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What � s Inside Art of Being Green July 15 - 16 3Native Garden Experiment 3In REAL Life 4In Memory of Noreen & Ken Morgan 4Reused Materials, Renewed Environment 5 The Tree is Here 6Summer Events Coordinator 6 Well Aware Visits are Back! 6Energuide for Houses 6July 26 Movie � Inconvenient Truth � 7Mould Workshop 8Announcements 8

2006 Environmental Awards Presented

At its Annual General Meeting June 21, REALpresented its Environmental Awards to somevery worthy recipients.

Wills Transfer. The winner of the BusinessAward was Wills Transfer for the company �ssubstantial efforts to reduce energy use, andtherefore costs, greenhouse gas emissions, smogand particulate matter, by their trucks.

Wills has implemented astrategy to addressdriving speed and idling.By July 1, 2006 it willhave 26 trucks equippedwith auxiliary power

units that reduce idling while maintaining keyfunctions, such as refrigeration, with the engineshut off. This will lead to an annual reduction ofGreen House Gas emissions by 4.5 tonnes pervehicle.

In addition, Wills has governed all trucks to 103KM per hour. The trucks have automatictransmissions that ensure that the motors operateat the most efficient manner. Even though theirolder, experienced drivers think that they can dobetter with a manual transmission, it is proventhat due to driver fatigue and inattention, eventhe best driver can not get the fuel efficiency outof a truck that an automatic transmission can.Wills also specifies larger 24 � tires, instead ofthe standard 22" tire; has a regular maintenanceprogram that includes tire pressure tests; and hasroof fairings on all their highway trucks toreduce wind drag � � all designed to increase fuelefficiency.

Monica Taylor. The winner of theEnvironmental Award to an outstandingindividual was Monica Taylor.

Last year, Monica was a grade 8 student atDuncan J. Schoular Public School. She set out todo a World Conservation Award project tofeature a conservation issue of importance toCanada and the world, but that would berecognizable in her community. She took a leadrole in planning and conducting an � anti-idling"campaign at her school that encouraged driversto not idle their vehicles.

During her campaign, she made presentations toeach Grade 1 - 6 class in the school; gavestickers to the students and colouring pages tothe primary students; produced pamphlets for thestudents to take home to their parents and spreadthe word; placed posters around the school;installed two very large banners, one in the frontwindow of the school for drivers to see; andposted a permanent sign near the school's frontentrance that drivers could easily see. (continued inside)

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REAL thanks Monica Taylor for taking theinitiative to organize this very valuablecampaign, for reducing idling at her school andfor showing us that everyone can make adifference.

Susan Brandum. Sue Brandum was presentedwith the Environmental Award for a REALmember for her vision and leadership inestablishing "The REAL DEAL Store andEnvironment Centre".

Sue was the REAL member who saw thepromise of expanding REAL �s Reuse Centreinto a larger enterprise that would reduce waste,provide job and volunteer opportunities, andeventually provide sustaining funding forREAL's other projects. Her knowledge,experience and networking with otherorganizations allowed her to put all the piecestogether to make the REAL DEAL happen. Suewrote the successful funding proposals :Trillium Foundation, the Lanark CountyEnhancement Found, CEDTAP, ValleyHeartland Eastern Ontario Development Fund. Those who have played the funding game, knowthat funding applications require hours of work,with no guarantee of a return, yet she took thisdifficult task on willingly. Thankfully Sue isnow receiving some part-time hours for her roleas Executive Director of The REAL DEAL, butthis amount is far exceeded by her volunteerhours and commitment to the REAL DEAL. This has been in addition to her many volunteerhours spent on other REAL activities, including EnerGuide, Well Aware, last years Anti-Idlingcampaign, and part icipation on the REALBoard.

Guy Saumure and Sons. REAL presentedChris Saumure and Guy Saumure and Sons Ltd.with a Certificate of Appreciation for theirongoing and substantial support for REAL, forThe REAL DEAL Store and Environment Centreand for the community at large.

It is through the Saumures � generosity thatREAL is using the space at 72 Lombard Streetfor the REAL DEAL. We are pleased to havethe support of the space, but also the support ofour concept, as in their line of work they toohave realized the unnecessary waste ofpotentially reusable construction materials andfurniture, and make regular contributions ofgood renovation waste to the store. Coincidentally,Saumure'spurchase of theformer SFDCI ledto anotherprofitablepartnership, whereREAL madearrangements tosell the large quantity of office furniture had thatbeen left behind . A very successful March salenetted over $3,000 towards the operations of theREAL DEAL and diverted about three quartersof that furniture from landfill.

