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Activity report 2021 – 2022

There was no lack of new projects this year! Thanks to The Travelling Jar, more than 10,000 people have been introduced to methods of preserving fruits and vegetables to emphasize the importance of eating locally all year round. Initial work has begun to advance research and resilience in Quebec under the Tomorrow's Forest - Green Infrastructure initiative. Finally, the first Gleanathon outings were a great success and have contributed to the spread of gleaning activities as well as to better knowledge of local food issues. The Earth Day Canada team didn't miss out on its own team-building week!

Mission

April 22

Let's remedy together!
Electric Earth Day
Calendar of activities
Ceremonial Planting
Tree Planting Relay
Earth Day T-Shirt
Mobilizing Municipalities

The Earth Day 2022 campaign focused on the theme of eco-anxiety which is affecting more and more people of all ages across Canada. The population was invited to join the movement to symbolically declare themselves sick and take positive collective action for the planet as a remedy. More than 1000 people declared themselves “sick” for Earth Day. Workshops on how to better identify and manage eco-anxiety were held in various locations and broadcast online on April 22!


Canadians from across the country participated in Electric Earth Day from April 16-24, 2022 to celebrate and explore electric mobility. The day was created to accelerate the adoption of electrified vehicles by educating the public and providing hands-on experiences. For this event, 82 dealers of electrified vehicles (including electric bicycles, plug-in electric vehicles, hybrids, etc.) hosted test drives in their communities to share their excitement about electric mobility!


Schools, institutions, businesses and citizens celebrate Earth Day on April 22 by organizing environmental activities that appear on our online calendar. Clean-ups, plantings, composting activities, ecological tours and exhibits are examples of the activities organized each year. This year, more than 436 activities were added to our calendar across Canada and the Francophonie, highlighting everyone's mobilization and initiatives for the good of the environment.


To celebrate April 22, Earth Day Canada annually invites its supporters, partners and friends to plant trees in honour of Earth Day. This year, Earth Day celebrations officially began with the symbolic planting of a tree at McMaster University's Carbon Sink Forest in Hamilton, Ontario. This forest will be home to one thousand trees whose growth and health will be monitored by students at the McMaster Centre for Climate Change to advance research on carbon capture in Canada and around the world.


On April 22, 2022, Earth Day Canada launched the 3rd consecutive municipal Tree Planting Relay. A total of 31 municipalities committed to planting at least 50 trees to increase biodiversity in their area. The Tree Planting Relay allows Earth Day Canada to showcase the efforts of municipalities to strengthen the urban canopy of Canadian cities.


Each year, a t-shirt with the effigy of Earth Day is produced in collaboration with a local brand and helps support the greening of Canada and Quebec. Thanks to this funding, trees are planted across the country as part of the Tree Planting Relay. In 2022, the design of the Earth Day t-shirt, 100% made in Canada, was created by Poches & Fils.

Echoing the Earth Day 2022 campaign to address growing eco-anxiety together, the missing puzzle piece sewn onto the pocket expressed the idea that we are each part of the solution.


We are thrilled to announce that 254 municipal partners (that's 139 more cities than in 2021!) signed on to our third annual Earth Day Mobilizing Municipalities Campaign: the scale at which these cities are mobilizing to take action for a sustainable future is a tremendous asset for all of us!

Participating municipalities have shared our Earth Day campaign, hosted events, and continue to be vital partners in raising awareness about the need to take action and do our part to protect and restore the environment. We look forward to rallying even more communities for Earth Day 2023!



Every Day

Fonds Éco IGA
Food fight
The Travelling Jar
EcoCharge
Waste management
Action/Reduction®
Tomorrow's Forest
Transition Wow
Gleaning
Earth Day Canada Workshops
Aiming for Action
Support projects
Urban Banquet

Created in 2008 by Quebec's IGA merchants, the Fonds Eco IGA is a catalyst for sustainable development in Quebec communities. It provides $1 million per year to support various environmental initiatives.

This year, activities are focused on better waste management in stores, the fight against food waste at home, local food, and sustainable transportation.


Since 2015, the Food Fight program, powered by the Fonds Éco IGA, has offered free workshops to equip citizens of Quebec and New Brunswick in their fight against food waste with simple and practical advice. It is also a community of exchange and mutual aid, with helpful blog posts written by our experts and resources available to improve their daily practices.

Offered virtually for the third year, Food Fight conducted 75 workshops for organizations and 33 for the general public, for a total of 108. A total of 2,923 people are now equipped to fight food waste at home. An additional 32 people were able to attend an in-person or online zero waste cooking class.

