eMerge Guelph

Food Fight
2020-12-08 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
It’s complicated, but let us explain.
Talking about food and climate change in the same conversation has the distinct possibility of getting you into … well… uhm…ah… shall we say in a little bit of controversy.
What we eat is always loaded with a lot of familial warmth, emotion and of course tension. The conversation can quickly evolve into a debate about health, cost, agriculture, economics, science, personal opinion, maybe even the US election and (insert a deep breath here) of course taste.
Guess we didn’t mention climate change eh.
Without getting too preachy here at all (maybe just a tiny bit, but hear us out because we promise this will be fun!) we all know that eating a more local, plant based diet that wastes less food will be better to fight climate change.
But it BETTER TASTE REALLY GOOD!
So how does this work anyway?
1. Register for the Food Fight (cost of the great food is extra – see 2. below)
2. We encourage you to Order Take-Out (but not mandatory) from the local downtown Food Fight restaurants before Dec 8.

Cadence – Mac & Cheese w/ Broccoli (519) 265-8225
Sip Club – Hot & Sour Soup (519) 265.1964
Cornerstone – Tempeh Reubin (519) 827-0145

3. Join the Webinar 7:00pm December 8 – where you judge the winner of the eMERGE Food Fight!
How better to decide what tastes good than to have a Food Fight?
Join us as we host a Food Fight with three Downtown Guelph chefs that fight to resolve:
My Dish Tastes Way Better than Yours!
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Introducing your Food Fighters:

Sydney Coles| The Cornerstone
You should always use the right tools for the job, right? Sydney does it handily with these kitchen thingees in her hands that she’s using to try to intimidate her opponents. Apparently her art school degree, yoga and her cat are supposed to show us how badass she can be – and that she will stop at nothing to win this Food Fight. Oh ya, her extensive background as a vegan cook is supposed to help too.
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Nevada Jeansonne| Cadence
Wow, that look really makes us scared. The others should be shaking in their boots! Nevada has been all plant based, all the time, for a very long time. From Nova Scotia to Guelph, she’s been sharing that passion as a chef and serious baker. We’re expecting her to bring a guitar, bike and drawing materials to the food fight. But we’re not quite sure why. Regardless, we know that ‘look’ already gives her a head start on the others! (and in case you’re wondering, yes Nevada wears a mask appropriately, at appropriate places and appropriate times)
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Dewey| Sip Club
We have it on good authority that Dewey’s grade four teacher told him to“wipe that smirk off your face” … many times. It didn’t work then and it probably won’t work now. As the only man in the fight he has his work cutout for himself. Dewey seems to think that his post secondary education, experience at dozens of restaurants, hotels (including the Fairmont chain – well la-dee-da for him), a career as a broadcaster and owning restaurants means he’s gonna win this Food Fight. Sorry Dewey, we’ll be the judge of that!
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Marty Williams| Downtown Guelph
Every fight needs a referee and ours includes none other than the very trendy Marty Williams, Esquire, Executive Director of Downtown Guelph. Here he can be seen outside his office, tastefully showing off grey shorts (in November – can you believe it)with a partially buttoned brown jacket framing a classy look at his red white and black lumberjack shirt. Not only does he ‘dress for success’, but he can also keep our Food Fighters in check. He will have prime authority to punish anyone who attempts to go too far. He’ll hit the mute button on them, or even worse, turn off their video!
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Your Homework Assignment: Due December 8th
Taste the wonderful Food Fight dishes from these restaurants so that you can help us determine which dish tastes best. (Ordering takeout makes the most sense during the pandemic)
– Cornerstone
– Cadence
– Sip Club
Don’t even think of saying: “the dog ate my homework”!
COMING SOON: Dessert made by 10c kitchen, our Celebrity Taste Testers and the e-Bike delivery service that dropped off the food.
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Climate, Covid and Kids' Health in Marginalized Communities- POSTPONED
2020-11-26 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
A Message from eMERGE Guelph:
With regrets, we are postponing Climate, COVID and Health of Kids in Marginalized Communities for this Thursday, November 26…Unfortunately, due to low registration numbers, we made this decision.

Since COVID we’ve moved all of our programming online. We really want to move on with this event, but have had limited registrations to date. In comparison we had over 100 registrants with some of our recent events. Our goal is to make this health event just as successful. . For this one we’ve only been able to garner 6 registrations. Could it be that people have ‘covid fatigue’? We don’t know. ONLY Guessing here!eMERGE believes that communicating climate change through a ‘health’ lens can be very effective at motivating climate action. Our goal is to have many more early environmental adopters – like you – engaged in this event.

We will refund you for your order shortly and we are working on rescheduling for the new year and will keep you informed as things progress.

Apologies once again and thank you for your understanding!eMERGE Team

Public health experts raise alarm at climate risks to children’s health in marginalized communities
Many children in Canada live with inequities that make them more vulnerable to climate change. Our most marginalized populations are especially susceptible to climate-related physical and mental health impacts such as asthma, heat illness, anxiety and depression. And children from the lowest income neighborhoods in Canada are hospitalized for asthma 1.5 times more than those from the highest income neighborhoods.
Public health experts also know that the risk isn’t equal across and within communities.
No child should have to suffer these negative health impacts from climate change and the inequities that put them at even greater risk. Solutions to address this already exist.
The Ontario Public health Association (OPHA) is working with diverse leaders and organizations to bring collective experiences, knowledge, and ideas to tackle the challenge of climate change and inequity. Recognizing that inequities such as poverty and racial discrimination, that put marginalized communities at greater COVID-19 risk, are the same inequities that put them at greater climate risk, the Make It Better campaign is an opportunity to work on solutions to very important public health crises – climate change, health inequity and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Join us as we host:
Climate, COVID and Kids’ Health in Marginalized Communities
Thursday , Nov. 26, 2020
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Pegeen Walsh| Executive Director, Ontario Public Health Association
Pegeen is the Executive Director for the Ontario Public Health Association. Her role requires supporting and facilitating advocacy efforts in public health and capacity building and knowledge transfer and exchange initiatives within the province and beyond.
Prior to OPHA, Pegeen has led the design and delivery of a wide range of programs, policies, partnerships, and research that have supported individual and community health and well-being. As Ontario Regional Director with Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Director at the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion, she oversaw various health initiatives ranging from early child development, healthy eating, and tobacco control, healthy communities to injury, alcohol abuse and 2008 OPHS Standards.
As Director of Public Policy at YMCA Canada, she developed government relations training and strategies. Just prior to joining OPHA, Pegeen was a Research Director at the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships responsible implementing research strategy to advance knowledge and best practices. Pegeen is also a Board member at Family Services Toronto, serving as chair of its Governance Committee. She holds a BA degree from University of Waterloo in Political Science.
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The sponsors of this event:

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About eMERGE
eMERGE Guelph Sustainability fights climate change to build a healthier society. It does this by engaging, and equipping Guelphites to transition to a 100% renewable energy (100RE) economy. It uses the narrative of achieving 100% Renewable Energy by 2050 as a positive goal to win this battle. This is done primarily by helping people reduce energy and water use through an individual residential focus along with community events, outreach and engagement that promote smart behavior, policy and improved efficiency to help Guelph build a road map to beat climate change and achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Salty Softeners, Salty Rivers
2020-11-18 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
We all know that road salt is bad for our beloved Speed River. But what about that seemingly invisible source in our basements?
Water softeners can compete with volumes of road salt that we pour into our rivers. The added salt is bad enough, but these softeners also mean we use more water to operate them. All of this impacts our environment including climate change.
Water softeners are seen by many as an almost necessary piece of household equipment in Guelph. They provide several real and perceived benefits, but come with a few drawbacks.
What are we to do? … Lots.
Learn how you can cut your salt use by up to 60%, benefit our rivers, fight climate change and save money
Steve Gombos, from the Region of Waterloo, will illustrate how softeners work, how softeners contribute to chloride pollution in Region of Waterloo waterways, show us different types of smart water softeners and conditioners available to homeowners and the smart way to soften efficiently to save water, salt and money.
Steve Yessie, City of Guelph Water Department, will discuss the Guelph perspective of household softener use, the benefits and challenges of water softeners, as wells as ways to reduce related water and salt use.
Salty Softeners, Salty Rivers
Wednesday , Nov. 18, 2020
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Our presenters will lead a discussion on reasons for softening your water, types of water softeners, salt-saving alternatives, and answer your questions.
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Join us as we host:

