About CEAC

Mission statement:

CEAC’s Mission  is to work towards making Cochrane and area residents a more environmentally aware and active community.

CEAC’s objectives:

• To enhance awareness and educate about our inter-relationships with the natural world and the impact of our lifestyle choices on the health of the community and the Earth’s ecosystems.
• To identify and undertake the projects that encourage environmental responsibility and a sense of community.
• To increase our effectiveness through partnerships and cooperation within local and global communities.
• To encourage participation and foster hope in the challenge of ensuring an environmentally sustainable future.

CEAC 2011 Board of Directors

CEAC Board of Directors reflects a cross-section of individuals drawn together to support environmental education and action in the community .

• Tim Giese, President
• Valerie McCracken, Vice-President
• Nic David, Secretary
• Judy Stewart, Treasurer
• Dave Beatty

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Membership

We are always looking for more members from Cochrane and adjacent communities to become actively involved in CEAC.

If you are interested in becoming a member of CEAC, please download the CEAC_Membership Form. Membership term is February 1st to January 31st.

Membership is $10.00/year for an individual or $15.00/year for a family.

Member Information

If you have an issue, project or item that you wish to bring to the CEAC Board of Directors’ attention, then these guidelines will help you communicate your ideas to us: Agenda Request Form

The Cochrane Environmental Action Committee Policy Manual is also available for download.

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History

Since 1989, the Cochrane Environmental Action Committee (CEAC) has been involved in local and regional environmental issues. CEAC has approached environmental concerns as opportunities to seek solutions by engaging stakeholders, other organizations and citizens. This approach has garnered CEAC much respect and an esteemed position in the community.

CEAC was formed by a group of citizens concerned about a variety of issues.  Their first focus was to establish recycling facilities in Cochrane. Funds were secured for recycling bins and the facility was operated successfully by volunteers for four years, after which the responsibility was passed on to the town. The success came at a high price to CEAC though, resulting in significant volunteer burnout and the near demise of the group. But a small group of dedicated individuals persevered, helping CEAC achieve many more significant accomplishments.

CEAC is an apolitical organization with a mission to make Cochrane and area a more environmentally aware and active community. To this day, CEAC’s many successes are a testament to the passion, knowledge and skills of a relatively small core of members. CEAC’s philosophy has been to leverage its small resources through a wide variety of projects and organizations to find workable solutions.

This approach is highlighted by a host of projects and initiatives over the last 20 years. CEAC helped form and co-chair one of the first Canadian non-governmental brownfield development committees in the late 1990s. Twenty different stakeholders addressed health and environmental concerns related to the proposed remediation of a creosote contaminated site within Cochrane’s core. During its tenure, the committee met bi-monthly for 16 months, resulting in a significantly enhanced remedial action plan.

CEAC’s collaborative approach has also resulted in two highly successful conferences in Cochrane. In 2006, over 150 participants attended the Low Impact Development Conference to learn about and work on real-life applications of this ecosystem-based approach to stormwater and land development issues. Very recently, in May 2009, CEAC hosted the Pathways 2 Sustainability Conference which utilised a unique and highly interactive conference format to introduce the Alberta  Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) model of sustainability planning and implementation to many Alberta municipalities.

Over the years, CEAC has found many ways to educate and enhance awareness of our inter-relationships with the natural world and the impact of our lifestyle choices on the health of the community and the Earth’s ecosystems. CEAC worked with Cochrane Coffee Traders to introduce bird-friendly coffee to the many patrons of this popular coffee establishment. The Naturescape Cochrane Initiative promoted alternative gardening strategies and water conservation in landscaping practices. Over the span of four years, seven well-attended workshops were held featuring a wide variety of guest speakers, displays and interactive forums. CEAC has directed efforts and provided funding for invasive species removal, school yard naturalization, conference sponsorships, and the highly acclaimed Cochrane High School Alternative Energy Project.

Virtually all of CEAC’s funding is derived from the operation of the local Farmers’ Market. The market also helps fulfill another core belief of undertaking projects that encourage local environmental responsibility and a sense of community. The busy summer market is very popular with locals who enjoy the social aspect as much as supporting regional producers and artisans.

CEAC, through its many endeavours and efforts, is focused on encouraging participation and fostering hope in the challenge of ensuring an environmentally sustainable future, not only locally, but well beyond Cochrane.