Apr 22, 2016

Ladysmith Named One of Canada's Greenest Employers for Fifth Year in a Row

For the fifth year in a row, the Town of Ladysmith has been named one of “Canada’s Greenest Employers”.  The award recognizes the Town’s leadership in community sustainability and the organization-wide commitment to reducing its environmental footprint.

The “Canada’s Greenest Employers” Award is part of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition conducted by Mediacorp Canada.  The list of Green Employers award-winners is published on Earth Day – April 22 --  in The Globe and Mail and online. 

Mediacorp cited several reasons for choosing Ladysmith for the award, including:

  • The ongoing program of growing vegetables in former Town flower beds, and donating the crops to the Ladysmith Food Bank
  • The two electric charging stations the Town has installed in the community
  • The Community Sustainability Vision and Sustainability Action Plan, and the fact that Ladysmith Council formally adopted the “Declaration of the Right to a Healthy Environment” and joined the David Suzuki Foundation Blue Dot Initiative – and is encouraging other communities to do the same.

“One of the things we are most proud of this year is that the award now recognizes organizations whose green culture has a proven sustainability impact outside the organization,” said Mayor Aaron Stone.  “Even more important than making our own environmental footprint smaller and smaller, is showing leadership that makes a difference throughout our community and beyond.”

Ladysmith shares the 2016 Canada’s Greenest Employers award with 64 other green-minded employers, including BC Hydro, The Body Shop, Mountain Equipment Co-op, TELUS Corporation, Nature’s Path Food and RBC.  The Town is just one of four ‘Greenest Employer’ municipalities across Canada, and by far the smallest, joining the City of Calgary, City of Vancouver and City of Ottawa.

“We see this award as confirmation of how successful we can be when Council, staff and citizens work together to implement our Sustainability Vision and Action Plan,” said City Manager Ruth Malli.  “Council and Town employees are proud to share the 2016 Greenest Employers award with our community.”

Now entering its 10th year, Canada's Greenest Employers is an editorial competition that recognizes the employers who lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness. The winning employers, selected by the editors at Canada’s Top 100 Employers, are evaluated on the following criteria: (1) unique environmental initiatives or programs they have developed; (2) whether they have been successful in reducing their own environmental footprint; (3) whether their employees are involved in these programs and contribute any unique skills; and (4) whether their environmental initiatives have become linked to the employer’s public identity and attract new people to the organization. This competition grew out of two remarkable speeches by Al Gore and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the annual editorial conference on the Top 100 project in 2006 and 2007.

The 2016 award will soon join Ladysmith’s other Canada’s Greenest Employers awards on display in the showcase at the Frank Jameson Community Centre.  Full details on the Canada’s Greenest Employers program can be found at  www.canadastop100.com/green