Honorary Members. REAL also presentedHonourary Memberships to Barb Hicks andSusan Brandum for their � dedication, supportand supreme effort provided to an on behalf ofthe Rideau Environmental Action League �through the years. Other REAL HonoraryMembers include Peter Au, Elva Corless, IsobelConlin and Rita Burtch.

Halina Shannan, Manager of The REAL DEALStore, presented Brenda King and Barb Hickswith the first REALEE awards for theirenergetic volunteer contributions to the store.

REAL has been presenting environmentalawards to deserving individual and groupswithin our community since 1992.

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Art of Being Green - July 15 and 16

Want to know about cars that get super highmileage? Houses that don � t need extra energy?Solar energy? Then the Art of Being GreenFestival is your one-stop shop. Come out toLanark Village the weekend of July 15 and 16.Workshops include Biodiesel Basics and Beyondwith William Kemp; The Energy EfficientHouse: Myths and Realities with Ross Elliott;Advanced Technology Vehicles with JohnNeufeld; Cloth Diapering and You with TrishWilliams; LEED and Net Zero Energy Housingwith Woytek Kujawski of CMHC; Youth andSustainable Development with Hillary Barter;How Green Improvements can Add Value toYour Home with Bridget O �Flaherty of RoyalLepage Gale Real Estate; Wells and Septics withSusan Brandum and a cooking session featuringlocal, organic food from Lanark County.

Native Garden Experiment

You may have noticed a garden near the frontentrance to The REAL DEAL that is not quitewhat you are used to. We are trying to establisha native plant garden, mostly wildflowers, bothto look nice and to demonstrate the benefits ofnative plants.

As native plants are adapted to local conditions,they are less susceptible to pests and diseasesand require less water. So they are lowmaintenance. They also propogate themselvesfreely, so save the cost of having to buy newplants every year. In addition, these plants arefamiliar favourites to the local wildlife,particularly birds, butterflies and insects.

The garden was planted by Angela Northfieldand Barb Hicks, and is a collection of hardy,tried and true perennials from their own gardens,including yarrow, primrose, and echinacea,lupins, bitterroot, ditch lilies and black-eyedsusan; a few purchases of aster, gallardia, beebalm, bellflower and mallow, and other plantsthat grow wild on our own properties, roadside

or fields. Some of these are Queen Anne �s lace,daisies, Canada anemone, fleabane, andcolumbine. Once you start looking forwildflowers, you will see that there is really anamazing variety out there.

In the strip along the walkway we areestablishing violets and wild strawberry. Theforget-me-not seeds plants don � t seem to havecome up.

So far it is looking very colourful. We haveallowed lots of space for each plant as they willfill in nicely by next year. Be patient. It is beingwatered and weeded while it is established, butwill require minimal maintenance. A diagramwill eventually be available to identify theplants.

The label � native � maynot be entirely accuratefor a few of the plantsthere. For example, thereis a native echinacea orpurple coneflower, butwhat we have plantedmay be a cultivated form. The confusion arisesbecause many plants areknown by their commonname. The way todifferentiate is by acomplete, Latin botanical name. A similarsituation exists for the evening primrose andbellfower (campanula) that we have planted.

Native plant gardening is a learning experiencefor us. If you have specific knowledge aboutnative plants, or have anything you would like tocontribute, particularly any low growing plants,such as forget-me-nots, please get in touch. Wewould also like to get some wild bergamot.

Drop by The REAL DEAL and see how many ofthe plants you recognize. While you are there, pick up our recently revised � Guide to BuyingNative Plants in Lanark, Leeds and GrenvilleCounties � , which will tell you what to look for

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when purchasing native plants, and who are thelocal suppliers. Two excellent online plantdatabases are available through the EvergreenFoundation � s site, www.evergreen.ca, and theCanadian Wildlife Federation site,www.wildaboutgardening.org. You may alsolike to visit the Fletcher Wildlife Gardenadjacent to the Arboretum in Ottawa for ideas.

In REAL Life

Pitch-In Smiths Falls. Another successfulcommunity litter cleanup took place April 24 toMay 6. Throughout the two weeks, 648residents volunteered, including 17 communitygroups. Together they collected 178 bags ofgarbage and 13 bags of recyclables. The Pitch-In Blitz Saturday, May 6 was pretty much rainedout, but those who came enjoyed the lunch andslides at the Legion afterwards. Thanks toeveryone who contributed!

