Kingston Student Co-op Will Be Honored at Co-op Gala, Oct. 19

Submitted by admin on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 2:02pm

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">GUELPH, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 12, 2011) - A student housing co-operative that has signed on to help advance Kingston as Canada's Most Sustainable City will receive the award for Co-operative Social Responsibility at the Annual Co-op Conference and Gala at the Burlington, Ont. Royal Botanical Gardens on Oct. 19.

Science '44 Co-operative Inc. (www.science44co-op.com) is a community partner of the Sustainable Kingston Plan to foster community stewardship and protect cultural, economic, environmental and social resources.

The 70-year-old co-operative consists of 21 houses around Queen's University. It has recently installed high-efficiency windows, doors, plumbing, lighting, appliances, and solar water heaters. It diverts organic waste from landfills, and is paying a premium to purchase renewable energy. The co-op has also initiated a local- organic food purchasing program for its student meal plans.

Most importantly, the co-operative appointed a Sustainability Director to its board, created a Green Crew comprised of co-op members who help educate members about sustainability and seek new ways to reduce waste, and hired an Environmental Intern to work with staff and members. All initiatives are shared with Sustainable Kingston to assist others looking at similar changes. The co-operative's general manager Brent Bellamy has also addressed many groups throughout North America to discuss the benefits of its sustainability strategies.

"Science '44 has always set the sustainability bar very high and has been a constant inspiration to the rest of us," notes Tom Klein Beernink, manager of housing and member relations at Guelph Campus Co-operative.

Ten other leaders are also celebrated at the awards banquet, bringing the total number of honorees to 110 since 1999, the inception of the Co-op Spirit award. The banquet is the culmination of a daylong conference that draws up to 250 co-operative and credit union directors, employees, and supporters from across the province. Its theme is "Gearing Up," and is one of the first events in Canada to launch the United Nations International Year of Co-operators in 2012. More than a billion people belong to co-operative organizations worldwide.

The Ontario co-operative movement is a vibrant part of the province's economy. Ontario has more than 1300 co-ops, with 1900 locations in 400 communities. Ontario co-operatives employ more than 15,500 people and are supported by a network of 49,000 volunteers.

On Co-op, based in Guelph, Ont., is a resource and common voice for Ontario credit unions and co-operatives, with a mission to lead, cultivate and connect the Ontario co-operative movement. Visit www.ontario.coop to learn more.