The Orillia waterfront was buzzing over the weekend with dozens of innovative ways to address the climate crisis.
Hundreds of visitors, both local and from far away, explored exhibits ranging from electric cars and lawn mowers to solar roofs.
Sarah Patterson, President of Sustainable Orillia, was happy to see so many visitors, both local and from far away, embracing the cause of creating a sustainable future. “It’s so encouraging to see people moving in the direction of a post-carbon, caring world,” she said. “The actions we’re taking now, and the decisions we’re collectively making, are arguably the most important ones humanity has ever faced.”
Brett Palamar, an automotives teacher at Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School, makes it a point to visit the event every year. “I want to promote electrification in my classes,” says Brett. “Interest is growing, so it’s important to see what’s new in the market, such as marine developments. This event reflects a good cross-section of the marketplace.”
The Electric Vehicle Society was well represented, with a display of several electric vehicles accompanied by their owners. Visitors said they appreciated being able to speak with people who have direct, first-hand experience of driving electric cars on a daily basis.
Christine and Craig Maltby of Orillia spent some time at the City of Orillia’s tent, where they learned about invasive species currently on the City’s radar, as well as information on retrofit incentives. They got landscaping and horticultural tips from Jennifer at the Parklane Landscapes booth and gained a wider perspective on the ecology of the region (and turtles) from Izzy McEwen and Jane Smith at the Couchiching Conservancy tent.
“Our reason for attending this event was very intentional,” said Craig. “Our house needs energy updating. Learning about electric cars is also on our agenda – EVs are suddenly much more accessible. We want to move to a hybrid.”
“There are so many dimensions to sustainability,” added Christine. “Invasive plants, over-consumption, upcycling, ethical production of goods, education, energy, the impact of our investments. There’s so much to see and think about here.”
Bet Smith of Tooketree Passive Homes, based in Bayesville, Ontario, was on hand to describe the how’s and why’s of building green homes. She explained how Tooketree, in addition to building highly efficient homes, is a social enterprise with an intern program training women in the building trades. Bet was accompanied by one such woman, Harneet Kaur, who is proud to be “building better houses for a better life.” Training interns is an important part of Tooketree’s work, says Bet. “We want to spread the idea of green buildings while training new workers and leaving a footprint for the next generation.”
Sal Scavuzzo of Orillia-based Super E-Bikes noted three frequent questions he’s been hearing from visitors to his extensive display of electric vehicles: “Is that really electric?”, “How far can I go?” and “How much?” He is happy to tell them, “No gas. No maintenance.”
Paul Catling of Orillia-based Diamond Renewable Energy, with 20 years in the business, was noticing that visitors to his exhibit are more knowledgeable than they used to be. “Many are familiar with net-metering and roof-top solar,” he says. He described how the cost of installation has dropped – what used to cost $3-5/watt is now closer to $1/watt, and 10-year federal government Green Energy loans of up to $40,000 are available to help out.
Sustainable Orillia board members Danny Epstein and Dave Van Alstyne, organizers of the Green Innovation Weekend, were delighted with the event. “After seven years, it’s become a mainstay on the Orillia calendar,” said Dave. Added Danny, “This was, without a doubt, the biggest event Sustainable Orillia has ever undertaken. Exposing local people to ways they can add their little bit to make our city and our planet sustainable over the long-term – it’s what we’re all about.”