Our projects (what we call " innovations ") occur within different spheres of influence – on a household/individual level, at a neigbourhood level, and within the non-profit community.

smartliving Community
The Greater Toronto Area is remarkably diverse – more than 90 ethnic groups exist in what is undoubtedly one of the most multicultural regions in the world. In the City of Toronto , over 50% of the population is part of a visible minority. Despite this, educational programming, especially environmental programming, occurs mainly in English.

Eneract's smartliving Community Program will address this problem by bringing educational programming right to six of the Toronto area's largest ethnic communities: Chinese, South Asian, West Indian, Italian, Portuguese and Filipino. The program was successfully piloted with the Chinese community during 2004 and will be rolled out for other communities in the future. The program focuses on the need for, and details of, home energy efficiency and conservation.

The tools used to deliver the energy conservation message to our programs' audiences include:

• The smartliving.ca website (available in English and Chinese)
• The 20/20 Planner, a practical guide to saving energy at home and on the road
• smartliving workshops

smartliving Workshops
Eneract's smartliving Workshops are fun and interactive 1½-hour sessions that focus on improving home comfort and lowering energy bills. They help participants:

• Learn about the simple actions they can take to save money on energy bills and make their homes more comfortable
• Learn about the EnerGuide and ENERGY STAR energy efficiency programs
• Learn more about green energy in Ontario.

smartliving Guide
There is a growing demand for green products and services – that is, those that are produced with environmental and social sustainability as key elements of the production – termed “green products and services”.

The Guide answers a very simple question: “From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed, what are the products and services I purchase and where can I find green alternatives?” That is, “Where are the green dry cleaners?” “Where do I find organic, locally grown produce?” “Where do I find vegetarian restaurants?”

In addition to the print version, Eneract has created a web-based version of the Guide, which, for the most part, mirrors the information found in the print edition.

smartliving St. Lawrence
The smartliving St. Lawrence project is a collaborative effort being led by Eneract and the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA) that will engage other community organizations such as the local Business Imp rovement Area, the City of Toronto , the South East Downtown Economic Redevelopment Initiative (SEDERI) and George Brown College.

The goals of the smartliving St. Lawrence project are:

1. To foster a conservation culture in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood and thus foster a healthy environment
2. To work with residents and businesses to create a strong economy and vibrant community

The program is built on four activity pillars:

1. Programs: Focusing on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation
2. Grassroots activities: Including composting and community greenscaping
3. Education: At the home, business and community level on the Sustainable Community Project
4. Policy: Working with all levels of government to address policy barriers and create conservation incentives.

A tightly knit, highly energetic area, the St. Lawrence neighbourhood is home to approximately 19,000 residents and over 100 businesses and is a great candidate for setting an example of what can be done at the community level.

Green Pride
There are many large community festivals in Ontario , almost none of which provide recycling facilities for festival attendees. Eneract has entered into an ongoing agreement with Pride Toronto, hosts of one of the city's largest annual events, to coordinate a recycling initiative over the course of Pride Week.

The 2005 initiative, the 2 nd year of the partnership initiative, was successful in raising awareness of the availability of recycling facilities and diverted 1.4 tonnes of recyclables from the landfill. 1.4 tonnes of PET plastic (one of the most common forms of plastics used in consumer products) is the equivalent of 100,000 500ml plastic bottles – enough to make 5,000 square feet of recycled carpeting.

Shared Goals, Sharing Success
Eneract is working with its partners to establish a quarterly “coffee house” (speakers, lectures, movie screenings, art shows, music, etc) for leaders and program developers of the non-profit sector, which will provide an opportunity for discussions on programming and key issues in the sector.

At this first event, we will discuss how to better share information about environmental programming in the Toronto area. Eneract will help facilitate this information exchange and will establish a quarterly publication (electronic and print) that outlines current and upcoming programs in the energy-related non-profit sector.