Steve Gombos| Manager of Water Efficiency, Region of Waterloo
Steve Gombos helps conserve the Region’s vital drinking water for the future, while also helping people reduce water consumption today. Steve has served on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Water Efficiency, and as Chair of the Ontario Water Works Association Water Efficiency Committee. Steve has authored numerous articles for trade publications related to water efficiency, waste management and the environment. He frequently provides topical presentations to international, national and local audiences.

Steve Yessie| Water Conservation Program Coordinator, City of Guelph
Steve Yessie has worked in the sustainability field for the past 7 years. In 2018 he joined the Water Conservation and Efficiency team with the City of Guelph. In his role at the City Steve coordinates the Multi-Residential Water Audit and Water Sub-Meter Rebate programs. In addition to these programs he focuses much of his time toward community education. This finds Steve leading tours of the local Water Services facility and in front of classrooms at schools across the City discussing source protection, conservation, efficiency and best practices related to water.
The sponsors of this event:

About eMERGE
eMERGE Guelph Sustainability fights climate change to build a healthier society. It does this by engaging, and equipping Guelphites to transition to a 100% renewable energy (100RE) economy. It uses the narrative of achieving 100% Renewable Energy by 2050 as a positive goal to win this battle. This is done primarily by helping people reduce energy and water use through an individual residential focus along with community events, outreach and engagement that promote smart behavior, policy and improved efficiency to help Guelph build a road map to beat climate change and achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Clearing the Air
2020-10-22 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
Can we save lives with electric vehicles? And results of the Guelph Attitudes on EVs Survey
Air pollution causes more than 3,000 premature deaths every year in the GTHA – and that affects Guelph, too. One of the biggest sources of this air pollution is vehicle traffic.
This estimate is based on exposure to 3 pollutants – fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and Ozone (O3). Air pollution is linked to lung cancer, respiratory conditions like asthma, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and cardiovascular conditions like angina, heart attack, hypertension and stroke.
Clearing the Air: How Electric Vehicles And Cleaner Trucks Can Reduce Pollution, Improve Health And Save Lives
And what about Guelph? We can learn a lot from this report and look at it with the lens of another new study by the University of Guelph – CESI (Community Engaged Scholarship Institute) with eMERGE: ‘Guelph Attitudes on EVs’.
What does a shift to cleaner vehicles look like?
Five scenarios in the report compare the health benefits of reducing traffic pollution from cars and SUVs, trucks, and transit buses. Each scenario explores a specific mix of cleaner vehicles, and how this shift impacts air pollution, health, and greenhouse gas emissions in the region.
Clearing the Air
Thursday , Oct. 22, 2020
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
eMERGE Guelph was honoured to be part of the review committee on Clearing the Air by the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) Environmental Defence Canada and the University of Toronto.
We are also grateful for the expertise and guidance by CESI on the Guelph Attitudes on EVs.
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Join us as we host:

Helen Doyle| BSc, CPHI(C), Ontario Public Health Association( OPHA)
Helen Doyle is chair of the Ontario Public Health Association’s (OPHA) Environmental Health Work Group, working with public health partners to promote and advocate for action on environmental health issues including: climate change, air quality, water quality, housing, built and natural environments and children’s environmental health. She is a member of the OPHA Board of Directors. Helen is also on the Board of Directors for the Windfall Ecology Centre, a Green Communities Canada non-profit organization that delivers environmental programs and services in York Region and Toronto. Helen is a certified Public Health Inspector and retired from York Region Public Health in 2018 following a very rewarding and exciting 30 year career in environmental health and public health management.
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Laura Minet | Ph.D., Post Doctoral Fellow at University of Toronto
Laura is a PhD Candidate in Transportation Engineering at the University of Toronto (UofT) and a Postdoctoral Fellow in Civil Engineering and Earth Sciences at UofT. passionate by the issues related to the environment. She works on a variety of projects ranging from the presence of chemical compounds in food packaging to the impacts of traffic emissions on urban air quality, population exposure and health. She is thrilled to be part of the The Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program (DEEP) and is excited to share her passion for science and engineering. In her spare time, Laura loves hiking, camping and traveling!

The sponsors of this event:

The University of Guelph Community Engaged Scholarship Institute (CESI) brings together community and campus skills and resources in order to advance community-identified research goals. They work in collaboration, honour diverse forms of knowledge, and leverage university resources for community benefit.
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About eMERGE
eMERGE Guelph Sustainability fights climate change to build a healthier society. It does this by engaging, and equipping Guelphites to transition to a 100% renewable energy (100RE) economy. It uses the narrative of achieving 100% Renewable Energy by 2050 as a positive goal to win this battle. This is done primarily by helping people reduce energy and water use through an individual residential focus along with community events, outreach and engagement that promote smart behavior, policy and improved efficiency to help Guelph build a road map to beat climate change and achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Environmental Racism
2020-10-07 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
Environmental Racism
Environmental racism in Canada and the actions needed to address the inequalities.

Canada has an environmental racism problem that is both blatant and systemic. Environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change have and will be felt the strongest by Indigenous and Black communities across Canada.
One of the most egregious cases is where a pulp and paper mill dumped toxic effluent directly into Boat Harbour, on the Pictou Landing First Nation in Nova Scotia for over 50 years. Dr. Ingrid Waldron – renowned author, professor, researcher, and advocate – will join eMERGE to discuss environmental racism in Canada and what is necessary to create lasting, positive, and equitable change. She will be joined by Guelph Black Heritage Society, Executive Director, Kween. Dr. Waldron and Kween will discuss Boat Harbour while looking at the issue of racism locally – environmental and otherwise.
Dr. Waldron’s book: There’s Something in the Water captured the attention of actor Ellen Page who produced a documentary about environmental racism that was featured at TIFF and is now available on Netflix.
The Book: There’s Something in the Water
The Film Trailer: There’s Something in the Water (now available on Netflix)
Join us as we host Dr. Ingrid Waldron and Kween for:

Environmental Racism
Dr. Ingrid Waldron , Ph.D., Associate Professor, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University
7:00 PM Wednesday, Oct 7
Resources
The Book: There’s Something in the Water
The Film Trailer: There’s Something in the Water (now available on Netflix)
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About our speakers:

Dr. Ingrid Waldron| Ph.D., Associate Professor, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University
Dr. Ingrid Waldron is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health at Dalhousie University, the Director of the Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities & Community Health Project (The ENRICH Project) and the Flagship Co-Lead of the Improving the Health of People of African Descent. Her research, teaching, community leadership and advocacy work are examining and addressing the health and mental health impacts of structural inequalities within the environment, public infrastructure, health and mental health care, and child welfare in Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and refugee communities.
As the Director of the ENRICH Project over the last 8 years, Dr. Waldron has been investigating the socio-economic, political, and health effects of environmental racism in Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities. The ENRICH Project formed the basis to Dr. Waldron’s first book There’s Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities, which received the 2020 Society for Socialist Studies Errol Sharpe Book Prize and the 2019 Atlantic Book Award for Scholarly Writing.
The 2020 Netflix documentary There’s Something in the Water is based on Dr. Waldron’s book and was co-produced by Waldron, actress Ellen Page, Ian Daniel, and Julia Sanderson, and co-directed by Page and Daniel.
Dr. Waldron is currently developing the first national anti-environmental racism coalition that will bring together partners from multiple sectors to address and advocate around environmental racism, climate change, health inequities, and other social inequalities in Canada.
For more information on the work of Dr. Waldron, follow these links:

Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University.
Dr. Ingrid Waldron on LinkedIn
Director, The Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities & Community Health Project (The ENRICH Project)
Healthy Populations Institute Flagship Project Co-Lead, Improving the Health Outcomes of People of African Descent

Kween| Executive Director, Guelph Black Heritage Society
Within the BIPOC (Black, Indegenious and Person of Colour) community in Guelph, Kween advocates for the rights of African and Caribbean people as Executive Director for Guelph Black Heritage Society and works closely on anti-racism training, social justice and policy change. She was the leader of Guelph’s June 6th BLM Protest and uses her platform to educate her community and elected officials. Dedicated to Carnival, helping promote black excellence through Caribana while giving her time back to the high schools during Black History Month.
Kween is a dance teacher, business owner, cannabis educator and activist. She grew up in Guelph attending the University of Guelph. She then migrated to Toronto graduating as Valedictorian from the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts. She now owns two businesses: The Heels Academy and The Kween Company, teaches Soca/Dancehall and Afro at the University of Guelph and is the team coordinator and choreographer for The Guelph Nighthawks Flight Crew. She is honoured to hold an artistic residency for 2020/2021 with Guelph Dance to expand her creative ideas for the Black Community through dance.
She works actively with AHLOT on the Cannabis Curation Committee and Lyte Clinic as a Patient Educator and additionally gives back through her cannabis advocacy for the BIPOC community.
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Bruce Weaver| Retired Teacher
Bruce Weaver is a retired elementary school teacher. He and his wife have lived in Guelph since 1983. Bruce has been active in indigenous circles since his discovery of his native heritage about 10 years ago. He currently facilitates a men’s circle, is a fire keeper for the community and is a member of Seven Generations Forward, as well as working with the Guelph Public Library to develop stronger relations with the local indigenous community. For the last 4 years, Bruce has facilitated the Kairos Blanket Exercise with local school boards, Faith groups and the University of Guelph and Ryerson University. Bruce is an active member of Nature Guelph and a keen birder.
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Our Sponsors

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About eMERGE
eMERGE Guelph Sustainability fights climate change to build a healthier society. It does this by engaging, and equipping Guelphites to transition to a 100% renewable energy (100RE) economy. It uses the narrative of achieving 100% Renewable Energy by 2050 as a positive goal to win this battle. This is done primarily by helping people reduce energy and water use through an individual residential focus along with community events, outreach and engagement that promote smart behavior, policy and improved efficiency to help Guelph build a road map to beat climate change and achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Ontario: undermining Guelph's Climate Goals
2020-09-30 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
Ontario: undermining Guelph’s Climate Goals
Examining the alternatives
We need a Guelph City Council resolution.
Ontario’s proposed gas plants expansion – and associated greenhouse gas emissions- will undermine Guelph’s climate change goals. It will also significantly reverse the pollution reductions achieved by shutting down coal plants. There are alternatives.
In light of the climate emergency acknowledged by Guelph City Council, groups in Guelph (see list below) are joining forces with organizations across Ontario to demand the province reduce, not increase, fossil fuel generated power. We urge City Council to pass a resolution, compatible with our emission reduction goals and with Council’s previous resolution supporting a phase-out of coal-generated electricity.
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Join us as we host Jack Gibbons from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance.
This webinar will shed a light on how Guelph can once again lead in fighting climate change. Our city was at the forefront during the coal phase out. Now we need to do the same with gas plants.
Jack Gibbons from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, will draw a road map on how we can exploit new alternative cost effective clean energy sources that will generate economic and social wealth. He will advocate how transitioning away from fossil fuels to a renewable energy economy has clear benefits for people and natural ecosystems. We have an opportunity to create a more prosperous, healthy and equitable society.
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About Our Speaker

Jack Gibbons| Chair of the Ontario Air Alliance
Jack Gibbons is Chair of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance. Jack has worked on energy and environmental issues in Ontario for more than 40 years. His previous positions include: Economist, Energy Probe; Project Manager, Ontario Energy Board; Senior Economic Advisor, Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy; and Commissioner, Toronto Hydro.
Jack has studied economics at the University of Toronto (B.A.), Queen’s University (M.A.) and the University of British Columbia.
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Organizations in support of the City of Guelph taking bold action against more climate change pollution are listed below.

Council of Canadians-Guelph Chapter
eMERGE Guelph
Extinction Rebellion Guelph
Guelph Green New Deal
Guelph Wellington Social Justice Coalition
KAIROS Guelph
Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Transition Guelph
Wellington Water Watchers

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It's not enough: How successful communities fight Climate Change
2020-09-15 19:00 - 2020-09-23 20:30 UTC | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
The shock of the COVID-19 pandemic provides an excellent opportunity to transition to low-carbon, energy efficient communities through the use of stimulus funding and legislation.
Well over 400 communities in Canada, and over 50 in Ontario, have completed Community Energy Plans. Many of them are now demonstrating continuing implementation efforts driven by aggressive GHG (greenhouse gas) and energy efficiency targets coupled with community demands for climate emergency declarations.
In two separate webinars we will look at; what other successful Ontario communities are doing and then explore best practices from around the world. We are honoured to have two leading experts in this field – Rob Kerr and Dr. Karen Farbridge – as our guests.

Registration is necessary for attending these events: you have to register for each event separately by visiting the corresponding registration links:

What Other Ontario Cities Are Doing – Rob Kerr – Sep 15 ,2020 @7:00 PM
Canadian and Global Best Practices – Dr. Karen Farbridge – Sep 23 ,2020 @7:00 PM

What Other Ontario Cities Are Doing – Rob Kerr
7:00 PM on Tuesday Sep 15 ,2020
This webinar will look at what other successful Ontario communities are doing to drive climate and energy action. Rob will explore how they are establishing the building blocks necessary to achieve the benefits of reaching ambitious climate targets.
Canadian and Global Best Practices – Dr. Karen Farbridge
7:00 PM on Wednesday Sep 23, 2020
Dr. Farbridge will provide insight into the best practices that have emerged over the last decade of community energy planning in Canada and globally and how they are accelerating the transition to a low-carbon and energy efficient economies.

About Our Speakers
Rob Kerr
Rob’s 40-year career focuses on transitioning society to a low carbon economy while reducing the impacts of climate change. He does this through policy development and implementation of projects and programs in the municipal and community space.
To get there, he wears many hats including: Senior Associate with QUEST, Canada’s leading organization in advocating for Smart Energy Communities, Managing Director of Garforth International Canada Inc. and his independent consultancy – Robert J. Kerr + Associates.
His work experience has been a balance between the private and public sector, having worked with the Honeywell, Hydro Quebec, Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc., and Energy Advantage. Rob has held senior positions at ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability providing policy and program support to cities around the world committed to mitigation and adaptation activities related to climate change. There, he developed expertise in managing inter-governmental relationships – from his advocacy work at the global level (starting with the UN Climate Conference in Kyoto, Japan in 1997) – to ongoing advisory relationships with the Canadian federal and provincial governments as well as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He has also worked with the cities of Mississauga and of course Guelph.
Dr. Karen Farbridge
Dr. Farbridge has over 25 years of experience in change-making in the non-profit, public, and private sectors. She went from grassroots organizing with her early work at the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG), to a PhD in Zoology, and then she became the first female Mayor in Guelph, after spending years on City Council.
She has a longstanding passion for building sustainable and resilient communities. She has been a leader in various community innovation projects including smart growth, downtown revitalization, open government, neighbourhood development, community wellbeing, resource and natural heritage protection, community energy and municipal governance. She is a respected speaker who has worked to educate on matters of urban interest and community resiliency to broad and diverse audiences both locally and internationally.
Karen is an urban connector that helps communities and governments across the country fight climate change in practical and achievable ways.
Dr. Karen Farbridge received the eMERGE Climate Change Hero award in 2019.

