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Transition
Ideas
Local Food
Establish a second community vegetable garden in a corner of the
park across from the former Dundas District School.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Create a community garden in the green space by the current butterfly
garden at the North East corner of Cootes and East Street at the
base of the Desjardin Canal.
[Kim Jones]
Develop a collaborative program between stores like Metro, Fortinos
and the Dundas Food Bank to transfer food stuffs, that would otherwise
be wasted on a daily basis (deli meats, cheeses, fruit, etc.) to
help feed those in need. [Lawrence Yanover]
Create a "100-block lifestyle" by creating a system of
community organic backyard gardens, seasonal rooftop gardens, and
greenhouses.
[Michelle Chin]
Plan for the construction and cultivation of community orchards.
[Veronika Litinski and Lee Gotham]
Convert the former Ben Veldhuis Greenhouses into a place where community
groups can meet, grow/sell produce, sell local artwork, etc. in
a manner similar to the redevelopment of the Brickworks in Toronto.
[Natasha Petrovich]
Each merchant selling food products in Dundas could have a section
clearly marked "100-mile foods".
[Graeme MacQueen]
Create/support community hen houses and one cow or goat households.
[Lorna MacQueen]
Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation
Install a heat pump system using the water from the canal to heat
and cool municipal buildings.
[Peter Hurrell]
Designate Dundas as a "Green Zone". Any future building
would have to qualify for LEED certification.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Develop solar panels and wind turbines along the escarpment ridge.
This power could be used for Town Hall, the library, fire station,
arena, and community centre.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Place mirrors along the roof ridge to reflect the sun onto the shady
side of King Street.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Obtain a donated Smart Car to raffle with the money going to green
initiatives.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Build a wind turbine next to the town sign on Cootes Drive and encourage
the use of individual roof-mounted wind turbines.
[Paul Smith]
A 3-fold vision for Dundas: Dundas as an urban node community, as
a centre that provides incentives for eco-friendly buildings, as
a naturalized corridor.
[Bob Gladish]
Harness the power of Spencer Creek with micro water turbines.
[Carl Lehman]
Create a straw bale construction structure in Dundas that is available
for public use.
[Katie West and Dieter Staudinger]
Create a bio-fuel facility and run a shuttle bus service for seniors
off of the fuel.
[Stan Parkes]
Use natural changes in elevation and water flows to generate electricity
from the Webster's Falls, Spencer Gorge, Tews Falls, and Spencer
Creek water systems.
[Graham Rose]
Market Dundas as a premiere location for testing environmental technologies
in municipal and residential settings.
[Veronika Litinski and Lee Gotham]
Create a locally-based program for retrofitting homes and businesses
to become more energy efficient.
[Stan Nowak]
Promote the use of clotheslines.
[Sarah Johnston]
Create an environmental committee to reduce our carbon footprint.
[Sarah Johnston]
Encourage co-operative neighbours to combine their garbage and recycling
streams for one pick-up stop between 2 to 3 households (reduces
CO2, noise, wear on vehicles, etc.).
[David Wilson]
Dundas could establish new regulations for the construction of new
developments with respect to passive solar design.
[Lorna MacQueen]
Dundas could invite various neighbours to work toward an energy
plan of "getting off the grid".
[Lorna MacQueen]
Sustainable Lifestyle Networks
"Do-it Sustainability Portal". Provide and maintain a
summary of existing links to available resources that inform, educate
and support sustainable practices through a website portal (an extension
of the Do-it website?).
[Katie West and Dieter Staudinger]
The Dundas Sustainable Lifestyle Project (DSLP) should be formally
established as a non-profit organization.
[Anonymous]
Wildlife Habitat Conservation/Urban Forestry
Transform Centennial Park into a fabulous, modern, multi-user,
landscaped, people-friendly space.
[Jim MacDonald]
Establish a picnic area along Spencer Creek (behind Tim Hortons
off Osler Drive?)
[Arlene Salisbury]
Gain world recognition for Mac's Environmental & Earth Sciences
program by incorporating Cootes Marsh, Spencer Creek and Desjardin
Canal into the curriculum (with RBG and the HCA?).
[Arlene Salisbury]
Enhance the Spencer Creek Trail so that it is an accessible, multi-use
trail that follows the creek more closely and leads directly to
the current Butterfly Garden.
[Kim Jones]
Establish a community garden group. The group would act to acquire
parcels of land that volunteer members could transform into more
beautiful, environmentally friendly landscapes.
[St. James Anglican Church]
Create "Recreation Ravines" which would create places
for exercise (natural climbing), relaxation and exploration and
community.
[Dan Zen]
Provide homeowners tax incentives to plant trees on private property.
[Veronika Litinski and Lee Gotham]
Assess and monitor the health of the Niagara Escarpment forest.
[Veronika Litinski and Lee Gotham]
Create an extensive trail system along Spencer Creek from Cootes
Drive to the Fisher Mills Park with distinctive "nodes"
of history/information.
[Stan Nowak]
Re-configure the road on Ogilvie between Governors and Creekside
and turn the closed-off space into public greenspace.
[Stan Nowak]
Re-design/re-drudge the Desjardin Canal.
[Graeme MacQueen]
Transportation
Create a pilot project for the installation of charging stations
for electric vehicles throughout municipal parking lots.
