Uncategorized Archives - Page 16 of 30

Congratulations to RainBarrel.ca President, Larry Pomerantz !

On April 10, 2014, our President, Larry Pomerantz received the inaugural Community Builder Award at Volunteer Hamilton’s 16^th Annual Community Builders Breakfast.

Larry was nominated by the Council of Canadians Hamilton Chapter. He was selected by Volunteer Hamilton from among 44 nominations.

CoC says:

Larry has been a dedicated, reliable volunteer member of the Hamilton Chapter for the past 2 ½ years since the Chapter was re-activated. He has provided leadership to the organization by assuming responsibility for Co-Chairing the Aerotropolis Group throughout 2012 and 2013. In this capacity he actively engaged in fundraising and communication to support the work of Hamiltonians for Progressive Development and Environment Hamilton as they participated in the Ontario Municipal Board hearings in the fall 2013. Since July 2013 and until the present, Larry has also Co-Chaired the Direct Democracy Group and provided energy and leadership to that Group as they have continued to work to promote a greater understanding of the concept and practice of direct democracy as well as foster the development of a greater degree of direct democracy and civic engagement in the Hamilton Community. The Direct Democracy Group has tremendous potential to offer alternative solutions to representative democracy and to place resident decision making power and government accountability as cornerstones of our political system.

Larry’s previous community work demonstrated his commitment to community development in Hamilton. In 1996, he won a recycling contract with the former Wentworth County School Board. He developed a colour-coded recycling sorting system for the schools which permitted an elementary school of 300 students to reduce their garbage to one bag per week and to remove their dumpster bin from the property. As a result, he was a finalist for a Waste Minimization Award through the Recycling Council of Ontario.

In 1997, Larry founded Earth Day Hamilton (EDH) and led the organization for 12 years before stepping down as Chair. EDH provides unparalleled environmental learning opportunities for students by getting them out into nature and in front of seasoned experts. Upwards of 60,000 students and their teachers have enjoyed free access to this extraordinary level of environmental education. EDH has also grown to become the premiere tree planting organization in Hamilton. The annual tree planting festival has restored shorelines, created forest buffers, protected beachfront sand dunes, involved thousands of volunteers and planted tens of thousands of trees, shrubs and grasses. He continues to serve EDH as a Board member.

In 2009, Larry was a founding member of the Hamilton Civic League (HCL) and has fulfilled the role of Chair of the Board since its inception. HCL began by focusing on increasing voter turnout and has expanded to keep residents informed about important local issues. While simultaneously heading up the Aerotropolis Group, under the banner of the Hamilton Chapter of the Council of Canadians, HCL initiated a program to knock on every door within the Aerotropolis to survey residents’ opinions on the City’s rezoning plans. They hosted a garbage rally when Hamilton City Council rejected bi-weekly garbage collection contrary to the recommendations of the Waste Reduction Task Force. HCL setup the Fluoride Free Hamilton website to allow residents to register their opposition to water fluoridation. HCL under Larry’s leadership initiated CityCam which permits residents to watch, listen, comment and vote in real-time alongside City Council. HCL currently has a community-wide Values & Priorities Survey underway and will produce a 2014 Councillor Report Card based on the survey results.

Through Larry’s business activities with RainBarrel.ca, he has assisted hundreds of non-profit groups to raise funds for their local initiatives through truckload rain barrel fundraising sales.

In summary, Larry Pomerantz is an energetic, dedicated, reliable volunteer who leads by example in his volunteer capacity. He goes far above and beyond the norm of regular volunteer duties. Larry has made a special impact in the Hamilton Chapter of the Council of Canadians AND the local Hamilton community through outstanding volunteer effort over the past 18 years (1996 to the present). In addition to his contribution to the CoC Hamilton Chapter, his work with Earth Day Hamilton, the Hamilton Civic League and the non-profit community has been exemplary and deserving of recognition.

This is National Volunteer Week. Thank you to all the members of the CoC Hamilton Chapter! It is your volunteer efforts that make our social justice work possible.