  2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Number of participants to the Food Fight program 2398 2885 3626 3534 2955
Number of workshops conducted 75 100 172 141 108

 


The Fonds Éco IGA and Earth Day Canada joined forces and deployed a field team to reach out to citizens in Quebec and New Brunswick to raise awareness and help them reduce their carbon footprint. This year, for the first edition, The Travelling Jar introduced participants to various methods of preservation (freezing, dehydration, and canning) that can be used for the fruits and vegetables from Quebec to highlight the importance of eating locally all year round.

From August 3 to October 9, in 225 IGA stores in both provinces, 10,224 people were educated and given free fruits and vegetables to try their hand at home preservation. A contest was also organized which allowed 224 of the participants to win a dehydrator.

The Travelling Jar tour ended with Food Preservation Day, which was held the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and allowed Quebecers to try their hand at canning with family and friends. In total, more than 350 people shared photos of their canning in a contest organized for the occasion.


EcoCharge is a new network of fast charging stations (BRCC) accessible and adapted to the electric vehicles of today and tomorrow.

This network, supported by Earth Day Canada in collaboration with the Fonds Éco IGA, is made possible by a grant from Natural Resources Canada, as well as financial partners Fondaction and Investissement Québec.

The first phase of EcoCharge will be completed by the end of 2022, with 100 BRCCs - some of the fastest on the market, and "scalable" - in 50 IGAs across Quebec and New Brunswick.

In addition, every 22nd of the month, all profits collected at the charging stations are donated to a local charity as a way to give back to the community.

The objective of EcoCharge, by offering fast charging while doing grocery shopping at an IGA supermarket, is to raise awareness among consumers about sustainable mobility and to facilitate their transition to electric vehicles.

To date :
32 sites in service
18 sites under construction
50 sites in service by the end of 2022


Since 2013, thanks to the Fonds Éco IGA, IGA merchants have had a dedicated team of advisors to offer them personalized services and advice to improve waste management in their stores.

Throughout Quebec and New Brunswick, the advisors travel the road to accompany these merchants in their efforts to divert a maximum of organic materials from landfills.

The team is also responsible for the waste management at the Fondation Charles-Bruneau events. This year, Earth Day Canada enabled the CIBC Tour to recover 92% of the materials generated on site and to raise participants' awareness of sorting rules.

  2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Percentage of material generated recycled, composted ou recovered at the CIBC Charles-Bruneau Tour 94 93 cancelled edition (COVID-19) 90 92

 


Earth Day Canada offers a customized service for better waste management. Its objective is to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills by promoting reduction at the source and the recovery of materials, such as through composting or recycling.

All IGA stores in Quebec and New Brunswick benefit from this support from Earth Day Canada. As part of the second edition of the Zero Waste Challenge - Businesses, 116 businesses in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie borough were accompanied by Earth Day Canada to optimize their practices and reduce their waste at the source. Among them, 22 have obtained the Action/Reduction certificate created for the occasion. A third edition of this project is currently underway.

The Action/Reduction program is expanding thanks to the contribution of the Alcoa Foundation, which allows Earth Day Canada to work with 350 businesses in various Quebec regional county municipalities (RCMs), as well as to support businesses in the cities of Mascouche and Terrebonne in the implementation of new regulations banning certain single-use items.

  2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Number of IGA stores supported 238 150 290 293 293
Number of IGA stores certified Action/Reduction® 124 170 213 225 226
Certified IGA stores that divert at least 60% of their waste from landfills - - 41 43 42
Certified IGA stores that divert at least 70% of their waste from landfill - - 41 42 49
Certified IGA stores that divert at least 80% of their waste from landfill - - 32 28 39
Tons of materials that are diverted from landfill as part of IGA store support 43541 50489 51473 52272 38936
Tons of food donations made as part of IGA store support 1585 2120 2464 2458 1675
Number of businesses supported in Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie - - - 127 116
Number of businesses certified Action/Reduction® in Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie - - - 35 22

 


Tomorrow’s Forest Québec is the first operational project of the Tomorrow’s Forest program, a collaboration between Earth Day Canada and the Cowboys Fringants Foundation. The strength of the project is to join communities, environmentalists, and artists in a common mission to improve the resilience of the forest and the health of Quebecers. This program contributes to the development and implementation of tree planting in the Quebec capital. To this end, we support local initiatives to reforest and green residential, institutional, private and commercial properties. These projects are also carried out in complementarity with municipal actions.

This year also marked the beginning of the Tomorrow's Forest - Green Infrastructure program, which aims to better understand the role that certain greening activities and practices in agricultural areas can play in mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts. In collaboration with the Canada Research Chair in Ecological Economics at UQO, Habitat and the Union des producteurs agricoles, Earth Day Canada will implement several pilot projects on a total of 80 hectares across Quebec, including agricultural corridors, which are uncultivated land located near a waterway that cannot be cultivated because of their slope.

