders unattractive to large bidders but not so to smaller local ones.
Preston City Council is also launching a program to incubate worker-owned co-operative businesses (where no one earns more than six times what anyone else does.) And there’s more: plans for a new “people’s bank” for the region, one-third of whose lending will go to small businesses.
This is the kind of bold, local, economic action Transition Town Peterborough encourages and models in its initiatives. Making and keeping money local will create the strong economic foundation and local control to meet the financial, social and environmental impacts of our climate emergency. Let’s get the political and business will and daring behind it!
This is “localism,” people coming together for action on local production and consumption. This can keep millions of dollars in spending (including municipal spending) closer to home, creating jobs and prosperity. This localism plants itself in deep in values based on nature’s gifts and community-building ways. It transforms
More information on Preston UK here resilience.org/stories/201903-13/in-an-era-of-brutal-cuts-one-ordinary-place-has-theimagination-to-fight-back/ Get deeper detail and analysis here theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/05/british-town-localeconomy/588943/?mc_cid=bb2f0c8fdb&mc_eid=bd80ea1594
THE PRESTON MODEL: Municipal Power for Change
“
Preston Council leader Matthew Brown believes in supporting local small businesses by using a city’s “leverage” as a procurer to “make businesses behave more ethically, pay the living wage, recruit more diverse staff.” The Guardian, 25/06/2019
”
an economy dying of its own waste and greed into a local, just and resilient one - the Transition Town vision. The old economy has bruised and oxygen-starved Peterborough. Housing is in crisis. One in six people has uncertain or inadequate access to food. More working folk, especially youth, have precarious jobs. The employment rate fluctuates like a crazed heart monitor. But the region also has so much going for it in ideas, knowledge, collaboration, water, soil and innovation! Harnessing the potential of our public institutions is another way Preston is innovating. When its Council’s business-as-usual, last ditch effort for economic turnaround - a massive mall in the town centre – fell through because the main anchor store pulled out, Preston acted. Knowing that its big banks and chain stores weren’t about “doing more for the community,” Council instead realized the potential of its own public institutions, including municipal government itself, its museums, universities, colleges and schools, health care places, police force, the city’s housing corporation etc. These public bodies account for thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in spending. How much of their spending stays in Peterborough City and County? PAGE 36
LOCAL FOOD: Good for the ECONOMY, Good for the SOUL Economic benefits In 2010, in Ontario, food processing, agriculture products and farming grossed close to $50 billion. That's $16.4 billion more than the auto industry! An active local food industry experiences the multiplier effect - the economic impact of initial spending that leads to increased consumer spending in a community. When we buy local food, say, from a farmers' market, the farmer keeps a greater share of that food dollar than selling to a supermarket and is more likely to spend the money at local businesses whose employees then spend their earnings locally. An economic impact study conducted by Waterloo Region estimated that for every job in the region's agriculture sector, four additional jobs are supported in the economy. Another study estimated that if every Ontario household spent just $10 a week on local food, that would add $2.4B to the economy. Social benefits Farmers' markets and community gardens are gathering places to socialize. This reinforces our emotional connection to where we live. It's estimated that people have 10 times more conversations at farmers' markets than the average supermarket! We can actually talk to those who bring us our food as stakeholders in the farms and businesses of the food system around us. Information from “Peterborough in Context: Phase One. Documenting How Local Activities Align With the AMO Best Practices in Local Food Guide for Municipalities.” Sustainable Peterborough's Future of Food and Farming Work Group. 2019.
LIVING LOCALLY
KAWARTHA LOONS WELCOME HERE!!
SAVING YOU 10% ON YOUR PURCHASE SPEND YOUR LOONS AT THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES & SAVE!! Food: Bee Hamlin Honey Belly of the Beast By the Bushel Cedar Grove Organic Farm Chasing the Cheese * Chef Marshall Chick-a biddy Acres Circle Organic Community Farm Cross Wind Farm Earthworks Eco Gardening Empire Cheese Direct Sales Entomo Farms Epicure: Ind.Consultant T Scott Finest Gourmet Fudge G.Fenton Farms Greenshire Eco Farm Garlic At It's Best Gary Beamish Wildcrafting and Guided Fishing Green Side Up Farm Herbivore Hills Living Landscapes EcoDesigns. Lunar Rhythm Gardens OtonaBee Apiary Pow Wow Bus Curve Lake Puddleduck Farm Small Spade Farm Stickling's (Farmers' Mkt) Traynor Farms Twin Pine Farm Well Grounded Garden Woolerdale Farm Wyl-Win Farm Restaurants/Caterers: Black Honey By the Bridge Curry Mantra Dreams of Beans Cafe EC Catering Elmhirst's Resort Restaurant Fresh Dreams Guenther Schubert Catering Island Cream La Hacienda Pastry Peddler Millbrook Reggie's Hot Grill Sapphire Room
