About SENS

History and Directors

Index

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S.E.N.S. History

SENS has been active in B.C. for over 35 years, beginning as a volunteer group in 1971 when we initiated a glass recycling pilot study.

In 1982, we became a registered society under the name "The North Okanagan Recycling Society". Later we changed our name to "North Okanagan Waste Stewardship Society", because residents confused NORS with NORD, the North Okanagan Regional District.

The name change to "Sustainable Environment Network Society" reflects our broader range of activities promoting environmental care.

SENS’ purpose is to advocate solutions to environmental problems and provide a healthy, sustainable future for our community. Its capacity to strengthen the community's environmental sustainability has been proven through a variety of initiatives, including:

  • establishing and successfully running one of the first regional recycling programs in BC. This program was later privatized and then sold to the Regional District.
  • developing and implementing environmental education initiatives for the local school districts, including a classroom blue box recycling program still operating today.
  • educating the community about recycling and environmental issues via a widely distributed newsletter, letters to local papers and speakers brought in for general meetings and public forums.
  • establishing, through the Community Foundation of the North Okanagan, an Environmental Trust Fund for possible scholarships or future initiatives.
  • working on Waste Management policy development in conjunction with the North Okanagan Regional District prior to implementation of the Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) for our area in 1995. A member of our Society presently sits on the SWMP Committee as a public voting representative.
  • engaging in public education which resulted in SWMP deciding to recycle much solid waste instead of using incineration, which had been the plan.
  • establishing a fall leaf exchange event to reduce landfill waste and encourage home composting and leaf use instead of of chemical fertilizers. The program is now part of the city's advertising for garden leaf removal. Waste haulers collect much less, due to private citizens taking a more responsible approach to their gardening practices.
  • developing and coordinating an organic community garden allotment program which linked more than 30 gardeners with garden plots owned by other individuals in the community.
  • with the support of a $120,000 Human Resources Development Canada Grant, developing and coordinating a "Growing Hope and Skills Program" to train 12 unemployed youth about sustainable gardening, composting and environmental practices.
  • bringing in speakers on a variety of sustainable environment topics every year (air quality, health effects of pesticides, alternatives to lawn/yard chemicals, sustainable architecture, global climate change and future possibilities with alternative energy).
  • In November 2003, SENS organized a Forum on Water entitled: “Water – a Myth of Abundance?” that was held at OUC. Jim Hamilton was moderator and guest speakers were Al Cotsworth, Dale Danallanko, Hugh Hamilton and Sharon Mackenzie. Among the many issues raised were the quality of the water we drink, the effects of recycling grey water, and whether enough clean water will be available in the future.

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Ongoing

  • INFLUENCING CITY HALL – Encouraging the City of Vernon to accept and work with an Environmental Advisory Committee composed of members from several non-profit environmental groups.
  • ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES - Obtaining funding (over $20,000 so far) from several granting institutions to install and provide hands-on education about alternative energies (solar, wind, micro-hydro) at the local Okanagan Science Centre (OSC) and also to educate the public about cosmetic pesticides and alternatives at the OSC via interactive games and display materials.
  • BANNING COSMETIC PESTICIDES - Via letters, petitions and speaking at various clubs in town, SENS is raising the awareness of the public about pesticides and children's health. We are asking for a ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides on public green spaces. Numerous other Canadian communities have already done so and we hope that Vernon will agree to follow suit.
  • CHANGING LANES ... See our Projects on S.E.N.S. HOME ...

S.E.N.S. Board of Directors

Sigrid-Ann Thors (co-Chair)

David Jackson (co-Chair)

Julia Lissau (Treasurer)

Mary Stockdale (Secretary)

Terry Dyck

Huguette Allen

Celia Auclair



Sigrid-Ann Thors (co-Chair)

Sigrid-Ann is a retired manager/teacher and a former City Councillor & Mayor. She is presently Government appointee to the Okanagan University College Board.

Previous work experience is varied: commercial fisherman and vessel owner (gillnetter and seiner) on the Pacific Coast, classroom music and band teacher from kindergarten to college, senior Industrial Consultant, Employment and Immigration Canada (Ottawa), and General manager of "Thirteen Strings", Saskatoon and Prince George Symphonies.

Sigrid-Ann is still doing much volunteer work in our community. Past volunteer work includes Board work with NRG Action, Vernon, and with the North Okanagan Recycling Society.



David Jackson (co-Chair)



Julia Lissau (Treasurer)

Julia is semi-retired and spends numerous volunteer hours writing grant applications or managing their spending! She sends out a newsletter most months to keep all members and friends of SENS in touch with environmental news from the local, provincial, national, and international scene.

Interests include playing in the local Mark Rose Swing Band and the Second Wind Band, as well as reading, hiking, cycling, canoeing, backpacking, and organic gardening (it's a jungle out there, in the summer!)



Mary Stockdale (Secretary)

Mary and her family moved to Vernon in September 2006. Her educational/work background is in forestry.

She works overseas 2-3 times a year as a consultant, mainly in Southeast Asia, on community-based forest management projects. She is also a part-time lecturer on environmental subjects at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO).

As a volunteer she co-edits a regular biweekly column in the Morning Star, is a member of several environmental groups, and is organizing a bicycle tour across BC this summer (2007) to provide British Columbians with an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to action on climate change.



Terry Dyck

Terry first became involved with SENS near the end of the 1980's when it was known as ‘The North Okanagan Recycling Society’.vHis father, Jack Dyck, was one of the founding members of recycling in Vernon.

As owner of a natural food store in Vernon for 14 years, Terry exemplified his concern for safe, clean, and healthy food. Over the years, he has also shown a great interest in many of the environmental issues dealt with by SENS. Global Warming is one issue Terry believes is extremely important, because it will affect not only our climate but also our fresh water supply and the quality of air we breathe.



Huguette Allen

Lumby, 250-547-0272    

Now the federal Green Party candidate for the Okanagan-Shuswap riding, Huguette comes from Québec, most recently the Gaspé coast, where she co-owned and operated Imagine-Ere, an partnership that designed and ran educational camps and holidays. She moved near Lumby in 2003 to live closer to her family.

Her greatest concerns are overpopulation, over-consumption, and over-development. She is alarmed at the rate of destruction of habitats, and joins her voice to the many groups who fight this eco-destruction.

Huguette has been president of the Québec Regional Council for the Environment (Gaspé division) and has been a director of the Environnement Vert-Plus ecologist group of the Gaspé since 1994. As well, she represented her region’s environmental groups on the Regional Developmental Council.

Huguette is a consultant who prides herself on helping small and medium sized organizations get the most productivity through better organization and teamwork. She has worked closely with Mi’gmaq communities teaching computer skills and developing various training programs for teens and adults.



Celia Auclair



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