Clearing the Air- POSTPONED
2020-06-23 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
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A message to all attendees!
We unfortunately are postponing the Clearing the Air event scheduled for next Tuesday.We really want this to be a success, but have had limited registrations to date, in comparison we had +80 people attended our last event entitled eMERGE Street Fight. Stay tuned for the new date!
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
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Can we save lives by moving to electric vehicles?
Air pollution causes more than 3,000 premature deaths every year in the GTHA – and that affects Guelph too. One of the biggest sources of this air pollution is vehicle traffic.
This estimate is based on exposure to 3 pollutants – fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and Ozone (O3). Air pollution is linked to lung cancer, respiratory conditions like asthma, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and cardiovascular conditions like angina, heart attack, hypertension and stroke.
eMERGE Guelph was honoured to be part of the review committee on a new study by the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) and Environmental Defence Canada:
Clearing the Air: How Electric Vehicles And Cleaner Trucks Can Reduce Pollution, Improve Health And Save Lives
What does a shift to cleaner vehicles look like?
Five scenarios in the report compare the health benefits of reducing traffic pollution from cars and SUVs, trucks, and transit buses. Each scenario explores a specific mix of cleaner vehicles, and how this shift impacts air pollution, health, and greenhouse gas emissions in the region.
Clearing the Air
Postponed- Tuesday , June 23, 2020
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Join us as we host two of the authors:

Sarah Buchanan, Environmental Defence
Helen Doyle, Ontario Public Health Association OPHA

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About our Speakers:

Helen Doyle | BSc, CPHI(C) , Ontario Public Health Association’s (OPHA)
Helen Doyle is chair of the Ontario Public Health Association’s (OPHA) Environmental Health Work Group, working with public health partners to promote and advocate for action on environmental health issues including: climate change, air quality, water quality, housing, built and natural environments and children’s environmental health. She is a member of the OPHA Board of Directors. Helen is also on the Board of Directors for the Windfall Ecology Centre, a Green Communities Canada non-profit organization that delivers environmental programs and services in York Region and Toronto. Helen is a certified Public Health Inspector and retired from York Region Public Health in 2018 following a very rewarding and exciting 30 year career in environmental health and public health management.
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Sarah Buchanan | Program Manager, Clean Economy @sbuchananTO
Sarah began her environmental activism at age six, when she proudly began wearing a t-shirt with the word RECYCLE spelled out in silver sequins. Sarah has worked for the last 15 years in advocacy, media, and politics in both Ontario and British Columbia. She was inspired to join Environmental Defense’s team through a desire to drive swift action on climate change, and now works with people, businesses, and government to advocate for climate solutions in Ontario. Read Sarah’s blogs here.here.

While this is a FREE webinar, registration is necessary – Register Now!

eMERGE Street Fight
2020-06-04 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
Imagine a virtual Street Fight with politicians ‘trash talking’ to prove: ‘My EV is better than yours!’
We know politicians are up for a good fight. They tend to have different views of the world and tastes in EVs. Now four of them are sharpening their ‘trash talking’ skills to one up each other.
They’re fighting to brag that:
“My EV is better than yours!”
All of these politicians got rid of gas cars and moved to electric. That one decision dropped their greenhouse gas emissions by 4 tonnes per year. Pretty impressive eh? And, yes, they also walk, bike and take advantage of public transit as well.
This virtual Street Fight will be … all fight…all EVs…without the usual politics.
Trash talk is encouraged.
However, if they get out of hand, we’ll use that tried and true Canadian disciplinary tool: a penalty box. One that mutes the offending politicians. And if that’s not enough then their video will be shut down.
What could be worse for a politician than being silenced and invisible? They’ve all been warned!
You’ll have to wait to find out who the arbitrator/judge/referee will be. Patience friends.
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What would a street fight be without onlookers. You’ll have the opportunity to ‘vote’ for the politician that’s convinced you that they have the best EV. Or maybe they were the funniest. Or most deserving. Or the one that annoyed you the least. Or the one you felt obliged to vote for because they were in your grade 6 class. Or the one that fixed the pothole in front of your house. You know, kind of like when you vote in a real election.
Street Fight: My EV is better than Yours!
Thursday , June 4, 2020
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
This is a free event but registration is required. To simplify the process we’re asking you to register via Eventbrite so that we can do a better job of keeping track of registered candidates.
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Here are your Street Fighters
They’ve decided to start early with intimidation tactics. Some are pretty scary while others maybe not so much. But we wouldn’t want to influence your decision too much. Instead we’ll give them a bit of a ‘poke in the eye with a sharp stick’ to help create the ambiance for the evening.
Apologies in advance to the grammar cops.
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Mike Schreiner | MPP for Guelph, Leader of the Green Party Of Ontario
… and Street Fighter

Mike calls this: “Hold my beer while I scare the others” look .
Really?
We bet his mom would tell him to wipe that smirk off his face. We’re pretty sure he’d comply in a hurry!
In fact, Mike’s been known in political circles as being a ‘nice guy’.
A nice guy? In politics?
Recently, super top secret reliable sources informed the eMERGE Intelligence Team (ya that’s a thing) that he’s actually in the running for the Lady Byng Trophy at Queens Park.
Wouldn’t a hockey team’s enforcer have a better chance winning a Street Fight than a nice guy Lady Byng Trophy winner wannabe!
Could this be a deceptively devious diversionary tactic from a street savvy kid that grew up “in the hood”of a prairie family farm?
We have to wonder what the odds makers do with Mike.
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James Gordon | Guelph City Councillor, Ward 2
… and Street Fighter

Councillor Gordon’s childhood is steeped in the underbelly of downtown Rockwood’s back alleys. Those creepy streets made him into the ruffian he is today.
Leaving all that behind, he paddled his canoe down the Eramosa River to the megalopolis of Guelph. There he found his true calling: the mean streets of politics.
He claims to have street cred. The last politician that gave him a hard time can be seen in the back seat of his EV – lacking a heart beat. That yellow haired guy in his car looks surprisingly like a leader from south of the boarder!
In case you didn’t notice, Gordon’s bloodcurdling, sartorial opulence is topped off with a frightening fedora (it better be a Guelph Biltmore!). His always fashionable bib is strategically placed on his chest to catch the big chunks that miss his mouth. All of this is grounded with a pair of recently sharpened pointy toed spit kickin cowboy boots.
Look out Lady Byng Trophy wannabe. These boots are made for kicking!
(next time someone should tell him to wash his car for a photo shoot)
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Phil Allt | Guelph City Councillor, Ward 3
… and Street Fighter

