Welcome to KEN

Change in the Air!

Join KEN for our 'Change in the Air' seminar series. We are showcasing a wide array of 'green' products and services that can help you reduce your reliance on fossil fuels and slow climate change. The focus is on meaningful, practical information that Kanata residents can use to move toward a more sustainable lifestyle. All are welcome.

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Up Next

Green Gardening with Ed Lawrence
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
7 pm to 9 pm
Glen Cairn United Church
140 Abbeyhill Drive, Kanata
Donations of $2 appreciated
**MAP**

Ed Lawrence recently retired after thirty years as head gardener for Rideau Hall and six other official residences in the National Capital Region. Ed shares his gardening expertise every Monday on the CBC's noon-time gardening show, "Ontario Today." At our May seminar, he will delve into low-impact gardening and answer your questions. He will also be available to sign copies of his new book, Gardening with Ed.


Change in Location!

Due to growing interest in our seminar series, the May event on Green Gardening will be held at the Glen Cairn United Church, 140 Abbeyhill Drive, Kanata. This is our first seminar at this location.


Plant a Tree for Free!

The City of Ottawa is giving away one free tree per household. Click here for more info.
Past Seminars

Garbage! - April 2008
This event focused on how much garbage we produce and highlighted practical ways in which Kanata residents can reduce the amount placed at the curb. We screened the film Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home, a humorous look at one Toronto family's three-month garbage-tracking experiment. Local organizations that offer solutions for reducing our garbage output set up information tables: the Red Dot Campaign to reduce junk mail; the Rethink Garbage team for the City of Ottawa; the Inside the Bottle campaign to encourage the use of tap water instead of bottled water; the Extraordinary Baby Shoppe, a source for cloth diapers and other environmentally friendly baby items; and Kanata Freestore, Kanata's own online item exchange website. For more info about reuse and recycling in Kanata, click here.

Ground Source Heat Pumps - February 2008
This event provided residents with information about replacing their existing heating and air conditioning systems with a ground source heat pump (GSHP). Our guest speaker was Erik Thorsteinson, a Research Engineer from the Sustainable Buildings and Communities Group at Natural Resouces Canada's CANMET Energy Technology Centre. For more information about GSHPs, see our Ground Source Heating and Cooling section. For a PDF of Erik's slides, click here. To listen to a Podcast of this talk, click here. It will take a few minutes to load, and you need Apple QuickTime. Download QuickTime.

Eating Locally - January 2008
This seminar focused on why we should source more of our food from local farmers and how to get access to it. The event was an interactive session was led by guest speaker Moe Garahan, Director of Ottawa's Just Food organization. Six local farmers and representatives from farm coops and markets set up information tables with samples of their delicious local fare. For more info about how to eat locally, click here. To hear a Podcast of this presentation, click here. It will take a few minutes to load, and you need Apple QuickTime. Download QuickTime.

Solar Energy Systems - November 2007
Keynote speaker Jeff Knapp, a solar expert from Natural Resources Canada, gave an excellent overview of solar technologies and related government incentives. For a PDF file of his presentation, click here.

Home Energy Audits - October 2007
This event featured a lively talk by Jonatham Ham, a home energy auditor from Green Home Inspections. For a PDF file of his presentation, click here.