Seasoned Spoon at Trent U Silver Bean Cafe The Pizza Factory The Red Garnet Healthy Lifestyles: Active Chiropractic Wellness Centre Dr Jeff Lustig Argania Natural Health Clinic Adaptive Health Care Solutions Alex Jones Meditation Angel Hands Art & Soul Therapy Atlas Moves Watching Barefoot Acupuncture Bissonnette & Marrott Black Rock Acupuncture & Holistic Medicine Body Stream Medical Marijuana Services Certified Medical Healing Circle Kung Fu & Tai Chi * Cormack Chiropractic Care Dr Doug's Maximized Living & Chiropractic Centre Dennis Laver Reiki Master Dianna Graves Discover Trager Michele Godfrey Ecomum Elderberry Herbals Emotion Code Energy Works Erin Parker Message Therapist free to be Gayle Orr Reiki Master Greg Ross Massage Practitioner Heal Your Life Heart Felt Hermione Rivision Coaching holhealth Wellness Centre Holos Wellness Solutions Hook Up Muay Thai Boxing Horse Discovery Humanna Gold Humming Bird Wellness Inner Balance Health Solutions Integrated Energy Therapies Kawartha Natural Health Clinic Kawartha Shambhala Meditation
Centre Live Well with Lilly Metamorphosis Neurotherapy New Leaf Permaculture Peterborough Acupuncture Peterborough Centre of Naturopathic Medicine Dr Brenda Tapp ND New Leaf Mentoring Perfect Qi Healing Arts Peterborough Living Yoga Peterborough Spiritualist Centre Pure Joy Herbal Creations P VN Self Compassion Coaching Spilchen Wellness Therapies Sweet Flowering Yoga &Wellness Sweet Song The Bright Path of Ishayas Therapeutic Touch Works Theta Healing Canada Thirteen Moons Vibrant Living Tonya Willis Vicki Reeve Emotion Code Practitioner Wellness with May Anne Young Living Essential Oils Youngevity Distributor Retail: Adventure Outfitters* Ba Bar Too Co. Bear Essentials Millbrook Celtic Connection Lakefield Countryside Art Group Crawford Copy Millbrook Dan's Appliance Repair Derry O'Byrne Construction * Earth Food Store East City Flower Shop Fires Alive ** Garden of Eden Reusables Green Street E Bikes Greenhouse on the River Junkiri Crafts Kawartha Local Marketplace Peterborough Mitsubishi ** Rasberry the Clown Renegade Apparel
www.kawarthaloon.ca
Transition Town Peterborough www.transitiontownpeterborough.ca *Denominations: 1, 2.50, 5, 10, 20 The Kawartha Loon Currency is a Transition Town Peterborough Economic Localization Initiative
Robbies Adventures Rocky Ridge Drinking Water Shinning Waters Soap Co. Stone Circle Press Stuff Store Lakefield Shaun Milne Signs Taylors Recycled Plastic Products Taylors Country Store This Old Flame Beeswax Candles To Bead or Not to Bead Non Profit Organizations: Camp Kawartha Emmanuel United Church East Endeavour Centre Tool Library Fleming College Sustainable Agriculture Program For Our Grandchildren Kawartha Safe Technologies OPIRG Peterborough Pollinators Seeds of Change Transition Town Peterborough Professional Services: Cambium Environmental ** Scholars Education Centre Marketing Network: Dandelion Day Festival Greenzine Magazine Kawartha Loon Exchange Local Food Guide Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Purple Onion Festival Smarketing * The Millbrook Times* The Wire *Silver 50% in KL's ** Cap Interested in your business accepting the Kawartha Loon? Contact Fred Irwin ttpeterborough@gmail.com Visit kawarthaloon.ca for more information.
AVAILABLE AT
CALLING ALL TRENT STUDENTS! Two great opportunities for your research project via the Trent Community Research Centre. https://www.trentu.ca/communitybased-research/current-projects #4870: 50% Local Food 2030 Economic Impact & Jobs Report A goal-setting report for raising awareness, support and funding for the community to build the economic and physical infrastructure to support a dynamic local food supply chain to the level of 50% of food purchased at consumer prices for home consumption by 2030.
Research Theme(s): Culture, Environment; Social; Economics #4874: Public Operating Trusts as NonPolitical Economic Infrastructure for the Equitable Distribution of Non-Capital Public Funds The purpose of this project is to lever local community financing to serve citizens of Peterborough City and County, locally-owned businesses, local charities and not-for-profit organizations in responding to the interconnected energy, economic, environmental and equity impacts of the climate/energy Crisis. The City and County have not yet faced the enormous costs of adapting to the worst effects of the climate crisis, nor do they have the non-political infrastructure to equitably distribute funds to build the local economy. Research Theme(s): Culture, Environment; Social; Economics
Do you like to Volunteer?
905 515 3179
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Transition Town Peterborough has many opportunities to offer. If you have only a couple hours a month or several hours per week, if you like to work in teams with others or all on your own, or if you like to be out and about or working from your computer at home we have something for you. Come see what we're all about. We are currently looking for festival help, experienced advertising sales help, Greenzine Distribution team members. Some expense compensation applies! Contact Dave Sumner: bodgerdave.sumner@gmail.com or call 1 (905) 515-3179
LIVING LOCALLY
Transition Town is a World-Wide Movement! There are currently over 1400 registered Transition Towns, located all over the world in over 40 countries. Transition Town Peterborough was established in 2007, the oldest of over 40 Transition Towns in Canada! Transition Town Peterborough was created to face the 3 interdependent predicaments of climate change, the global energy crisis and economic uncertainty, at the same time. TTP’s focus is on the economic localization of life essentials to build both personal and community resilience in the face of the 3 predicaments. The Kawartha Loon was created by TTP to promote and stimulate the local economy with our own local currency. The Kawartha Loon trades at par with the Canadian dollar and is purchased at 10% discount increasing purchasing power and building local economy through the economic multiplier eect.
THE 2019 MITSUBISHI $2500 Federal Rebate
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