With some guys it’s all about the tools. Or is it the big-boy-toys?
Allt shows up for the photo shoot with an EV that cuts four tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year compared to a gas car. He’s doing the right thing. Right? Then he adorns himself with a loud, gas guzzling, two stroke, polluting chainsaw.
What was he thinking?
He could have stopped with just the ax, but noooo. His opponents are gonna have a field day with this one. Even Nice guy Mike is gonna ‘smirk’ all over him for that move.
However, Gordon’s spit kickin boots would be toast in seconds with that disgusting polluting ICE (internal combustion engine) chainsaw.
We’ll have to watch out for any other toys this lumberjack wannabe brings to the Street Fight.
We’ve all seen the network journalist reporting from home without wearing pants. Along that line, Allt didn’t get the official City of Guelph memo entitled: During a pandemic always check for pants before leaving the house.
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Leanne Caron Piper | Guelph City Councillor, Ward 5
… and Street Fighter

We think the boys should be worried. Really worried.
There aren’t many politicians that can kick above their heads.
Think it’s easy? Go ahead, try it, we dare you!
She did Karate for some time along with gymnastics and still does the splits. However, super top secret reliable sources informed the eMERGE Intelligence Team (ya them again) that the splits are usually easier for her if Tequila is involved.
Can you say “kick ass political Street Fighter with pink boxing gloves”. That has a catchy ring to it doesn’t it?
Her last street fight left her with a black eye and stitches. Take a close look. If you think that’s nasty, you should see what happened to the 6 guys that disagreed with her.
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Acronyms that will help you:
– ICE: internal combustion engine
– EV: electric vehicle

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Our sponsor for this event:

Increase in GHG Emissions in 2018
2020-05-27 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
New data shows that Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions spiked in 2018, after declining for a decade before that. What happened?

While Covid-19 has likely caused a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, we know the structural issues that caused emissions to rise in 2018 continue to exists. Going back to business as usual will not be an option as emissions would continue to get worse.
What happened and how can we prevent this trend from continuing?
Increase in GHG Emissions in 2018
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
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Join us as we welcome Sarah Buchanan from Environmental Defence as we discuss the impacts that structural systems have on increasing our GHG emissions in Ontario. Read her blog here.

Sarah Buchanan | Program Manager, Clean Economy @sbuchananTO
Sarah began her environmental activism at age six, when she proudly began wearing a t-shirt with the word RECYCLE spelled out in silver sequins. Sarah has worked for the last 15 years in advocacy, media, and politics in both Ontario and British Columbia. She was inspired to join Environmental Defense’s team through a desire to drive swift action on climate change, and now works with people, businesses, and government to advocate for climate solutions in Ontario. Read Sarah’s blogs here.here.

Anxiety, Climate and Covid-19
2020-04-14 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Online, eMERGE , ON, Canada
Many people have experienced anxiety around the lack of real success in the fight against climate change. Covid-19 is adding to this stress. In fact the world wide reaction to the epidemic has only underscored the need for similar, widespread, international action on climate change at the same scale. That realization can cause even more anxiety.
These stressors can be as broad as being debilitating to a mere distraction. But they all can prevent us from getting the work done.
How can we all learn strategies related to better mental health that can help keep us focused on the job at hand?
eMERGE Guelph is hosting a webinar with long time environmental activist and author of “Taking a break from Saving the World” Stephen Legault and Rachel Mahrer, Mental Health Councellor focusing on:
Anxiety, Climate Change & Covid-19
eMERGE Webinar
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
This is a free event but registration is required. via Eventbrite

A veteran of burnout himself, Legault looks at the culture of self-sacrifice that permeates the work done by volunteers and paid staff in the environmental conservation movement, and dissects how to manage our own time, energy, and commitment to our causes. Following a river-running metaphor, and proposing a variety of techniques to help with various states of anxiety resulting from burnout, including clarity of purpose, recognition of limits, fitness and diet, mediation and yoga, as well as organizational structural changes such as leave-of-absence policies, Legault encourages readers to find time to “eddy out” – to rest a moment in quieter waters and scout downriver – to ensure our lifetime of engagement is fulfilling, effective, and self-sustaining.
Just as with teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, paramedics, steelworkers, students, and airline pilots, burnout is a growing concern in many social-change circles. Taking a Break from Saving the World takes a look at the impacts of eco-anxiety, over-work, and the associated stress surrounding the present and future state of the environment and offers practical and insightful suggestions on how to deal with it.
Active in the social and environmental values movement since 1988, Stephen is an experienced facilitator, political analyst, organizer, and government relations and public engagement specialist. He was the founder of Wildcanada.net, Canada’s first online advocacy portal, and has served as Program Director for Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative and as the Senior Sustainability Development Office for Royal Roads University. Learn more about Stephen here.
Stephen’s also a gifted storyteller, public speaker, teacher, and photographer. He’s the author of fifteen books and countless newspapers, magazines, and online articles. (Note that the Bookshelf has Stephen’s book on order)
www.stephenlegault.com

Rachel works in private practice with teenagers, adults, and couples. She brings experience and interest in anxiety and mood disorders, trauma, relationship and family issues, sexual identity, and general development/life span issues.
She is a registered social worker (MSW, RSW) with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) and a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers (0ASW).
In addition to private counselling Rachel worked as a counsellor at the University of Guelph, and currently runs a group on campus to assist students dealing with social anxiety. She is Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. Her work with McMaster involves training psychiatry residents in CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy – depression and anxiety) and group work clinical modules. She has focused training in Relational Life Training (RLT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
Resources for dealing with Anxiety
This is a very limited list of resources for support. Please check if you have benefits for covering counselling. Most counsellors are providing secure video phone/telephone counselling during COVID-19 in lieu of in person support. Many companies have links to support sent in emails (including Shoppers links to CMHA resources). Many physicians are attached to family health teams with mental health resources.

For veterans and first responders:
http://breakwaterinstitute.ca

Free online counselling for health care providers (Ontario);
https://covid19therapists.com/request-support/

Free online program for people with mood or anxiety issues:
https://www.mindbeacon.com/strongerminds?fbclid=IwAR1SSAo1DUXfhtArk-s7_FoR6VsncEBRQY5oLysJUyLTrvVOaxYrBJ9L9fs

Counselling & Support
a) Family Counselling & Support Services in Guelph provide therapy and counselling on a sliding scale (i.e. pay what you can within a certain range), and I’m sure they are providing creative solutions to support community members during this time. Their contact information is available here: https://familyserviceguelph.on.ca/contact-counsellor-guelph/
b) The CMHA Self-Help Alliance offers peer support, and they are currently providing accessible services over the phone: https://cmhawwselfhelp.ca/news/service-changes-due-to-covid-19/
· Here 24/7 at 1-884-437-3247
· Good2Talk at 1-866-925-5454
Online Self-Directed Supports and Resources:
· COVID-19 Anxiety: Here are 5 tips from mental health experts (CTV) · Anxiety Canada: My Anxiety Plan – an online resource providing self-help information for anxiety, as well as a CBT based curriculum · Big White Wall: a free, online mental health and wellbeing service that helps people who are dealing with everyday stressors and mild to moderate depression and anxiety. This service provides virtual online peer support and self-management tools for adults and youth: · Centre for Clinical Intervention: Coping with depression online modules & workbook and support for health anxiety.
App Supports · Woebot is an automated conversation agent that helps you monitor your mood and learn about yourself. Use the referral code: ONTARIO for the app to direct you to local resources, if needed. Mindshift: CBT app for Anxiety Support: https://www.anxietycanada.com/articles/new-mindshift-cbt-app-gives-canadians-free-anxiety-relief

The webinar was uploaded into our U-Tube channel, check it out : https://youtu.be/V2q5QLrp630

eMERGE Guelph hosting the 13th EcoMarket event
2020-03-21 10:00 - 15:00 UTC | Old Quebec Street Shoppes, 55 Wyndham St. N., Guelph, Ontario, N1H 7T8, Canada
eMERGE EcoMarket Postponed

Our health comes first.
Given all that has transpired recently, it is evident that postponing the eMERGE EcoMarket is in the best interest of attendees, exhibitors and the general public.
The world is showing us that we can take aggressive action to mitigate a clear and present danger. As we jointly wrestle corona virus to the ground, we need to remember to take the same approach to fight climate change.

