FFWD Weekly
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News by FFWD Staff City looks into subsidized composting City council is expected to approve a plan to encourage Calgarians to compost organic waste instead of throwing it in the garbage. Under the proposal, the city would subsidize the cost of 10,000 composters by purchasing the units for just over $34, then selling them to residents for $20. The city would also provide $15,000 to the Clean Calgary Association to implement an education and training program. "I know other cities such as Edmonton have had really good composting programs, and Calgary has been a bit behind, so it’s a good thing for the city," says Rosalia Nastasi, project assistant for Clean Calgary. The initiative would cost about $157,000, however, it would also help divert waste from the landfill and increase its lifespan, currently estimated at 50 years. Similar programs have proven successful in other communities, and the plan will be presented to city council April 26. According to Nastasi, up to one-third per cent of residential waste can be composted, which decomposes and transforms organic material into a soil-like product called humus, a top-notch soil conditioner/ fertilizer that residents can use on their lawns and gardens. She adds that if 10,000 households start composting, it will make a difference. "We’re hoping that there is a momentum and that it will expand in Calgary," she says. "It’s a really good start." Although a recent Calgary Herald editorial condemned the plan, stating it would stink up neighbourhoods and attract rats, Clean Calgary’s executive director says those concerns are unfounded. "Thousands of people have tried it and done it successfully," says Victoria Knox. "With a little education and information, there should not be a problem with odour." She also called the suggestion that Alberta would no longer be rat free if Calgary adopted the composting program "fear mongering." "They’re sealed units, they screw directly into the ground, they come with a lid," she explains. "So, it doesn’t have easy access for rodents." Knox also points out that Edmonton has been backyard composting for several years, as does Vancouver and some communities in Ontario. "We’re one of the last major centres to look at doing this." Clean Calgary had already been planning to hold composting workshops when it was approached to be part of the proposed project – the association will offer workshops teaching people how to compost properly regardless of whether the city composting initiative is approved. A master composter/ recycler program is also planned, which would train representatives from different communities to provide information and assistance to residents. For more information about the workshops, call Clean Calgary at 230-1443. Film and television awards Two big events in Alberta’s film and television industry take place this weekend: the 25th Annual Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association (AMPIA) Awards, and the launch party for Women in Film and Television - Alberta (WIFT-A). AMPIA’s gala event, where they hand out Rosies to the best and brightest in 43 categories including news, commercial and video production as well as feature films, takes place this Saturday, April 24 at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre. The show will also be broadcast in Calgary live at 9 p.m. on Calgary 7 as well as on RDTV. On Friday, April 23, WIFT-A celebrates its official incorporation as a non-profit professional association with a bash at the Calgary Forces Base Studio Centre at 7 p.m. The Calgary-based organization is affiliated with other chapters around the world and in the future will provide screenings, guest speakers, lectures, workshops, a mentorship program and other opportunities for women in the industry to meet and network. Trina McQueen, president of the Discovery Channel and chair of the board of the Banff Television Festival, will give the keynote address, and entertainment for the evening will be provided by The Jump Daddies. For tickets, people in the media and entertainment industries can call Linda Hills at 221-3769, and for more information on WIFT-A you can contact Donna Boyle at 272-9252. Grizzly Park fails to protect grizzlies The new Grizzly Ridge Wildland Park created in Alberta’s Swan Hills area under the government’s Special Places program falls short of protecting the grizzlies that live there. Peter Lee, World Wildlife Fund’s regional director for Alberta, says the government claimed that grizzles are one of the important features of the park, but the size totals just 20 per cent of the home range of one adult male grizzly. "The size is way too small," he explains, adding that the park is one-seventh the size of Calgary. Lee says the boundaries appear to be more about avoiding interference with industry than ecological factors. Although there will be no commercial logging on the site, the future of the existing 15 oil and gas leases within the boundaries is unclear – a press release from Alberta Environmental Protections contradicts itself, stating that the area will "proceed free of any industrial activity," then stating that "new" commercial and industrial surface dispositions will not be permitted. The province had previously announced that existing leases will be honoured in Special Places sites, a policy which has drawn harsh criticism from Alberta conservation groups. "It seems to still be a bit debatable," says Lee. "It’s a real concern we have based on the track record of the government on these kinds of sites." However, the province has been clear about its intentions regarding "traditional and eco-tourism activities" – trapping, fishing and hunting will be allowed. Lee questions the decision to allow grizzly hunts in a protected area. The current grizzly population in the Swan Hills is less than 80 animals, a significant reduction from the estimated 400 that lived in the region in the 1940s and 1950s. He also disputes the environment minister’s claims that Alberta’s grizzly population is increasing, explaining that there is lack of reliable information. However, even if the claim is true, he says the province has a long way to go before it achieves the levels of 50 years ago and the government should exercise caution in managing sensitive, wide-range species. He compares the 85-per-cent decline in the number of grizzlies over this century to the 95-per-cent decline of tigers in Southeast Asia, noting that countries such as Canada often wag fingers at Third World Countries. "We, in fact, are doing no better a job here and we have no excuse not to because we’re so much wealthier." Lee adds that recent polls show the majority of Albertans favour protected area with no industrial use. "Year after year, poll after poll shows support of Albertans for protected areas." The 26,540-acre Grizzly Ridge Wildland Park, located southwest of Slave Lake, is home to the grizzlies of the Swan Hills, arctic grayling and several tree species not usually found in the Foothills. Grizzly Ridge is only a portion of the proposed Otauwau-Donnelly site, which would preserve a much larger area and protect Slave Lake’s fresh water supply. The designation of Grizzly Ridge Wildland Park brings the total number of sites designated under Special Places to 47, which includes more than 10 per cent of Alberta’s landbase. Special Places is the government program to complete a protected areas network by preserving representative examples of Alberta’s six natural regions and 20 sub-regions. The program has come under fire from conservationists due to its failure to meet the year 2000 deadline, and for allowing continued industrial and other damaging activities. Teachers Calgary public school teachers may issue strike notice after 94 per cent voted to reject the Calgary Board of Education’s latest offer. Classroom size has emerged as a major issue – teachers want to keep the existing pupil-teacher ratio of 18.9 per cent (including principals, vice-principals, librarians, teachers, etc.), while the board wants to implement a class-size cap ranging from 24 students for Grades 1 to 3, to 30 students for Grades 10 to 12 (subject to change). The board and its teachers are also at odds over pay, with the board offering 10 per cent over three years, and the union requesting seven per cent over two years. The Liberals and New Democrats are criticizing the province for failing to address funding shortfalls in Calgary, where classroom sizes are already the third largest of 41 public school boards in Alberta at 23.48 students per classroom teacher. Education Minister Gary Mar says the funding framework is being reviewed and he expects a report by the end of this spring.

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