[Peter Hurrell]
Add formal bicycle lanes down Sydenham and along Hatt Street and
install bicycle racks in the 3 municipal parking lots off of Hatt
Street.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Strengthen the presence of bicycles in Dundas through a variety
of bicycle initiatives including educational programs, enhanced
bike racks/locations, new routes, etc.).
[Lorna MacQueen]
Remove on-street parking along King Street between York Road to
Market Street, widen the sidewalks and install textured brick pavers
for the road surface - bring emphasis back to the pedestrian realm.
[Beverley Hayden]
Develop an unmanned Via Rail stop adjacent to the CN rail line,
west of the Sydenham Road bridge structure.
[David Ofield]
Construct/improve bicycle lanes, paths and cross-country skiing
trails throughout the community.
[Veronika Litinski and Lee Gotham]
Make a commitment to have a one-car family - start a one-car family
program, a time sharing, or car trip program.
[Ray Reed] [Sarah Johnston]
Re-introduce a rail system on Hatt Street (part of rapid transit
system?)
[Stan Nowak] [ Keith McKenna]
Create an electric rickshaw to provide a free mode of transportation
within Dundas.
[Tony Bratschitsch]
Create the "Dundas Stage Coach Service" using the existing
rail trail to carry people both short and long distances.
[Graeme MacQueen]
Create a "Hansom Cab" (horse-drawn) service in the town
of Dundas to provide an alternative to existing taxi services.
[Lorna MacQueen]
Close down Memorial Square to vehicular traffic between King and
Hatt Streets on Market days.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Local Economics
On the 4 weekends before Christmas, close Memorial Square in order
to hold a European-style crafters market with cider, hot chocolate,
beaver tails and a parade of decorated pony carts.
[Arlene Salisbury]
On the last Sunday in September, close down Ogilvie between King
and Hatt Streets in order to hold a literary festival (similar to
Toronto's "Word on the Street") with proceeds to green
initiatives.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Establish a reuse store for household goods in the industrial area.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Encourage all retail stores along King Street to eliminate the
use of plastic bags and instead use paper or cloth (art students
could make custom designed cloth bags).
[Arlene Salisbury]
Create signs in parking lots of businesses (and on meters) to remind
shoppers: "Did you remember your shopping bags?"
[Body Therapies Yoga Training Class]
Promote Dundas as a "spoke and hub" tourist node, whereby
people travel to and establish a home base at a B&B, hotel/motel,
and take different daily walking and cycling trips making use of
natural trail systems/quiet roads.
[John van der Mark]
Preserve the former Dundas Post Office by purchasing the building
and remodeling the space for artisan work spaces, offices, or commercial
uses.
[Leny van der Mark]
Create an economic and environmental sustainable community program
for citizens and business modeled on the successful Salt Lake City
program.
[Katie West and Dieter Staudinger]
Contribute to the Innovation Park project by partnering with McMaster
to establish a light industrial manufacturing base in Dundas.
[Veronika Litinski and Lee Gotham]
Create a downtown pedestrian mall during the summer months.
[Stan Nowak]
Create "Interiorscapes" by greening local buildings from
the inside out.
[Stan Nowak]
Open a recycling centre at one of the municipal buildings where
people can bring items to trade.
[Sarah Johnston]
Return to the farmers market concept but adapt this idea to also
include spaces for artisans, and for places where family and friends
can congregate, visit and enjoy themselves.
[John Walker]
Attention should be focused on de-centralizing municipal services
to make them more locally accessible.
[Warren Oda]
Create a new, publicly funded Dundas Organic Flour Mill.
[Graeme MacQueen]
Create a for-profit institute for measuring return on investments
of environmental improvements.
[Veronika Litinski and Lee Gotham]
Set-up a summer bike rental in one of the municipal parking lots
off of Hatt Street, offering free area maps of local trail systems
and free entrance fees to Hamilton Conservation lands.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Heart and Soul/Local Entertainment and Culture
Outdoor reading space - Encourage a Second Cup kiosk to open in
or next to the library. In the summer, library hours could be extended,
combined with patio seating to enjoy a good book/summer air.
[Arlene Salisbury]
In March, hold a Soup and Bread festival at the Community Centre
with proceeds to green initiatives.
[Arlene Salisbury]
Organize a "One Night Stand" community meeting where
residents would bring a night stand and discuss their project ideas
for Dundas using only the material on their night stand (an "ideas"
meeting).
[Penelope Hill]
Create a Dundas Jogging and Fitness Club to encourage residents
to be less dependent on the automobile, make use of the great outdoors,
and build stronger communities.
[Michael Everson]
Create and encourage the use of green, outdoor gyms - local playgrounds
can be retrofitted to include dynamic and versatile equipment suitable
for older persons, providing a solution for all ages.
[Warren Oda]
Share knowledge of previous generations by teaching skills to residents
that have been lost - e.g. sewing, cooking, canning, gardening,
using a circular saw, etc.
[Ray Reed] [Graeme MacQueen]
Create an annual community "swapfest/yardsale" to bring
the community together and recycle at the same time.
[Milica Pavlica]
Create a volunteer snow shoveling program (not snow blowing!),
geared towards helping seniors.
[Sarah Johnston]
Hold environmental challenges between different parts of the City
to reduce waste.
[Sarah Johnston]
Sponsor special environment days (e.g. leave your car at home day,
take your bags to the store day).
[Sarah Johnston]
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