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eMERGE 2020 EcoMarket Event
March 21, 2020 @ 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Old Quebec Street Shoppes (map)

The eMERGE EcoMarket is an annual sustainability expo showcasing environmental organizations, green products and services. It attracts over 3,000 people people looking for ways to fight climate change, reduce their impact on the environment and save money. Located in Guelph’s Old Quebec Street Shoppes (map), it welcomes families and residents including early environmental adopters looking to discover their path to environmental living!
The 2020 eMERGE EcoMarket is celebrating its ‘Lucky’ 13th anniversary with our partners and sponsors from the City of Guelph, Downtown Guelph, Old Quebec Street Shoppes and Barry Cullen. If you are living in Guelph or in any surrounding area, mark your calendar and don’t miss your chance to meet our exhibitors and network with community members and Not for Profit Organizations.
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Our 2020 EcoMarket Sponsors are:

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Call for 2020 Exhibitor Registration

The 2020 eMERGE EcoMarket is an excellent opportunity for your company to promote your products and services to environmental early adopters. Paired with the H2O Go Festival, it will connect you with an audience primed for green and sustainable options that are looking to reduce their impact on the environment, fight climate change and save money. Vendor registration is now available for Guelph EcoMarket 2020.
Register by February 29, 2020 for early bird prices! For questions please email Rasha A. , the Event Coordinator: Rasha@emergeguelph.ca or phone (519) 763 -2652
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For registration or sponsorship opportunities contact us here.
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Royal City Heroes- The Climate Change Edition
2020-02-28 21:00 - 22:30 UTC | The Making Box, 43 Cork St E, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 2W8, Canada
Climate Change Heroes 2020

eMERGE Guelph is proud to announce that Indigo Kim and Saffron Binder are the 2020 Climate Change Heroes! In a very short period of time Indigo and Saffron have motivated students from across the city to demand deep and profound climate action. From organizing student walkouts to lobbying city council to declare a climate emergency – they have shown repeatedly that young people can and will step up to take action. And these young women are still teenagers!

Join us – and our Making Box partners – as we put the fun into climate change with our 2020 Royal City Climate Change Heroes:
Indigo Kim and Saffron Binder
Royal City Heroes
The Climate Change Edition
9:00 pm – 10:30 pm Friday February 28, 2020

For buying tickets, visit The Making Box link below:
https://www.themakingbox.ca/new-events/m-b-comedy-guelph-2224-royal-city-heroes?mc_cid=08b91062f6&mc_eid=%5BUNIQID%5D

Are Parkades Extinct?
2020-01-30 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | The Red Brick Cafe, 8 Douglas St, Guelph, ON N1H 2S9, Guelph, N1H 3A2, Canada
Free tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/are-parkades-extinct-tickets-90067521381
How Electric Vehicles will reshape downtown Guelph

We have to ‘store’ our cars more than 90% of the time. That’s right – we use them less than 10% of the time.
And society has paid heavy price by using more and more land for parking. While technology can’t solve all of society’s ills, up and coming electric and autonomous vehicles have the opportunity to re-shape our downtown – taking the emphasis away from cars and making it more people centric.
Join Us as Evan Ferrari from eMERGE Guelph Sustainability argues that the quicker we can move to electric mobility, the faster we can re-vitalize downtown.
Free tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/are-parkades-extinct-tickets-90067521381

Postponed/ Health... as if Climate Change Matters
2019-11-04 19:00 - 21:30 UTC | 10C- Shared Space, 42 Carden Steet Guelph, ON , Guelph, Ontario, N1H 3A2, Canada
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A message to all attendees
Please be advised that we -unfortunately- are postponing the Health… as if climate change matters event scheduled for next Monday.

We really want this to be a success, but have had limited registrations to date. In comparison we had over 90 people attend our event in October entitled ‘Talk… as if climate change matters’. Our goal is to make this health event just as successful.

We are working on rescheduling for the new year and will keep you informed as things progress.

Apologies once again.

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Climate change is hurting human health in Southern Ontario

eMERGE Guelph is hosting a series of events designed to help local environmental early adopters succeed in fighting climate change. We call the series: As if Climate Change Matters.

HEALTH… as if Climate Change Matters
We have done a poor job communicating climate change to get real action. The ‘far off’ impacts have frequently made people feel as if sea level rise or flooding just couldn’t happen to them.
The reality is that Southern Ontario is already seeing the health impacts of climate change. We need to do a better job at communicating climate change. Now let’s learn about the local impacts.

Pegeen Walsh
Pegeen is the Executive Director for the Ontario Public Health Association. Her role requires supporting and facilitating advocacy efforts in public health and capacity building and knowledge transfer and exchange initiatives within the province and beyond. Prior to OPHA, Pegeen has led the design and delivery of a wide range of programs, policies, partnerships, and research that have supported individual and community health and well-being. As Ontario Regional Director with Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Director at the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion, she oversaw various health initiatives ranging from early child development, healthy eating, and tobacco control, healthy communities to injury, alcohol abuse and 2008 OPHS Standards. As Director of Public Policy at YMCA Canada, she developed government relations training and strategies. Just prior to joining OPHA, Pegeen was a Research Director at the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships responsible implementing research strategy to advance knowledge and best practices. Pegeen is also a Board member at Family Services Toronto, serving as chair of its Governance Committee. She holds a BA degree from University of Waterloo in Political Science.
(more panelists to come)

Register here for the Health as if … Climate Change Matters event.

eMERGE EV Show
2019-10-18 16:00 - 2019-10-19 10:00 UTC | St. George’s Square, St. George's Square, Guelph, ON, Guelph, ON, N1H 7T8, Canada
Over 8,000 new vehicles are bought in Guelph every year. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of them run on fossil fuel. eMERGE wants to help you change all that with our 4th EV Show.
eMERGE EV Show
4pm – 8pm Friday, Oct 18
10am – 3pm Saturday, Oct 19th
Old Quebec Street Shoppes
Test Drives and EV 101 classes will be provided by Plugn’ Drive.
There are two different EV rebates available:

$1,000 Used EV Rebate from Plugn’Drive
Up to $5,000 EV Rebate from the federal government

Come downtown and check out different EV models, chat with EV owners and car dealers. Bring your questions about buying, driving, and owning an electric car. To register your spot for the EV101 Seminar and test drive click here

If you have an EV and have the time and energy to volunteer with us, register your vehicle here

100 Debates on the Environment
2019-10-03 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Centennial C.V.I., (289 College Ave W)
1 of 100 debates on the environment across the country at the same time
eMERGE is proud to be one of the 10 local environmental groups organizing 100 Debates on the Environment – Guelph
Join us as we here local candidates vying for your vote as they debate the environment
100 Debates on the Environment – Guelph
7pm Thursday Oct 3rd
Centennial CVI, 289 College Ave W.
Join us and be part of the future!
With hope,

eMERGE with the GreenPAC and the 100 Debates Team

About 100 Debates

100 Debates on the Environment brings together community groups, non-profits, businesses and individuals who are working to increase the level of environmental leadership in Canada by holding 100 strictly non-partisan all-candidate debates on the environment before the next election.
https://www.100debates.ca/debates

Talk as if Climate Change Matters
2019-09-30 19:00 - 21:30 UTC | 10C- Shared Space, 42 Carden Steet Guelph, ON , Guelph, Ontario, N1H 3A2, Canada
Link to the slides- Dr. Louise Comeau

Communicating climate change to motivate action has been a challenge. Recent research shows there is a better way.
The scientific community has provided more and more evidence that action needs to happen now. But this approach has caused many in the broader society to feel paralyzed into inaction.
Recent research and focus group testing has shown that there is a better way.
Dr. Louise Comeau will join us in sharing what social science teaches us on how to talk about climate change. Values, ethics, and compassion, more than facts, are the key to success.
She says “One of the most important things we can do about climate change is to talk about it. It’s not always easy to start a conversation on climate change or to know how best to do it.”
Join us on September 30 from 7:00 PM till 9:30 PM at 42 Carden St., 4th floor and register your spot. Limited Space!