Wanted. The REAL DEAL is still on thelookout for a mini � bar � fridge for drinks andlunches. Sorry, we do not have space for a fullsized fridge.

As a result of last issue �s wanted list, wereceived several plaque mountedenvironmental posters. Thanks to SommerRobertson, Communications Coordinator forthe Source Water Protection program of RideauValley Conservation Authority for thinking ofus.

Paulette, a regular visitor to The REAL DEALhas provided us a large quantity of datura, orangel flower, and morning glory plants. Theyhave been planted along the fence at the end ofthe parking lot , and will provide an at tractivescreen against the (occasional) chaos behind inthe yard.

Did you know that there is a per pickup charge toyour municipality to collect materials from yourblue box? So, please, only put your blue box out when it is full, so we can get the most bangfor our bucks.

If you were unable to make it to the AGM andBBQ on Wednesday, June 21 and would like tosee a copy of the Annual Report , please callcontact Karen at 283-4604 orkaren@falls.igs.net, who can provide you with aprint or electronic copy.

We recycle. Remember that we accept used cellphones and printer ink cartridges at the REALDEAL for recycling. The phones earn moneyfor REAL, and the print cartridges earn moneyfor the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Rain barrels from Arbour EnvironmentalShoppe are available at the REAL DEAL. The45 gallon deluxe model is double screened (todiscourage mosquito breeding), childproof, andhas an overflow at the top and a tap at thebottom. You can even connect them. At $79this is a great value, as a similar virgin plasticbarrel from another major retailer costs $90.

Kill-a-watt Meters. These handy devices arestill available to rentfrom the Smiths FallsPublic Library. Nowwould be a good time tosee how much energyyour unit air conditionersor dehumidifiers areguzzling.

In Memory of Noreen and K en Morgan We were saddened to learn of the passing of longtime members and supporters of REAL, Noreenand Ken Morgan. Noreen was an organizer andcontributor to REAL � s three Art Auctions, andKen was active on the Fundraising Committee,particularly as an organizer of our benefitconcerts by the Central Band of the CanadianForces. Their contributions to the communitywill be greatly missed.

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Reused Materials for a RenewedEnvironment

It � s hard to believe that it � s been four monthssince the opening of the REAL DEAL Store andEnvironment Centre that incredibly stormy dayin late February.

The store is finally taking on it �s own sense ofident ity. There is a diverse group of peopleworking, volunteering, shopping and sometimesjust hanging out there. Pulling this grouptogether has been a challenging task for Halina,the Store Manager. She also reports there morephysical work than she expected involved inmanaging all the items that go through theREAL DEAL.

Business has been good.

" Virtually every item used in the building,from office furniture and supplies to equipment has been donated. Even atsecond hand prices this is well worthover $5000 in-kind.

" Over 20,000 kgs. of goods have gone outfrom the store since February.

" May turn over in the Free Store of closeto 2,000 kg. means we are now movingthrough the Free Store in one month whatthe Reuse Centre used to do in one year.

" By the end of May we had more than1300 visitors to the store, 70% of whomare from Smiths Falls, and 21% fromPerth.

" Donations are coming in on a regularbasis and we are well supplied . Keepingup with the sorting and storage of itemsis the current � problem � .

" Sales in June were just over $2000 andare increasing slowly. We need to bringin about $5000 a month on a regularbasis.

Feedback received from customers is excellent �they think the store is a brilliant and neededcommunity project. They are very supportive of

the environmental aims of this endeavour andpositive word of mouth is increasing visitors tothe store.

It would be impossible to run the store withoutour many volunteers. The guys from OntarioWorks do a great job for us, and receive on thejob training and attend employment skillsworkshops. As time goes on there is a bettersense that the group is working as a team, andare developing a sense of accomplishment withthe work they are doing here.

The efforts of the volunteers inherited from theoriginal Free Store have been amazing as well. These volunteers come in on Wednesdays andSaturdays, helping to keep the store in order, andare usually kept very busy unpacking endlessnumbers of boxes.

A new volunteer, Cathey Delahunt has been referred to us from KEYS. She assists in theoffice, store and even participates in pickups anddeliveries. Josh Van Alstine continues to help inthe store most afternoons. Wayne McCoshen isnow handling the pick ups and deliveries ofmaterials for the store.

