Are you a Saanich Carbon Champion? Join the many residents who are already taking action on climate change while helping Saanich meet our community greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target of 33% below 2007 levels by 2020. Simply follow our 1-2-3 step process that will guide you to reducing your carbon footprint while saving you big money at the pump and on increasing energy bills.

Welcome to the Saanich Carbon Champions "Take Action" website! We want this to be your one-stop shop for information and resources to reduce your carbon footprint. Each section has expandable sub-sections that will connect you with options, alternatives, incentives and information to help you make your carbon commitments a reality.

We also acknowledge that many people have already made changes or want to find an alternative way to make a difference. The Saanich Carbon Fund provides a carbon offsetting alternative for your carbon footprint. Unlike other carbon offset programs, when you donate to the Saanich Carbon Fund, your money goes directly towards green projects right here in Saanich. Funds generated from the calculator will be invested in community-wide climate action projects that also helps to create local jobs and to stimulate the green economy. This system puts your dollars directly towards reducing our community carbon footprint and helping us work towards our community GHG reduction target of 33% by 2020. You will also be issued a tax receipt for doing your part! Learn more here!

Taking alternative transportation (like transit, walking, cycling or carpooling when commuting to work) has never been easier. The following resources will help you take action by getting you out of your car and into or onto something easier, cheaper and more fun.

• Bus Schedules and Maps
• Transit Trip Planner
• Transit Fares
• Getting your bike on the bus
• Public Transit Tax Credit – Tax deductable credit for your passes.
• Bus Stops in Saanich

 

• Saanich Parks & Trails Guide – Provides you with comprehensive trail maps throughout Saanich.
• Walk Score – Find out how walkable your neighbourhood is and where local stores, restaurants, parks and community centres are.
• Capital Bike + Walk – Dedicated to educating and helping bicycling and walking commuters throughout the capital region.
• Walk BC – Provides walking routes and maps from around BC.
• Free Guided Walks – Discover beautiful Saanich trails and parks in your neighbourhood.
• Walking Safety – Tips to consider when heading out for a walk.

 

• Cycling in Saanich
• Saanich Bikeway Network Map - Showcases the regional trails, commuter routes, local connectors and touring routes from across Saanich.
• Regional Trails – Covering over 80kms of our region taking you through urban streets, farmland and rugged wilderness.
• Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition – Provides cycling transportation while advocating on behalf of cyclists in the region.
• BC Bicycle Operator’s Manual – Safety tips and tricks on the rules of the road and ensuring safe commuting.
• BCAA Bike Assist – Members have a technician assist you should your bike break down and require repairs.
• Electric Bicycles Fact Sheet – Find out how they can be used on Regional Trails.
• Bicycletutor.com – Videos showing you how to fix your bike.

 

• Jack Bell Ride-Share – Find a ride or offer a ride anywhere in Canada or register your company or organization.
• Jack Bell Ride-Share Vanpool - Register to use one of the Jack Bell Ride-Share fleet vehicles for your commute to and from work.
• Is your company carpooling? – Look here to see if your organization is already a part of Jack Bell Ride-Share.

 

• Victoria Car Share Co-op -  Providing cost effective alternatives to car ownership.

 

• Clean Energy Vehicles for BC
• Mitsubish i-MiEV
• Nissan Leaf
• Chevrolet Volt
• Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association

There are many great programs and initiatives for you to participate in to help improve the energy efficiency of your home while saving money. The following page will help you access local tools, information and services that will help you make your home more energy efficient. It’s never been easier to take action around your home to reduce energy consumption and help the community achieve its GHG reduction targets below.

• Saanich Green Building Rebate Program: Free green building consultation and rebates.
• LiveSmartBC Efficiency Incentive Program: Find out how to save energy and money when renovating your existing home.
  1. Eligible Improvements
  2. ecoENERGY Home Retrofit – Find a certified energy advisor near you.
• Built Green Canada
• LEED for homes Canada
• Invasive Species and Noxious Weeds – to protect biological diversity.
• Naturescape – to protect, maintain and enhance wildlife habitat.

 

• Draftproof your home – Sealing gaps and cracks around your home can reduce heat loss by up to 10%.
• Heat your home strategically – Manage your thermostat by turning it down at night or purchasing a programmable thermostat.
• Energy efficient windows – Installing more efficient windows can cut annual energy costs by up to 20%.
• Insulate - Hold in the heat and improve the heating performance of your home.
• For more tips on greening your home heating system check out BC Hydro’s heating guide.
• Heat Pumps
• High Efficiency Gas Furnaces
• Ductless Split Heat Pumps
• Geo-Exchange Heat Pumps
• Energy Efficient Gas Fire Places

 

• Install a solar hot water system – Find out how installing a solar hot water system can save money on your energy bill every day!
• High Efficiency Gas Water Heaters
• Get a low-flow showerhead – Showers can be the largest contributor to household hot water use.
• Enhance your water heater’s efficiency – Insulate your pipes, install a water heater blanket and lower the water heater temperature.
• Turn off the taps –  Find out how turning off the taps can save you up-to $55 per year in heating costs.
• Install faucet aerator’s – Using an aerator in your kitchen sink can save you nearly $28 per year in water heating costs.

