Sunday January 12, 2025 | COLWOOD, BC [Posted at 3:28 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
About 150 people dropped by to tour a one-day Environmental Expo in Colwood yesterday.
Organized by Grade 12 Belmont Secondary School (SD62) student Taylor Gossman, the five-hour event on January 11 at a local church was carried off without a hitch. The event was Gossman’s capstone project for her Careers 12 class.
Many events about environment and sustainability initiatives take place in the spring, so this seemed early. But it was a good kickstart to the year in the west shore.
Displays and talks:
There was a fresh variety of displays in a spacious layout for vendors and visitors, short podium talks by local leader through the afternoon, refreshments for the vendors, and easy parking.
The free local event had been modestly promoted, but attendance seemed to pick up steam through the day as local leaders and residents heard about the drop-in event.
Attendees had range of interests, questions, and areas of expertise in their own community and academic work.
Some of the tables include Dogwood Society, Creatively United, Surf Rider, Habitat for Humanity, CENIC (Citizens’ Environment Network in Colwood), Ecological Reserves of British Columbia, Greater Victoria Naturehood, Luxton Fall Fair (Metchosin Farmers’ Institute), Urban Food Resilience Initiatives Society, and Bees Please Farms.
Short talks were led by environmental lawyer Calvin Sandborn; Friends of Havenwood Park; David Gregory with Habitat for Humanity, Carol Bruce of CENIC, Mary Brooke of Urban Food Resilience, and Francis Litman of Creatively United.
Who was there:
Attending from local Colwood council were city councillors Dean Jantzen and David Grove.
Jane Devonshire who leads various climate change initiatives was there.
Organizer of the Luxton Fall Fair horticultural displays Kim Dillon was there, also supported at her booth by youth volunteers.
Organizer Taylor Gossman was cooperatively supported by her mother Michelle Gossman as an event management partner.
As the host venue, the Church of the Advent was visually appealing and spacious.
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