  2022
Number of trees planted under the 375,000 Trees program 23130
Number of trees planted through the Tomorrow's Forest program 1450

 


Created in 2020, Transition Wow is an electric light truck conversion and acquisition program for companies and municipalities to electrify their vehicle fleets.

Objective: to facilitate and accelerate the energy transition of light trucking in order to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector in Quebec.

To date, 5 vehicles have been converted to electric power under the program.


In Canada, for various reasons, 13% of fruits and vegetables remain in the field and are not consumed. Gleaning is about harvesting these fresh fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste!

This year, Earth Day Canada launched the first edition of the Gleanathon to invite organizations to offer an impactful team-building activity: in total, 37 people went gleaning on local farms while raising awareness about local agriculture and food waste issues.

This unique activity also supports the local ecosystem, as the food harvested is split three ways between the farmer, a local community organization and the gleaning team for their efforts.

Earth Day Canada also provides resources for citizens who would like to glean close to home, including a regularly updated directory of gleaning initiatives in Quebec.


Earth Day Canada has developed three introductory workshops on environmental action offered to all types of organizations across Canada. Through three themes, the objective is to give the keys to understanding socio-environmental issues and to share practical tips and complementary resources to engage citizens in favour of the environment on a daily basis. Each workshop is participative and integrates quizzes and reflection periods to better understand the actions that can taken at the individual and collective level.

The three themes proposed are: I’m adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle, I’m eating sustainably and I’m reducing food waste.

  2021 2022
Number of workshops conducted 24 80
Number of participants to the workshops 727 5703

 


Earth Day Canada, in collaboration with ENvironnement JEUnesse, EcoSchools Canada and VIA Rail, presents the Aiming for Action program which highlights the environmental commitment of young people aged 14 to 30. It shines a spotlight on their environmental initiatives for their community and all Canadians to see.

This year, Earth Day Canada has recognized 4 young people who have distinguished themselves for their valuable efforts and achievements related to the environment. According to their age category, 2 grants of $500 and 2 grants of $1,500 were respectively awarded for them to pursue their projects. Our partner VIA Rail also gave a $500 gift certificate to the 4 winners.


Earth Day Canada works with partner organizations in a wide variety of areas. This year, the organization used its expertise to support Earth Rangers in the outreach of its Project 2050, an initiative to involve children aged 6 to 12 in the fight against climate change through fun challenges!

A 3-year partnership also began with the outdoor equipment retailer SAIL to help it reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. As a first step, an in-depth carbon assessment of all operations will be conducted before developing the organization's sustainability strategy.

Finally, as part of a long-standing agreement, Earth Day Canada once again spread the Call to Recycle message to promote the safe recycling of used batteries across Canada.


The 2022 edition of the Urban Banquet, under the honorary presidency of Mr. Hubert Bolduc, President of Investissement Québec International, marked the return of the benefit event in person! This festive event was an opportunity to be immersed in the circus universe of the 7 Fingers collective. Between spontaneous performances, innovative initiatives in the field of circular economy and original appetizers, guests were able to discover Earth Day Canada's programs and enjoy this unique networking event!



Our communications

Under the theme of everyday actions that have an impact on the environment, the Earth Day 2021 campaign encouraged people to take action and change their habits.

 

 

Number of times that Earth Day’s message was read, seen or heard
200 871 800+
Interviews and news reports on Earth Day 124
Value of Earth Day’s advertising campaign 321 305$
Number of activities on the calendar over the year 436
Calendar page views 18 253

 
Followers 25 773 9832 6486 1142 3200 66 889
Posts 590 530 370 19 250 70
  earthday.ca
Users 76 834
Sessions 100 688
Pages visited 172 147
Average time spent on the page (min.) 01 : 24
Sessions during the campaign 112 517

Organization

Earth Day (April 22) is an international environmental celebration created in 1970. Tous les Jours | Earth Day Canada is the organization that coordinates the celebrations on April 22nd, in addition to a multitude of environmental programs and projects that take place throughout the year in Canada.

These days, corporations increasingly perceive Earth Day as a means to increase their profits by marketing their products as being environmentally friendly. To counteract the exploitation of Earth Day for commercial ends, the ownership of the Earth Day trademark was transferred from Earth Day International to Earth Day Canada in 1993, so that the latter could make sure to retain the true substance of its original mission in Canada.

Therefore, Earth Day is a registered trademark in Canada and Earth Day Canada holds a copyright on the phrases “Earth Day” and “Jour de la Terre”.