 

• Purchase Energy Star® appliances – Look for the Energy Star label when you are purchasing new appliances.
• Hang your laundry to dry – The electric clothes dryer uses the second most electricity of you household appliances.
• Recycle the second fridge – If you have an old, inefficient fridge in your home BC Hydro will pick it up, recycle it and give you $30 for it!
• Cold-wash your laundry – Heating water accounts for nearly 90% of your washing machines energy use.
• Wash only full loads – Running full loads with your dishwasher and laundry appliances will save both water, energy, detergent and money.
• Eliminate the phantom load – Many appliances continue to use energy even when they are turned off.

 

• Install Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) and Light-Emitting Diode(LED) – They use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to ten times longer
• Flick off lights – Turning off lights that are not in use is a simple step that everyone can do.
• Utilize natural lighting – Make the most of the light that is available in your home instead of using unnatural light.
• Install lighting controls – Using dimmers, timers and motion sensors can be an easy and efficient way to reduce your energy use.
• Switch to LED holiday lighting –Switch to LED and extend the life of your holiday lights.

 

The average Saanich resident produces approximately .35 tonnes of waste each year which ends up in our local landfill. Luckily there are many tips and resources available to help you reduce the amount of waste your household generates annually by Rethinking your purchases, Reducing the products you purchase, Reusing products, and Composting organics before finally Recycling products. 

Before we purchase products we need to consider the impact that purchasing the product will have on our local and global environment. Thinking about the impact of our actions will help reduce the need for waste management and new waste disposal sites in the future. Rethinking purchases could be as easy as getting electronics fixed instead of purchasing an entirely new product or making sure that the product you choose is the most environmentally responsible. When purchasing products consider where it came from, how it was produced and the amount of packaging the product comes in.

 

• Always carry a reusable bag and reduce the use of plastic bags.
• Avoid purchasing disposable products that are made from natural resources, used once and then thrown away into the garbage. Instead purchase reusable products like cloth dishtowels, reusable coffee filters or lunch containers and water bottles.
• Invest in durable products that last longer than cheaply-made products that tend to end up in the landfill.
• Avoid purchasing products that are heavily packaged.
• Canada Red Dot Program –Say no to junk-mail and reduce unwanted flyers and advertisements
• BYOM – Bring your own coffee mug to eliminate the need for disposable cups.
• Help green the supply chain by asking stores to provide alternatives to products like Styrofoam and plastics.

 

• myrecyclopedia – Find out about common items that you can reuse like ink cartridges.
• BC Electronics Material Exchange –Will give away/reuse your still working electronics.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria or the Salvation Army –Will donate your old clothes to charity .
• Used Victoria and Craigslist –Buy second hand instead of new.
• Collect single sided sheets of paper and reuse for note-taking or printing drafts.
• Borrow or rent household items that you only use on occasion.

 

• CRD’s list of recyclables –Participate in the regional blue box recycling program to the fullest extent.
• myrecyclopedia –Go beyond the blue box and enhance your household recycling.
• Recycling Council of BC –Provides more information on recycling, waste reduction and disposal.
• Pacific Mobile Depot -Weekend mobile depots happen throughout Saanich and accept items like electronics, soft-plastics and much more.

 

• Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre will teach you how to start composting in your backyard.
• Community Composting provides you with a durable container which will be emptied every 4 weeks in exchange for a 20 litre bag of composted soil.
• Garden Waste Drop-Off – You can drop off garden waste at the saanich public works yard.

 

Being able to eat what we want, when we want is certainly convenient but it isn’t the best for the planet as over 80% of the food eaten on Vancouver Island is imported from off island sources. Local foods are better for the climate (fewer food miles), have a better flavour:

• Saanich Agriculture and Food Security Page – A great resource that we put together in 2011.
• Farm Fresh 2011 – Directory to find farms, in season products, markets and much more.
• Lifecycles Fruit Tree Project– Organizing the harvest fruit from private trees that would otherwise go to waste.
• Lifecycles Sharing Backyards – Links people with unused backyards with those looking to grow.
• Lifecycles Urban Agriculture Hub – Community driven hub for urban agriculture in the Victoria area.
• Connect to local food – Find out more about the District of Saanich’s dedication to agriculture and food security.

 

• LifeCycles Urban Agriculture Hub – Find out how to start a backyard garden today. This can be a great family activity and will reduce your grocery bill seasonally.
• Sustainable Home and Garden Series 2011 – The Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre also hosts 2-hour workshops throughout the year to educate residents about growing a variety of food types throughout the year.
• Keeping Backyard Chickens – Did you know that you can have Backyard Chickens in Saanich?
• The District of Saanich also supports the establishment of community gardens and provides many community resources to assist you in growing food.