What is "ecoCommunities"?

ecoCommunities is a joint project of the Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition and ecoPerth, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Environment Canada. Between 8 and 12 Ontario communities will be selected to participate in the ecoCommunities project, between April 2004 and November 2005

The project was developed based on the following premises:

• That reducing the extent of climate change is a national priority
• That community members, working together, can have a significant impact on climate change
• That the successful community action projects developed by ecoPerth, in the Town of Perth, Ontario could be used as models for projects in other communities, with appropriate customization for local implementation
• That many small to mid-size communities do not have adequate resources to develop and manage projects
• That OHCC and ecoPerth could provide assistance to 8-12 communities to implement effective community actions

The ecoCommunities Approach

Action First: While education and awareness programs are helpful, for real change to occur a broad range of people need to take constructive action. We believe that by engaging people in action projects, they will also increase their awareness of climate change issues and their commitment to change.

Start Small: We ask people to make small changes first. This builds commitment and momentum, leading to subsequent bigger actions. Some of the projects described in the Resource Kit can be completed by one or two people in a few hours.

Getting to Yes: We encourage municipalities to take small steps or provide small amounts of in-kind support. Once they get used to saying “YES” it is more likely they will say “yes” to future requests.