Link to the slides- Dr. Louise Comeau

Energy: Invisible Waste In Your Home
2019-08-10 11:45 - 12:30 (America/Toronto) | Victoria Road Rec Centre, 151 Victoria Rd N, Guelph, ON, N1E 5H4, Canada
In Canada, we waste 2/3 of all energy we consume. To fight climate change, we must chip away at this number – ASAP.
Rasha Abusitta
Rasha gets to the bottom of energy – the invisible waste in your home. Using efficiency and conservation techniques, she motivates people to cut their waste energy, save money, and reduce their impact on the environment.
She has a rich experience in renewable energy and carbon abatement policies for government agencies. She is a certified Trainer from the Global Canadian Council and employs her knowledge in empowering women and youth to become more fulfilled and rewarded.
As the Sustainability Program Coordinator at eMERGE, she coordinates the Home Tune-Up program by motivating residents towards small solutions that lead to huge savings on utility bills.
About eMERGE
eMERGE Guelph fights climate change to build a healthy society.
It does this by helping people reduce energy and water use. Promoting smart behavior, policy, and improved efficiency helps Guelph build a road map to beat climate change and achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050. This has the added benefit of a healthier community and a more resilient local economy that can save people money.

Note: “In conversation with Evan Ferrari of eMERGE Guelph” has been changed to “Energy: Invisible Waste in Your Home.”

eMERGE EV Show
2019-06-02 12:00 - 16:00 UTC | St. George’s Square, St. George's Square, Guelph, ON, Guelph, ON, N1H 7T8, Canada
Imagine cutting 4 tonnes of climate change pollution per year with one decision! That’s up to 1/3 of your household emissions.
This can be as simple as switching to an EV (Electric Vehicle) from a gas or diesel car. Making that decision can be easier than you think and you could save money along the way.
eMERGE wants to help you get there with:
eMERGE EV Show
St. George Square, Guelph
Noon to 4:00pm
Sunday, June 2
We’ll have

Over 40 EVS for you to see
EV 101 seminars
Test drives
Expertise from eMERGE EV ambassadors (EV owners)
EV car dealers.

We all know that we need to escalate our fight against climate change – including switching* from ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars to EVs.
To make it even easier we have two new EV Rebates:
1- Federal EV Rebate – $5,000
2- Used EV Rebate from Plug’n Drive – $1,000
Our past eMERGE EV Shows have resulted in more EVs and hybrids in Guelph than the national average. And EV sales are only going up. This means that more people are ready to get an EV. (check out EVs at our recent EcoMarket)
We know you have questions
First time EV buyers have a lot of questions and concerns that can be barriers to making the switch.
EV 101 Seminars
Along with our partners at Plug’n Drive we’ll be hosting EV 101 Seminars that will cover the basics behind the environmental and economic advantages of electric transportation. It will help you decide whether a fully electric or plug-in hybrid electric car is right for you – and highlight things to watch out for when shopping for a used EV.
We know these free seminars will fill up fast, so book your space right now. You have three times to choose from:

EV 101 Seminar 1:00pm Sunday June 2
EV 101 Seminar 2:30pm Sunday June 2
EV 101 Seminar 4:00pm Sunday June 2

Test Drives
Our partners at Plugn’Drive will be running Test Drives from our 10C patio on Carden. You can have the chance to drive a real EV and get the feeling of owning it. You can book a test drive on the spot.
eMERGE EV Ambassadors
Once someone buys an EV – they become ‘evangelical’ about why and how to make that move. We’ll have 30 of our eMERGE EV Ambassadors on hand with their cars and their enthusiasm. These are your peers and can answer just about all of your questions.
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*Why is eMERGE pushing EVs?
There are many ways to fight climate change.
But when it comes to transportation planning our approach at eMERGE is quite clear. Society has to take an approach that prioritizes 1) walking and then 2) cycling followed by 3) electrified public transit and finally 4) electrified personal transportation (cars).
ICE vehicles have no place in this century. The quicker we can take them off the road the better. Implementing transportation plans takes time and needs to be done properly. While the planning is ongoing, we need to accelerate the switch to EVs.
There are a large number of people that are buying cars. Getting them to make the change to an EV gives us results now. Four tonnes per year in reduction of climate change pollution per household is significant. This approach buys us some time to keep pushing the envelope on transportation planning at the same time.

Doors Open Guelph
2019-04-27 10:00 - 16:00 UTC | Door’s open guelph, 17 Aberdeen st., Guelph, ON, Canada
Doors Open Guelph
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday April 27
17 Aberdeen Street

The Aberdeen location is one of 13 buildings that will be open to the public around the city. Yearly it is organized by the Guelph Arts Council ( https://guelpharts.ca/doors-open-guelph ). We are highlighting this house because it is a “100 year old home of the future”. It uses 63% less energy, produces 83% less green house gas emissions (CO2), and uses 52% less water than the average home in Guelph. Here is our take on the home: https://emergeguelph.ca/resources/the-braendli-home/

eMERGE Guelph hosting the 12th EcoMarket event
2019-03-23 10:00 - 15:00 UTC | Old Quebec Street Shoppes, 55 Wyndham St. N., Guelph, Ontario, N1H 7T8, Canada
Saturday, March 23th – 10 am to 3 pm
Old Quebec Street Shoppes, Guelph

Celebrating our 12th year, eMERGE EcoMarket once again showcases your green ideas, products and services. Over 2,000 people engage in the expo at Downtown Guelph’s Old Quebec Street Shoppes (map), welcoming families and residents looking to discover their path to environmental living.
From heating and insulation, low flush toilets to green living, Eco-friendly merchandise and electric cars, the EcoMarket brings together the options available for households to reduce environmental impact and save money as well as environmental early adopters to showcase there green and Eco-friendly products.
Vendor registration is now available for Guelph EcoMarket 2019 for a 7 foot or 10 foot (wide) exhibitor space.

Register by February 28, 2018 for early bird prices!

For vendor registration or any questions please contact Rasha Abusitta at rasha@emergeguelph.ca

Copyright © 2019 eMERGE Guelph Sustainability, All rights reserved.

