On Sunday, March 30th, in partnership with the Greater Avalon Community Association (GACA), CAFES co-hosted a wonderful event at École secondaire publique Gisele-Lalonde in Orléans. Despite the challenging weather, attendees were treated to informative and inspiring presentations from the Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa and Pace E-bikes, highlighting the latest in sustainable transportation. While the freezing rain prevented us from hosting the planned test drives, we look forward to future events where we can offer this exciting opportunity.
We were pleased to hear from MPP Stephen Blais, Ward 2 Councillor Laura Dudas, and representatives from several Orléans Community Associations, who delivered thoughtful remarks about the importance of sustainability and community efforts to combat climate change. In addition, Melanie Ouellette from the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library (located right in Orleans!) shared a few words and had an information table where attendees could learn more about their efforts to preserve and share native plant seeds.
After a tasty lunch, attendees participated in Climate Fresk, an interactive and educational climate change board game that encourages collaboration and learning about the geo-physics, relationships and causalities of climate change. The event was fully bilingual, ensuring that all community members could participate and fully share in the experience.
The event brought together members from all three Orleans wards, fostering meaningful connections and networking. We hope that this will be the founding event of a dynamic greater Orleans region CAFES sub-caucus -- the first of many events to come. We are grateful for the dedicated participation and the positive energy shared by those who attended, despite the challenging weather, and we look forward to future gatherings that continue to build a greener, more connected community.
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If you want to co-organize an eco-day in your community and stage an EV info and demo session or a Climate Fresk session, do not hesitate to contact Mitzi at info@cafesottawa.ca .
