The Eco-Citizens' Rendez-Vous: Numerous Tools for Taking Concrete Action

SAINT-LAURENT, QC, Oct. 16, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - The first edition of the Eco-Citizens' Rendez-Vous will be held on Saturday, October 26 at the Saint-Laurent Sports Complex, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. This major innovative event will provide residents with many concrete tools to adopt eco-responsible habits on a day-to-day basis and help preserve the environment, while improving their quality of life and their health.  

Quotation

Eco-Citizens’ Rendez-Vous, October 26 (CNW Group/Ville de Montréal - Arrondissement de Saint-Laurent)

"The climate emergency is now a reality at the forefront of the news. Saint-Laurent, a sustainable municipal territory, has been taking action to protect the environment and fight climate change for more than 15 years. We believe that our residents, and particularly young people, are ready to take action with us, as reflected by the historic demonstration on September 27. This first Eco-Citizens' Rendez-Vous is designed to support Saint-Laurent residents in their efforts to take action. All the tools proposed will help them take concrete green actions on a day-to-day basis. Together, let's make a difference: we are all eco-citizens!"

Alan DeSousa, Mayor of Saint-Laurent

Highlights

Exhibitors, workshops and conferences will give residents an opportunity to experiment with tools and discover services, projects and resources on preparing for climate change, zero waste, electrically-powered means of transportation, biodiversity, energy conservation, ecological school, eco-health, responsible consumption, healthy eating and urban agriculture.

Dans l'œil du dragon écolo (In the eye of the green dragon) at 1:30 p.m.

A committee of experts will give advice to Saint-Laurent educational institutions that will be presenting initiatives for the environment and the fight against climate change. It will be composed of Marie-Josée Richer, co-founder of the Prana company and a Dragon in Radio-Canada's 2019 broadcasts of the Dans l'œil du dragon program; Alan DeSousa, Mayor of Saint-Laurent; and Patrick de Bellefeuille, presenter and climate specialist at MétéoMédia. One of these institutions will even be honoured with a "Coup de cœur du public" (people's choice) award.

Conferences 10:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.

• "Comprendre la météo et les changements climatiques" and "Peut-on lutter efficacement contre les changements climatiques?" ("Understanding weather and climate change" and "Can we effectively fight climate change?), by Patrick de Bellefeuille, professional public speaker and presenter at MétéoMédia, also moderator of the other conferences
• "Réussir la transition écoénergétique, un écoquartier à la fois!" ("Successfully making the energy-efficient transition, one eco-neighbourhood at a time!"), by Jean-François Lefebvre, David Suzuki Foundation
• "Être un citoyen écoresponsable, c'est quoi?" ("Being an eco-responsible citizen means what?"), by Anne-Sophie Jean-Charles of Équiterre
• "Comment me préparer à une urgence sur le territoire de la municipalité" ("How to prepare for an emergency on the municipality's territory"), by Sebastien Labranche of the Canadian Red Cross
• "Des gestes simples pour mon écosanté au quotidien" ("Simple actions for my daily eco-health"), by Lise Parent, co-founder of the Réseau des femmes en environnement
• "Solutions pour rendre votre potager écoresponsable" ("Solutions for making your vegetable garden eco-responsible"), by Bertrand Dumont, Horti-Media

Workshops 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

• "Organiser une fête zéro déchet" ("Organize a zero waste party"), by the Association québécoise Zéro Déchet
• "Mon empreinte écologique" and "Les changements climatiques" ("My ecological footprint" and "Climate change"), by the Groupe uni des éducateurs-naturalistes et professionnels en environnement (GUEPE)
• "Biodiversité de la Vallée du Saint-Laurent" ("Biodiversity in the St. Lawrence Valley"), with live animals on site, by the Ecomuseum Zoo

Exhibitors' village: some twenty booths where the public is invited to watch enriching experiences, full of creativity and innovation, based on experimentation and direct participation. Visitors will also receive a wealth of useful and relevant information to take "green" actions on an everyday basis.

• Test drives of various models of electric vehicles: the 2019 Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona and Jaguar I-Pace by the Association québécoise des véhicules électriques
• How to prepare for climate emergencies, by the Canadian Red Cross
• A zero-waste apartment, by the Association québécoise Zéro Déchet
• Donations of pre-owned clothing and articles, by Renaissance Québec
• Recycling computer equipment, by Insertech
• Avoid toxic substances around you, by the Réseau des femmes en environnement
• Responsible consumption, by Équiterre
• How to reduce your ecological footprint, by the Groupe uni des éducateurs-naturalistes et professionnels en environnement (GUEPE)
• How to sort your waste materials better, by Recyc-Québec
• Choose local organic fruits and vegetables, by Les Serres du Dos blanc
• Increase children's awareness about climate change, by The Climate Reality Project
• Sustainable actions within a college, by Vanier College
• École du Trésor-du-Boisé
• Vert Cité
• Centre de sécurité civile

A section for families: Activity areas will give children and their parents the opportunity to have fun, while participating in educational activities on the environment. Competitions, draws and demonstrations are also planned. A few days before Halloween, a pumpkin decoration workshop will be organized by the Centre d'action bénévole et communautaire (Centre ABC) in Saint-Laurent. The Bibliothèque du Boisé will feature a range of books on the environment for very young children.

A business component with the Corporate Eco-Citizens' Rendez-Vous on Friday, October 25, 7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., at Le Challenger conference and reception centre.

About the Borough of Saint-Laurent

Having celebrated the 125th anniversary of its incorporation in 2018, Saint-Laurent is one of the 19 boroughs in Ville de Montréal. As sustainable development is at the heart of all its decisions, the Borough declared itself a "sustainable municipal territory" on January 8, 2019. Its population of over 100,000, is one of the most multicultural: 81% of its residents are immigrants or have a parent born in another country. Located at the crossroads of Montréal's main highways with great accessibility to public transit, the Borough extends over 42.8 square kilometres in area. More than 70% of its territory is devoted to industrial and commercial activities. With 4500 companies and 110,000 jobs, it is in fact the second largest employment pool on the island of Montréal. It also boasts one of Québec's main industrial and technological centres. And last but not least, with its two libraries, its Centre des loisirs (recreation centre), its new Sports Complex, its arena and some 50 parks, Saint-Laurent offers a wide range of services in many fields, such as culture, sports and recreation. In this way, the Borough ensures a high quality of life for the families and businesses within its community.

SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Arrondissement de Saint-Laurent

Source: Marc-Olivier Fritsch, chargé de communications, Direction d'arrondissement, Division des communications et des relations avec les citoyens, Borough of Saint-Laurent, 514 855-6000, ext. 4342, [email protected]; Information: Marc-Olivier Fritsch, Media lines: 438 368-3318 or 514 825-6231