Contact:
Christopher Gully, Carbon Talks, 778.782.8851, cgully@sfu.ca

Scott McLean, SFU Vancouver, 778.782.5151, srmclean@sfu.ca

Photo/timelines: http://at.sfu.ca/nJeNAz

From its early days of incorporation, to the foundation of Stanley Park and the Parks Board, to the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan and even the recent expansion of the food scraps recycling program, the City of Vancouver’s “Green” history is as rich as it is colourful.

In a celebration of this legacy, Carbon Talks at Simon Fraser University is launching a Green History of Vancouver Timeline, an interactive online tool, researched in part by students, to detail the important events that have helped shape the city.

“When I started Carbon Talks I made the assertion that it wasn’t by accident that we emerged out of Vancouver,” says Carbon Talks executive director Shauna Sylvester.

“I said that we were part of a green city movement, but I didn’t really know for sure beyond the slogans that we see here until we put together this research project to figure it out.”

The result, which will be launched at an event at SFU’s Vancouver campus on December 4, from 3-5 p.m., is based on extensive research and interviews conducted with those who experienced the history first hand, a list that includes former mayors and city councilors, urban planners, city officials, NGOs, and green business leaders.  

While the launch is taking place on December 4, the process for the timeline is ongoing, as Carbon Talks is actively seeking additional contributions from various sectors and the public, a process they will continue to review over the next two years.  

Carbon Talks is a partnership of SFU’s Centre for Dialogue, Beedie School of Business, the School for Public Policy and the School for International Studies, and has a goal to advance Canadian global competitiveness by shifting to a low-carbon economy.

• What: Green History of Vancouver Timeline launch

• When: December 4, 2012, 3-5 p.m.
• Where: SFU Vancouver, Harbour Centre, Room 1400, 515 West Hastings St.
  

Simon Fraser University is Canada's top-ranked comprehensive university and one of the top 50 universities in the world under 50 years old. With campuses in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey, B.C., SFU engages actively with the community in its research and teaching, delivers almost 150 programs to more than 30,000 students, and has more than 120,000 alumni in 130 countries.

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Simon Fraser University: Engaging Students. Engaging Research. Engaging Communities.