The REAL DEAL has become a focal point forother activities as well. The Smiths Falls andDistrict Club for Youth cleaned up outside thestore during Pitch In week, the store served as apickup point for the Computers for Kidsprogram, Katimavik participants did a variety oftasks to mark Earth Day, and another Katimavikcrew will be running a tire pressure clinic July 8. The volunteers are planning various � non-work �related events such as BBQ � s and musicsessions.

The focus in coming months will be improvedmarketing, especially to buyers and to donors ofrenovation materials. So far information hasbeen sent to contractors and cot tage associations,and hundreds of fliers and posters have beendistributed. A logo and sign for the REALDEAL is being developed. Our tag line will be: � Reused materials for a renewed environment. �

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Please stop by the store if you haven �t already. New items come and go every day, so you neverknow what you �ll find, and the floor planchanges regularly! The REAL DEAL staff canbe reached at 283-7999.

With thanks to Halina for information from hermonthly reports and AGM address.

The Tree is Here!

At long last, REAL �s 15th

Anniversary Tree, a red oak,has been planted on EvergreenAvenue. It is located near theentrance way to the lowerlevel, the second tree near thecluster of shrubs on the side ofLombard St. REAL wascreated on Halloween night, 1989, so it is withgreat relief that the tree in finally off the Board �sagenda and into the ground!

Summer Events Coordinator Hired

REAL has our Summer Events Coordinatorhired. Keely Maddock has just graduated fromSt. John � s Catholic High School in Perth, andwill be taking on the task of planning,coordinating, promoting and delivering varioussummer events based on REAL �s environmentalprograms. In addition to the coordinator dut ies,she will be responding to phone and in-personrequests for information and assisting in theREAL DEAL Store occasionally. Keely jumpedinto REAL �s activities immediately, by helpingour at the AGM and BBQ the day after she washired, despite having a chemistry exam the nextday!

Keely will be working from an office at TheREAL DEAL Tuesday through Saturday unt ilthe end of the summer when she will be movingto Waterloo to attend Wilfred Laurier University.

Well Aware Visits are Back!

Do you have questions about your well, yourwater supply, your septic system? LL Green isonce again providing information and aconfidential visit program to help you learn howthese vital rural systems work, and how you canavoid problems. Well Aware visits are onlyavailable until the fall, so call now to arrangeone. It � s free and we stress, it � s confidential. CallThe REAL DEAL Environment Centre at 283-9500 with any questions and to book a visit.

Recipients of the visit in the past have said thatthey � finally � understood their well and septicsystem; that no one had ever provided them withsuch information before; and that they welcomedgetting information from a third party, not abusiness or regulator who had a vested interest.

Well Aware, a project ofGreen CommunitiesCanada, encouragesOntario �s residential wellowners to protect theirwells and our commongroundwater supplies. This project has receivedfunding support from the Ontario Ministry of theEnvironment . Well Aware is endorsed by theCanadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors -Ontario Branch, Conservation Ontario, and theOntario Federation of Agriculture. TheAssociation of Professional Geoscientists ofOntario provides technical support.

Well Aware home visits, conducted by trainedand cert ified Water Guides, help rural wellowners identify priorities for action to protecttheir drinking water source. For moreinformation visit www.wellaware.ca.

EnerGuide for Houses by Susan Brandum

On May 13, the federal government cancelledboth the EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit

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Incentive and the EnerGuide for Low IncomeHouseholds programs, effectively crippling thebasic EnerGuide for Houses program. The outcryfrom the provinces, territories, business, utilities,environmentalorganizations and thenew industry that hadgrown up to provide theservices � includingREAL/LL Green � wasphenomenal.

This has caused the government to backtrack andrethink its decision. Combined with theopposition to its posit ion on the Kyoto Protocol,the government is now examining what it will doto address climate change, polluted air andenergy waste in Canada and promises anannouncement in mid-September.

Vigilance is the order of the day. Media reportssuggest this government doesn � t understand thedecades of serious development that have goneinto building programs like the EnerGuide forHouses � what the Deputy Mayor of London,England called � the best science-basedresidential efficiency program (in) & the world. �

A recent report says the government isconsidering sending all of us a free CD with aself-audit on it. We know, from too many yearsof work, that only a small fraction of people willtruly apply such a program. We also know a lotabout what does work, the EGH works, theincentive program works � not so much becauseof the money, but because of the socialmarketing action of homeowners making acommitment to take actions in order to get theincentive. Sales tax reductions on double andtriple-glazed windows in Manitoba in the 1970spersuaded people to buy them instead of single-glazed, and contributed to building a verysuccessful national window industry based inWinnipeg. The list goes on and the governmentreally only needs to go back in its archives to seethat. It doesn � t have to start from Go, it can pickup and improve upon what we have alreadydeveloped and know works.

