Members

SLOE members are Ottawa East residents who are willing to take a lead role in sustainability projects in our community, or to take a lead on organizational or administrative functions such as communications. So membership is quite informal, though members are expected to attend the bi-monthly meetings on a regular basis, and to keep the chair and other members abreast of developments on the project(s) they are helping to lead.

Some of the core members and the initiatives they are currently involved with are:

• Rebecca Aird: SLOE chair
• Aamina Badran: Children’s Garden
• Mitchell Beer: N2N electricity audit
• John Dance: Rideau River Nature Trail and pedestrian and cycling infrastructure
• Vicki Davis: Organizational support and the Rideau River Nature Trail
• Scott McKenzie: N2N electricity audit (lead), alternative energy
• Keith Shackleton: Ottawa East Community Garden, N2N electricity audit, alternative energy
• Julia Sneyd: Ottawa East parks clean-up and the Children’s Garden
• Mary Trudeau: The Rideau River Nature Trail and ecological profiling
• Sean Whittaker: Main Farmers Market

How We Work

SLOE works as a sort of “project incubator,” supporting good ideas and the commitment of individuals willing to put energy behind those ideas. Proposed projects are discussed and agreed to at SLOE bi-monthly meetings; and these meetings are also a forum for strategizing and team-building. If you have a project idea and are willing to take a lead with us in making it happen, please get in touch or come to one of our monthly meetings.

Our modus operandi reflects the fact that many people who are keen to help make particular projects happen are not necessarily interested in membership and meetings. The great work done by these kinds of individuals has been critical to SLOE’s achievements to date.

SLOE is a committee of the Ottawa East Community Association. The success of our projects also depends on a growing list of partners, including:

• Sandy Hill Community Health Centre
• Just Food
• Ottawa East Community Activities Group
• City of Ottawa’s Forestry Services
• Action Sandy Hill
• National Capital Environment Network
• Seventh Generation Community Projects
• Canadian Organic Growers – Ottawa Chapter
• Carleton University (the Community Service Learning program)
• University of Ottawa (professor Scott Findlay and the Experiential Learning Service program)
• Lady Evelyn Public School teachers and classes. .

If you have a project idea and are willing to play a lead role in making it happen,

Want to Hear More?

In July of 2008, Giacomo Panico of CKCU interviewed SLOE chairperson Rebecca Aird. Listen to the interview (length: 15 min.) and get a good overview of what SLOE is about.