About EnviroCentre
EnviroCentre is a non-profit organization that works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by delivering energy-efficiency goods and services. We focus on achieving cost-effective,
concrete results for our clients and partners. For more details, please download
our most recent Annual Report.
The City of Ottawa has renewed our partnership until 2010 under which it provides
in-kind support, including office space and a storefront area at City Hall. Our
staff members are not city employees but provide residential energy efficiency and
transportation demand management programs on behalf of the City. For every dollar
received from the City, EnviroCentre usually generates at least ten dollars from
other sources.
EnviroCentre strives to operate in a business-like way in order to reduce its dependence
on government grants and improve its long-term sustainability. It does this primarily
by providing services that have not traditionally been available in Ottawa. It also
operates a small EnviroBoutique at its City Hall showroom, which retails hard-to-find
energy-efficiency products.
Our Board
of Directors meets regularly at City Hall.
Archive
No CANDU for Argentina
EnviroCentre's General Manager, Dana Silk, was part of a small group of surviving trade unionists, environmentalists and peace activists recently honoured by Argentina for their roles over 30 years ago in the No CANDU for Argentina campaign. Argentina's highest civilian award - Orden de Mayo - was presented on their behalf to Pat Riley, business agent of the International Longshoremens Association local in Saint John. Its members refused to cross a picket line on July 3, 1979 that had shut down the Port of Saint John to prevent the shipment of heavy water to Argentina and draw attention to its Dirty War, which imprisoned, tortured, assassinated, or disappeared over 20,000 people. Of the 16 political prisoners identified in the Saint John protest, 11 were released by the military dictatorship, three were sent into exile, and two were given prison terms. In September 1979, the Hon Flora MacDonald, Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs, criticized Argentina in a speech at the United Nations, stating that it was Canada's policy to oppose the sale of nuclear technology to unstable regimes. The sale of a second reactor was cancelled. The junta fell in 1983, when democracy was restored in Argentina.