Algonquin College

Algonquin’s organizational philosophy is defined by its mission, vision and core values. The following are intended to serve as points of inspiration, carefully articulating our purpose

Mission

To transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success.

Vision

To be a global leader in personalized, digitally connected, experiential learning.

Canada Green Building Council

The Canada Green Building Council is a not-for-profit, national organization that has been working since 2002 to advance green building and sustainable community development practices in Canada. The CaGBC is the licence holder for the LEED green building rating system in Canada and supports the WELL Building Standard and GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) in Canada.

Together with their membership of over 1,200 industry organizations and more than 2,500 individual Chapter members involved in designing, building and operating buildings, homes and communities, the Council has made excellent inroads toward achieving our mission of reducing the environmental impact of the built environment.

Acting as the voice of the green building industry, the CaGBC advocates for green building policies with all levels of governments and the private sector across Canada. The Council has also educated over 45,000 green professionals to answer the demand for knowledge and jobs this new green marketplace created. As a result of this advocacy, education and the hard work of our members, thousands of commercial and government buildings, schools, homes, community centres and historical structures have been retrofitted or newly constructed to green building standards.

Ecology Ottawa

Ecology Ottawa is a not-for-profit, grassroots and volunteer-driven organization.

They believe that Ottawa residents are concerned about issues such as climate change, pollution and waste, and that they want sustainable communities where clean energy, air, and water, public transit, recycling, and green space protection take priority. They provide residents with the information and tools they need to understand local environmental issues and promote environmental leadership at city hall.

Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa (EVCO)

The Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa (EVCO) is dedicated to promoting the use of electric vehicles as a viable transportation alternative that is ecological, economical, practical, and available now.

They believe that electric cars are:

• A viable alternative to gasoline-powered cars as commuter vehicles
• Ecologically friendly – no tail-pipe emissions
• Economical to operate
• Practical to build, operate, and maintain
• Available now as conversions from gasoline-powered cars

Their aims are:

• To encourage EV conversion projects by providing ideas, technical expertise, and direction to professional services
• To keep abreast of developments in the EV Industry
• To maintain a library of information and technical literature
• To promote an awareness of EVCO and electric vehicles by the general public through competitions, displays, demonstrations, and talks.

EnviroCentre

EnviroCentre’s mission is to provide people, communities and organizations with practical solutions to lighten their environmental impact in lasting ways.

Their core values are:

Creating concrete change
Making change effective, tangible and relevant.

Pulling together
Building strong relationships.

Exhibiting a can-do spirit
Being approachable, positive and creative.

Leading by example
Living values, not just telling.

Learning every day
Pursuing continuous knowledge, understanding and innovation.

Greater Ottawa Home Building Association (GOHBA)

The Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) has been the proud voice for excellence in the Ottawa area home building community since 1951.

Builders, developers, renovators, trade contractors, suppliers, and manufacturers make up the core of the Association’s membership.

Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-Operative (OREC)

The Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-operative, incorporated in 2010, has continued to grow as a local, green investment opportunity in Eastern Ontario. They strive to provide residents of the area with the chance to diversify their portfolios by investing in renewable energy development in their own communities. With a growing portfolio and membership, the Co-operative continues to expand its horizons every year, while staying true to its grassroots origins.

Relay Education

Relay delivers renewable energy and environmental education programs in classrooms and communities. Relay is creating systemic change for a greener future and fostering the next generation of green energy leaders. They engaged more than 19,400 students and adults last year.

Cleantech Commons

Cleantech Commons is a new clean technology & sustainability-focused research and innovation park located at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. Their focus is on becoming a hub that drives innovation and commercialization in green technologies by bringing together industry with the academic, research and student communities to help get new technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace, and to generate new investable and scalable intellectual property that serves the global market. Their vision is to create Canada’s premier location for clean, green, low carbon & sustainable energy, environment & climate technology research, innovation, commercialization & entrepreneurship.

Cleantech Commons will host a cluster of established cleantech companies, growth enterprises, startup ventures, corporate accelerators and “innovation outposts”, as well as associated value-adding professional service providers, investors, incubators and accelerators. Their Trent Enterprise Centre, for example, will provide access to shared labs, space for technology assessment, demonstration and piloting, office and co-working space, and scale-up facilities for start-ups and spinout companies from academic research.

