A new pilot project is coming to South Georgian Bay to help business owners green their operations, and the Collingwood Climate Action Team (CCAT) is hoping the Town of Collingwood will sign on as a partial funder and partner.
CCAT representative Catherine Daw came before councillors at their meeting on Oct. 7 to ask for some seed funding to launch a new South Georgian Bay Regional Hub pilot project that will assist businesses in making their operations more environmentally friendly.
The non-profit is asking the Town of Collingwood to provide $3,500 in 2024, and another $5,000 in 2025 for a seat at the advisory committee table overseeing the project.
“Climate change is a shared responsibility. It isn’t just a citizen or government one, but it is also a business one as well,” said Daw.
Green Economy Canada is running the regional cohort pilot in which CCAT will be participating and runs until December 2025.
Green Economy Canada is the lead organization in the project, with CCAT serving as the local partner, and will help identify Collingwood businesses that could be well-suited for the pilot. Not-for-profit organizations are also encouraged to participate.
There will be two cohorts (launching in December 2024 and May 2025 respectively), and 10 businesses will participate in each cohort. To date, CCAT has built a project plan and working team and a communications strategy for the pilot. Daw said three local businesses have signed up for the first cohort so far.
Daw said CCAT currently has a budget of about $90,000 for the project, but is looking for others who may want to pay for a seat at an advisory committee table to help oversee the project. She said the Institute of Southern Georgian Bay and SGB Innovation have both already put some funds up.
“For businesses... this is going to lower their operational costs through energy, water and waste reduction,” said Daw. “People are looking for what businesses are doing around sustainability, and they want to shop there.”
For the community, Daw said the project will strengthen community bonds and create a community that is healthier, safer and more productive.
“It will make us a leader in sustainability as how we do things around here,” she said.
The Collingwood Climate Action Team (CCAT) was established in 2019 and is a local charitable organization with the mission of working with the local community to reduce the carbon footprint. The team has a seven-member board and consists of working groups focused on food and agriculture, energy, transportation, consumption and waste, community engagement and carbon conversations.
The group obtained charitable status in 2021.
In the 2024 council community grant round that was announced this past May, CCAT received $20,500, the highest amount of any non-profit that applied this year.
Daw clarified during Monday’s meeting that CCAT will submit a formal application for a council community grant for 2025 through the proper process, however asked that councillors consider making an exception to provide the organization with $3,500 for 2024 as a special case.
Later in the meeting during committee of the whole, Coun. Deb Doherty said she would talk with staff to come up with wording for a motion regarding 2024 support for CCAT’s Green Initiatives pilot, which will come before councillors for consideration at their next meeting on Oct. 21.