A WORD FROM THE CHAIRMAN

      “Earth Day Canada continues to expand its activities to support the ecological transition to all four corners of the country. Whether it's helping hundreds of businesses manage their waste, supporting cities as drivers of change, or raising awareness of the concrete positive impact we can each have in our daily lives, Earth Day Canada is mobilizing to counter our sense of powerlessness in the face of climate change. We have the means to act together!”
  • Thomas Mulcair, Chairman of the Board of Directors

A WORD FROM THE SPOKESPERSON

    “I humbly confess, I am eco-anxious... Like so many others across Canada who have joined the Earth Day 2022 "Remedy Together" campaign. Experience has shown me that once I take action, I feel better, and so do my loved ones. I applaud Earth Day Canada's range of programs that provide us with tools and resources to contemplate our limitations and take action together for the environment and our own health!”
  • Édith Cochrane, Spokesperson of Earth Day Canada

Team

Pierre Lussier - President | Valérie Mallamo - Executive Director | Catherine La Branche Chabot - Human Resources Director | Yves Gauthier - Executive Assistant | Ahmed Rabhi - Accounting Technician | Kristin Mullin - Development Director | Tomas Cazenave - Development Officer  | Phoebe Landers -Development Officer  | Léo Cressatti - Communication Director | Elise Karcher - Communication Officer | Alice Debiolles - Communication Officer | Elysya Scerbo-Pasta - Communication Officer | Maxime Dannel - Webmaster  | Karoline Bessette-Simard - Programs Director | Carolyn Dolan - Waste Management Coordinator | Siham Kadour - Project Manager - Waste Management  | Arthur Lamoine - Project Manager - Waste Management | Sophie Lanctôt - Advisor - Waste Management | Katheleen Poulain - Advisor - Waste Management | Kim Méthot - Coordinator - The Travelling Jar | Aurélien Rigolet - Logistics Manager | Bérangère Ferrand - Project Manager - Transport and Mobility | Camille Defoly - Team Manager - Conferences | Camille Dussault - Project Manager - Food fight! | Julien Kuzdzal - Senior Construction Coordinator | Emma Sarazin - Project Manager - Waste Management | Médéric Leduc - Project Manager - Waste Management | Fabien Wavelet - Project Manager - Waste Management | Julie Arcand - Senior Project Manager - Waste Management | Havana Razafintsalama - Advisor - Waste Management | Maribel Aristizabal - Project Manager - Tree Planting | Emilie Fargeout - EcoHack-a-city Program Coordinator

A thank-you goes out to those who have left:

April Scholz - Development Officer | Aglaë Gernet - Communication Officer | Etienne Beauchemin - Development Officer | Myriam Charconnet - Communication Officer | Mélissa Aumont-Rodrigue - Advisor - Waste Management | Mathieu Côté - Chargé de logistique | Mathilde Messersi - Project Manager - Waste Management Development |

Board of Directors

Thomas Mulcair - Chairman, Politician | Pierre Lussier - Vice-President, President of Earth Day Canada | Jake Haskell - Trésorier, Manager – Stratégie et Transactions chez EY-PARTHENON | Virginie Cousineau - Director, Director of Public Affairs, Réseaux Express Métropolitain | Alain Dumas - Director, Consultant in Public Relations | Reid Bodley - Director, Manager, Waste and Resource Conservation, CN | Kristian Manchester - Director, Executive Creative Director and Partner, SID LEE | Suying Zhao - Director, ESG Practice Leader, Desjardins Business|

A thank-you goes out to those who have left:

Stephan Pinheiro - Director, President of HumanIT | Mac 911 | Caroline Lejeune - Director, Marketing Director of the Missioneo Group | Jacques Delsaut - Director, Consultant with the Chairman of the Adecco Group | Jean-Marc Vasse - Director, General Delegate of Val'hor and Mayor of Terre-de-Caux | Nathalie Boyer - Director, General Delegate of Orée |

Special thanks

Earth Day would like to thank the thousands of Canadians who took concrete actions for the environment on April 22 and every day.

Another thank you goes out to all of the museums, libraries, cultural centres, schools and municipalities who celebrated Earth Day in their communities.

Thanks to the scientific committee for the Tomorrow’s Forest program: Marel Darveau, Jérôme Dupras, Alison Munson, Jean-Claude Ruel and Éric Verreault.

Thank you to the Fonds Éco IGA team:
- Cénéri Pissot
- Mathis Gobin
- Maxime Pronovost
- Loriane Takla
- Théophile Jouassain
- Duane Boisclair
- Manami Bastelica
- Étienne Bali

Thank you to our intern Laura Schmitt for her work with SAIL.

Thank you Louis-Philippe Potvin, Karel Luap, Elisabeth Paradis and Stéphanie Tremblay, the food waste experts for the Food Fight program.

Thank you to Earth Day’s outstanding spokesperson, Édith Cochrane.

Thanks to our treasured partners. Through your actions, you are helping Canada to become a more environmentally conscious and respectful society.

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Phone : (514) 728-0116
Toll free : 1 800 424-8758
Fax : (514) 303-0248
Email: hello@earthday.ca

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