Thrivability Solutions Network

Our purpose is to create and perfect a universal solution to Humanity’s worst problems, for one family, the basic unit of any society. We achieve this by updating the classic subsistence family farm with new technologies and techniques. Why? A lack of reliable access to these necessities is the root cause for our worst problems, including those identified in the United Nations’ Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

Mission
Initiate a pilot project to design, build and perfect the Automated Close Ecosystem (ACE) house: Eco-friendly greenhouses, attached to an eco-friendly house, optimized to closed ecosystem standards (the most eco-friendly design possible) and tended by a network of automated systems (including robots). Guaranteed healthy and eco-responsible Basic Necessities (GBNs) are the result. Increasingly rapid advancements in space technology make it likely that our children could live and work in space. Closed ecosystems will be crucial for this, so getting the jump on this technology early is smart.

Vision
Fully automate the mass production of all ACE House modules to bring down the total cost enough for governments to reasonably subsidize them. Mass-produced globally, this easy access to GBNs will significantly reduce the worst forms of scarcity-based: famine, homelessness, pollution, inequality, crimes, wars, stress, illness, etc.

This is the best direction for The Great Reset of the global economy, which currently treats everything as optional, even necessities. People, regardless of their economic situation, should no longer have to face this choice: Do I pay rent or buy food? The ACE House is an idea looking for a pilot project. It can serve as an excellent showcase for all of the Alliance’s products and services working together. Learn more at http://www.thrivabilitysolutions.net/.

Sustainable Enterprise Alliance

Our Main focus is to Promote, Connect and Support Ottawa entrepreneurs on their sustainable journey

• A Business oriented Non-Profit
• Connect with our members, partners and supporters.
• Resources, that are Ottawa-specific
• LovingOurLocal.ca list of businesses sorted by sector or area and help on promoting How and Why Buy Local
• My sustainable Business Path get specific actions within 30-90 days to help integrate sustainability in your business
• Green Drinks is an open invitation to anyone studying, working on, or just interested in all things sustainable and environmental
• Lunch and learn

Why Ottawa small business?

According to Invest Ottawa, more than ¾ of Ottawa businesses have 20 or fewer employees, and according to our survey, having time, money, effort is an issue. Engage with SEA to help integrate sustainability into your business. Be a change agent for causing no harm on people and planet, while giving a positive impact balancing people, planet, and profits.

CAFES (Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability)

Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) is a network of residents and citizens’ associations in the City of Ottawa, established in 2010 and active on unceded Algonquin territory. Members of CAFES are community association environment committee chairs or green point persons in citizens associations. They also have individual members who are citizens active in their communities and concerned with living in ecological balance.

As of March 2021, there were over 200 members in their network, from 43 different community associations and 6 citizens’ organizations. Their members include representatives from urban, suburban and rural communities in the municipality of Ottawa.

The mission of CAFES is to support effective environmental action in the local community and at the municipal level towards creating and safeguarding a more healthy and livable city.

CAFES regularly liaises with, and is a member of, the Ottawa Federation of Citizens’ Associations (FCA). We partner with other community organizations such as Ecology Ottawa, the Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital, Waste Watch Ottawa, the Healthy Transportation Coalition and City for All Women (CAWI) and lend our support to efforts by local groups to make Ottawa a better, more healthy and livable place. CAFES is a member of the Peoples’ Official Plan group.

Sustainable Water Action Network (SWAN)

Our mission is to directly impact water shortages with a focus on waste to value projects (converting wastewaters to clean water and bioenergy), form local and international trusting project-based relationships, and educate on the effects of lagoons on wastewater pollution.

We provide cleantech focused tours, training, webinars, and conferences that focus on tangible project management-based actions and outcomes. These events create formalized models, pilots, demonstrations, relationships, alliances, projects, and opportunities for advanced learnings, networks, action items, and deliverables. We developed custom project management systems that align to agile/best practice methodologies to enable stakeholders to plan and deliver overlapping multidisciplinary project results. We collaborate with the First Nations through resource support in water management, helping them focus on water treatment, recovery, and reuse.