Climate change and energy efficiency should notbe political issues. Businesspeople gathered at aDavos meeting called climate change � the � issuefacing mankind, the Pentagon has called climatechange � the security issue � (not terrorism). Weowe it to ourselves to get beyond politicalargument , and to simply get on with it , ideallywith government, but without it if need be.

You can arrange to have an EnerGuide forHouses through LL Green. Simply call 283-9500.

Wed. July 26 Green Movie Night with � An Inconvenient Truth �

Join REAL, ecoPerth and Film NightInternational for a special screening of � AnInconvenient Truth � at the Post Elmsley Drive-intheatre on Wednesday, July 26. Show starts atsunset.

This documentary by long-time TV director andproducer Davis Guggenheim stuns audienceswith its shocking message: unless we act now,planet Earth could face a major environmentalcatastrophe that would instigate a tail-spin ofdestruction as early as 2015.

Guggenheimexamines thissituation byfollowingformer USVice-President AlGore's ferventcrusade tohalt the deadly progress of global warming.Exposing the myths and misconceptions thatsurround this hot-button topic, Gore appeals tothe world's citizens to make the necessarychanges before it's too late. Don't miss youropportunity to see this documentary whichshould be required viewing for all. (Ontariorating G) Tip: Bring baby carriage mosquito netsto put over your car windows.

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Tickets will be sold at the box office the night ofthe screening and will be $7.00 per person. But ifyou load up your car, you can save bucks andemissions. In honour of the event, and courtesyof ecoPerth, there will be a maximum entrancefee of $14 per carload. Door prizes too! Forfurther information call 267-1224 or 267-2257.

Mould Workshop Stresses Good Ventilation

REAL was pleased to co-sponsor a workshop onJune 15 featuring Jim White, an internationalexpert on mould, indoor air quality and housing. White addressed a packed audience of housingexperts from Lanark County, covering thesources of mould and pollutants in the home andsolutions. Ongoing ventilation in a house is themain defense against pollutants. Having a leakyhouse is no assurance of having good air quality.Most houses, old and new, require mechanicalventilation to provide adequate amounts of freshair. Watch for more tips from this informativeworkshop in the next issue of the REAL Update.

Announcements

Every Saturday this summer, watch for adifferent environmental feature at The REALDEAL, starting with tire pressure July 8, 11 - 3.

Every Saturday until September 22, 8 a.m. until12 noon, Household Hazardous Waste Depotfor residents of Smiths Falls and Lanark Countyat Town of Carleton Place Waste CompostFacility, Patterson Cres. off of McNeeley Ave.

Smiths Falls Chocolate and Railway Festival,July 14 - 16. REAL is presenting Children �sCrafts on Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and coordinating placement of recycling receptaclesat the event. Watch for the Voyageur Canoetours being offered by the Rideau Roundtable.

Lanark Art of Being Green Festival in theVillage of Lanark, Saturday and Sunday July 15and 16. REAL will be presenting two sessionson Wells & Septics and EnerGuide for Houses.

July, 26 at sunset, � An Inconvenient Truth � atthe Port Elmsley Drive-in. Cost is $7 per personor $14 a car. Sponsored by REAL, ecoPerth andFilm Night International.

Membership and Rates

REAL membership fees are: Individuals - $15,Family - $20 , Students - $5 and Corporate - $50. If you are not already a member, please join us! Contact Frank Roy at 264-8856 orFroy@perth.igs.net.

Next Issue

Submissions for the September issue can be sentto dhicks11@cogeco.ca by August 20, 2006 orcall Barb at 283-9966.

Contact Us

REAL Phone: (613) 284-8338E-mail: info@rideauenvironmentalactionleague.org

Mail: Box 1061, Smiths Falls, ON K7A 5A5Web: www.REALaction.ca

LLGreenPhone: (613) 267-2257E-mail: sbrandum@cogeco.ca

The REAL DEAL Store andEnvironmentCentre72 Lombard St., Smiths Falls ON K7A 4G5Phone: (613) 283-7999E-mail: hshannan@realdealstore.caHours: Tues. - Sat. 9 - 5, Sat. 9 - 2

To Book Well-Aware or EnerGuide VisitsPhone: (613) 283-9500.