TORONTO – December 21, 2011 – Project Neutral’s latest contest has come to a close, awarding great prizes to over 100 households that completed a recent survey.  Residents in Project Neutral’s pilot neighbourhoods, Riverdale and the Junction, were encouraged to measure their household carbon footprints by completing an on-line survey and providing information about their energy and water use, travel, and food consumption. Survey results will enable the neighbourhoods to identify actions to reduce energy use and save money on their utility bills.  These changes will help these neighbourhoods move towards achieving carbon neutrality, in addition to establishing methods to track their progress and show other neighbourhoods how they too can reduce energy use.

Eligible households who completed the survey before December 10^th were entered into a draw for great prizes from Bullfrog Power, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Sears, Windfall Ecology and architect Melana Janzen, as well as a $500 cash prize. As an extra bonus, all qualifying households were provided gifts from Options for Cars and their local Rona (in the Junction) and Home Hardware (in Riverdale).

“The primary reason why I completed the survey was to understand my household’s actual energy consumption. Until you look at the numbers, it is very hard to understand how large (or small) your ecological footprint is,” said Jason Cawthorne, a Junction resident who completed the survey and won a $100 gift card from Mountain Equipment Co-op.

After two successful contests and many events including school presentations, Family Day parties, and living room get-togethers, over 100 residents have completed the carbon survey, with more surveys being completed each week. Project Neutral will be making announcements early in 2012 laying out plans for the year, including the Neighbourhood Summit that will be hosted in the spring.

“Project Neutral is developing the tools and frameworks to enable meaningful and significant change in neighbourhoods across the country by creating a replicable model that leverages local partnerships and resources,” said Karen Nasmith, co-founder of Project Neutral.  “As the Federal Government takes steps to end Canada’s participation in the Kyoto protocol concerning climate change, resident-driven initiatives like Project Neutral take on even greater importance.”

Project Neutral is an ambitious initiative that aims to create the first urban carbon neutral neighbourhood in Canada. Riverdale and the Junction were selected from over 20 communities that applied to participate in the pilot project. The project launched in both neighbourhoods this summer and the initiative’s largest contest to date and has now come to a successful close.

“I am very proud that people in my community have stood up for their families and for the environment,” said Peter Tabuns, MPP for Toronto-Danforth.  “May many others follow their example.”

Project Neutral is supported by TD Friends of the Environment and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, a leading grant-maker in Canada aiming to strengthen the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities.

Project Neutral is an initiative incubated by CivicAction’s Emerging Leaders Network (ELN), a diverse network of rising civic leaders committed to advancing the Toronto region’s economic and social prosperity. ELN plays the role of an “action incubator” by convening leaders, helping inform and facilitate dialogue, and offering mentorship and organizational support to groups of rising civic leaders working collaboratively on challenges facing the Toronto region.

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Contact information:

Karen Nasmith, Managing Director, Co-founder, Project Neutral             

karen@projectneutral.org

647-239-7795