Terrace, BC -- At its Connection 2024 pre-conference forum, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICAN) addressed the role of education in delivering a green transition with the question, “How can colleges and institutes meet the climate change commitments of the Paris Climate Accord?”
One of CICAN’s initiatives, ImpAct-Climate, which is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada, raises awareness of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within Canada’s college and institute sector, and provides tools and resources to facilitate meaningful, lasting change. Institutions are invited to turn their campuses into practical demonstration sites that integrate applied research and teaching with campus operations, culture, and infrastructure in ways that maximize sustainability.
The Coast Mountain College (CMTN) Work-Integrated Learning Department (WILD) successfully applied for CICAN funding to participate in the third Campus Living Labs cohort (2024-25). CMTN will collaborate with an established community partner, ‘Ksan Society, to embark on a project aimed at reducing GHG emissions at ‘Ksan Place, enhancing their food security program, and raising awareness of climate change.
The Professional Cook (PCook) Program at CMTN includes food processing and harvesting as part of its curriculum. ‘Ksan Place produces food, but lacks the means to preserve the quantity the garden currently produces. Together, ‘Ksan Place and CMTN identified that a commercial freeze-dryer and large refrigerator housed on the society’s premises would reduce food waste and GHGs through processing food that would otherwise be discarded.
This collaboration would contribute to ongoing food security for the community population served by the society and, at the same time, allow the college access to the freeze-dryer, thus eliminating the need to expand the buildings on campus. The space allows for further collaboration with Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Keepers to explore ways in which cultural practices contribute to food security and sustainability.
The partnership plans to raise awareness of the project through several avenues:
- engaging CMTN students from the Professional Cook Program, the chemistry class, and the statistics class.
- relying on student use of social media, which functions as “word of mouth”
- inviting community members and to engage via socials and direct contact with ’Ksan Place programs
The Freeze Dryer ready for use at 'Ksan Place.
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Media Contact
Heather Bastin
Executive Director, External Relations
hbastin@coastmountaincollege.ca
250-635-6511 ext. 5494