*Originally published in an email by Kathie Clark

Congratulations to RainBarrel.ca President, Larry Pomerantz ! Read More »

Meet our Partner: The 136 Kiowa Canadian Air Cadet Squadron

“The sky is not the limit”, according to Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield. 136 Kiowa Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron puts these words into action. This squadron attracts youth, 12 to 18 years old, from a large area including the southwest corner of Kitchener, New Dundee, Ayr, Paris, Plattsville and beyond. Why? This little squadron, situated in the village of Ayr, offers an amazing array of opportunities.

A great source of pride for 136 Kiowa Air Cadet Squadron is their training facility where Cadets can take Ground School classes on Wednesday evenings and Aviation Classes on Saturdays. It is fully equipped with 5 fixed-wing aircraft flight simulators and it boasts the very first Helicopter Flight Simulator in Air Cadets Canada to offer pilot training.

Here is just a snapshot of what 136 Kiowa Cadets are up to this Month. The Squadron is busy promoting water conservation and fundraising through their Rain Barrel Truckload Sale at events in our area. The Cadets will be on hand to help customers pick up their purchases at the North Dumfries Community Complex in Ayr on April 26, 11 am to 5 pm. The Marksmanship Team practices on Saturdays and participated in the Zone Competition at the beginning of the month. The Dodgeball Team is preparing for their Inter-Squadron Sports Competition in April. The Debating and Effective Speaking Team is also preparing for their upcoming competition in April. 136 Kiowa Pipe and Drum Band practices on Monday evenings, and each Tuesday evening, the whole Squadron spends time on Drill for their Annual Review Parade which will take place at the end of May.

In addition to team activities, the squadron has enjoyed bowling, rock climbing, outdoor camping and gliding this year. They are looking forward to another chance to train in glider planes this April at the Mid-Western Ontario Gliding Centre near Wingham, Ontario. There will be another weekend of outdoor adventure at Camp Tanner in early May and a Year End Trip to Niagara Falls in late May.

How much does it cost? “The Cadet Program is funded by the Department of National Defence in partnership with the civilian Navy League, Army Cadet League and Air Cadet League of Canada. The civilian sponsor requires local community support to meet its obligations that include accommodations, training aids and equipment and program enhancements not otherwise provided. Parents and Cadets are expected to participate in and contribute to fundraising as required by the League’s local sponsoring element. The Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces assumes costs (including uniform and travel) for Cadets. Consequently, membership in the Cadet Program provides thousands of Canadian youth with unique opportunities free of charge that they might not otherwise experience.” Click here for more information.

But wait…there’s more! Air Cadet Summer Training Camps are offered by the Air Cadet League in co-operation with the Department of National Defense. These training courses can last from two to six weeks. A training bonus of $10 per day is paid to every cadet for each day of training they complete at these camps (to a weekly maximum of $60, and a course maximum of $360).

It is not too late for interested youth to join now and participate in making memories that will last a lifetime. If you are interested in attending summer camp or want to progress to the next proficiency level next year – you will need to have joined NO LATER THAN March 31. 136 Kiowa Air Cadet Squadron is committed to ensuring that every Cadet reaches their full potential within the programme of developing good citizenship and leadership by participating in community activities and healthy living through ﬁtness and exposure to careers in Aviation.

Written by Saundra Kinnear

Please support 136 Kiowa Squadron Rain Barrel Sale Fundraiser. Add this notice to your email signature AND visit RainBarrel.ca/136Kiowa to purchase $50 rain barrels, downspout diverters, flower boxes and more. Pick-up your purchases on Saturday April 26, 2014 from 11 AM – 5 PM at North Dumfries Community Complex Parking Lot (2958 Greenfield Road, Ayr Ontario). Thanks!

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I'm a Renter – How can I use a rain barrel?

Rain barrels would not operate efficiently on balconies as they rely on the collection capacity of a large roof, pooling all the water into a barrel. Although, we’ve heard of really enthusiastic people setting up tarp funnels to make that happen!

Renters should seek their landlords approval to install a rain barrel, however the rain barrel can be removed at anytime and the downspout can be re-attached with two screws.