Vision for Clair-Maltby... West 5?
2019-02-19 19:00 - 21:30 UTC | 10C- Shared Space, 42 Carden Steet Guelph, ON , Guelph, Ontario, N1H 3A2, Canada
A development in London, Ontario, is exceeding Guelph’s 2050 energy and sustainability goals today. Could this be a vision for Clair Maltby and the Baker District? eMERGE wants to share this with you on February 19, 2019.
West 5 is Ontario’s first Net Zero energy community integrated development that uses multi-use principles to create a walkable community that significantly reduces the impact of our daily lives on the environment. What’s more, these buildings cost significantly less to operate than conventional construction. In this integrated approach, features from rain water harvesting and permeable surfaces to state of the art building envelopes that enable the community to be net zero energy with locally generated electricity.
The first net zero energy community in Ontario shows us that it can be done – today.
Guelph is a critical juncture with two major developments in the city:
1) Clair-Maltby with almost 1,000 acres of land destined for development; and 2) Baker Street re-development that is expected to include a new library, retail, commercial and residential buildings.
We think that both of these developments should meet or exceed the standards that West 5 has set.
A Vision for Clair-Maltby… West 5?
When| on February 19, 2019 at 7:00 PM
Where| 10C Shared Space, 42 Carden St, Guelph, ON N1H 3A2
Tickets:
$10 – price includes HST and Eventbrite fees
(seating is limited)
eMERGE wants these events to be accessible to all. If these costs are beyond your ability to pay; please contact Evan Ferrari ( evan@emergeguelph.ca ) directly for a complimentary ticket.

Tickets: Vision for Clair-Maltby

Bass Guitarist 2019- Climate Change Hero
2019-01-26 21:00 - 22:30 UTC | The Making Box, 43 Cork St E, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 2W8, Canada
eMERGE Guelph and Royal City Hero present:

Bass guitarist, Karen Farbridge, is the 2019 Royal City Hero – Climate Change Edition.

While Karen has played in several garage bands over the years, unfortunately none of them enabled her to make her real mark on climate change. Instead she’s made a profound impact on people and communities around the country – without becoming a rock star.
She went from grass roots organizing with her early work at OPIRG, to a PhD in Zoology and then became the first female Mayor in Guelph. All of that (with the exception of the guitar playing) enabled her to become an urban connector helping communities and governments across the country fight climate change in practical and achievable ways.
Join us – and our Making Box partners – as we put the fun into climate change with our 2019 Royal City Climate Change Hero: Dr. Karen Farbridge.

Royal City Hero
Karen Farbridge
The Climate Change Edition
9:00 pm – 10:30 pm Saturday January 26, 2019
The Making Box
43 Cork St E, Guelph, ON N1H 2W8

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Last year with our good friends at the Making Box we hosted the first ever Climate Change Edition of Royal City Heroes. Back then we celebrated Guelph’s own Nobel prize winner for climate change Dr. Barry Smit.

Karen Climate Change Comedy tickets here

At eMERGE we take fighting climate change very seriously. But we’re gonna have fun along the way.
Join us – and our Making Box partners – as we put the fun into climate change with our 2019 Climate Change Hero.
This improv comedy night is part of eMERGE – 100% Renewable Energy Guelph and the Making Box Royal City Heroes series.

eMERGE EV Show
2018-10-26 16:00 - 2018-10-27 15:00 UTC | Old Quebec Street Shoppes, 55 Wyndham St. N., Guelph, Ontario, N1H 7T8, Canada
Back by popular demand, eMERGE will once again be hosting the EV Show. Join us October 26th & 27th at the Old Quebec Street Shoppes in downtown Guelph.
Check out different electric car makes and models. Chat with EV owners and ask them about their own experiences buying, driving, and owning an electric car. On Saturday, October 27, come downtown and take a free test drive to see for yourself why an EV should be your next car.
If cars aren’t your speed, come to the EV show to check out the latest in e-Bikes, EV technologies, and alternative transportation options that’ll get you moving through the streets of Guelph and beyond.

eMERGE EV Show
Friday, October 26, from 4 pm to 8 pm
&
Saturday, October 27, from 10 am to 3 pm
Old Quebec Street Shoppes

Let us know you’re coming – Register free on EventBrite HERE.

eMERGE Efficient Home Tour
2018-09-22 10:00 - 15:00 UTC | Various Locations, Guelph, Canada
eMERGE is touring some of the most efficient homes you can find in Guelph – and you’re invited!
See how small behaviour changes and effective renovation planning resulted in low utility bills and using as little as one-third the energy of a typical new home in Guelph.
This year we’ve found three extraordinary examples:

The Braendli Home – 17 Aberdeen St., Guelph
The Colvin Home – 49 Caledonia St., Guelph
The Tedesco Home – 8151 Wellington Road 124, Guelph/Eramosa

Let us know you’re coming – Register free on Eventbrite HERE.

And join us by bike!
Meet – 17 Aberdeen St.12:30 – 3:00pmSaturday September 22Map: https://goo.gl/GFFyFY

EcoMarket 2018
2018-03-24 10:00 - 15:00 UTC | Old Quebec Street Shoppes, 55 Wyndham St. N., Guelph, Ontario, N1H 7T8, Canada
The annual eMERGE EcoMarket is returning Saturday, March 24!
Free to the public, the annual EcoMarket sees over 1,800 people through the doors of downtown Guelph’s Old Quebec Street Shoppes, welcoming families and residents looking to discover their path to energy savings and healthy living.
From Heating and insulation to low flush toilets and electric cars, the EcoMarket brings together the the options available for households looking to reduce their environmental impact and save money.
As part of the Resilience Festival the EcoMarket has once again paired up with the H2O Go Festival! Bring the entire family for fun, games, learning and go home with ideas and products to help your household live greener and cleaner.

A Mayor's Vision for 100% Renewable Energy
2018-03-22 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | 10C, 42 Carden Street, Guelph, ON, Canada
7:00pm, Thursday March 22
10C – 42 Carden Street
Can David Mayberry’s vision work in Guelph? He has an idea for Oxford County – achieve 100% Renewable Energy by 2050. Mayberry, County Warden and Mayor of the Township of South West Oxford sees this as a big economic driver while benefiting the environment in a big way.
And in 2015 Oxford County Council adopted this goal for all of its energy needs including: electricity, heating, cooling, and transportation. Situated in Southern Ontario, Oxford is composed of eight municipalities – including Woodstock – with a population just under Guelph.
The event will showcase Oxford County Mayor, David Mayberry, along with Vice President of Advanced Planning for Alectra, Neetika Sathe. For its part, Alectra Utilities will soon take the place of Guelph Hydro. As Guelph joins several other municipalities under Alectra’s umbrella, the growing utility provider will be creating a new green energy and technology centre locally.
Register on EventBrite HERE
$10 in advance
$15 at the door

Heating Homes with 3 TVs? Energy Smart Homes
2018-03-02 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Guelph Youth Music Centre, 75 Cardigan St., Guelph, Ontario, N1H 3Z7, Canada
Heating a Home With 3 TVs? Energy Smart Homes
7:00 pm Friday, March 2, 2018
Guelph Youth Music Centre
Tickets $10 in advance and $15 at the door
Register on EventBrite HERE.
Household energy use in Guelph is a significant contributor to climate change that costs us too much money. They way we build homes (and all buildings) has been a large part of the problem. Now there are energy smart homes that reduce operating costs and energy use by 80%.
Speakers Derek Satnik and Andrew Peel will detail how Net Zero and Passive House home designs can enable Guelph to become an energy leader and get us to 100% Renewable Energy by 2050.
Join eMERGE in discovering another way that we can get to 100% Renewable Energy in Guelph.

eMERGE Electric Car Show
2017-10-27 16:00 - 2017-10-28 15:00 UTC | Old Quebec Street Shoppes, 55 Wyndham St. N., Guelph, Ontario, N1H 7T8, Canada
Join eMERGE in the Old Quebec Street Shoppes in downtown Guelph for all things Electric Vehicle (EV). Check out different makes and models on the market. Ask EV owners about their personal experiences buying and owning an electric car.
Friday, October 27 – 4pm to 8pm AND Saturday, October 28 – 10am to 3pm
Old Quebec Street Shoppes in Downtown Guelph
55 Wyndham Street North, Guelph

Free test drives October 28th! Get behind the wheel and see for yourself why EVs are the future the future of driving!
