Green conference returns with bigger line-up

Sustainable Building and Living 2011: Solar BC, year-round gardening, Earthships and more

“The phone lines are open...” In this case, it’s registration phone lines that are open for the Sustainable Building and Living Conference in Kimberley, taking place on January 28 and 29, 2011 at the College of the Rockies Kimberley Campus. The speakers are set, a conference webpage is up and running, and registration is on a first-call, first-in basis.

Erna Jensen-Shill, with Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook, says this year’s conference might even outshine last year’s, which sold out. “Hundreds attended last year,” Jensen-Shill said. “And there were waiting lists for workshops. Lots of people in the region are intensely interested in cutting-edge, on-the-ground approaches to green building and sustainable living.”

Jensen-Shill said the upcoming conference will be bigger and better, with more speakers, more workshops and more time to network with leading thinkers in sustainability.

“From Earthships to Net Zero Homes, from building code experts to the head of SolarBC, and from deep-energy retrofits to ground-up design—the building topics this year are fascinating,” Jensen-Shill said.

New this year are how-to workshops about food production in cold climates. Three workshops will explore permaculture, fossil-fuel-free year-round greenhouses and bio-based energy approaches to growing food and increasing food security. Like last year, the conference will feature a Sustainable Building and Living Showcase on Saturday afternoon that is free to the public.

“The showcase takes you on a quick-but-comprehensive tour of green products and services, and lets you meet the innovative people who offer them,” Jensen-Shill said. It all starts on Friday, with pre- conference workshops at the Kimberley campus of COTR and an evening opening event at McKim Theatre. On Saturday, there are more workshops, the free showcase, and a sustainable networking event to wrap it all up Saturday evening.

“The best advice I have is to visit the website, www.KimberleySustainableBuilding.ca,” Jensen-Shill said. “You can see the schedule, read about the workshops and even read the bios of our esteemed presenters. And after that, register!”

The Sustainable Building and Living Conference is a partnership between the College of the Rockies, Wildsight, the City of Kimberley and the Kootenay Rockies Innovation Council with funding provided by Columbia Basin Trust. Supporting partners include the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, New Dawn Developments and Smart Planning for Communities.

“We’re very pleased with the talented, passionate speakers who’ll be joining us in Kimberley to share what they know about sustainable building and living,” Jensen-Shill said.

“This is a do-not-miss event.”

Visit www.KimberleySustainableBuilding.ca for details.

To register, call the College of the Rockies Kimberley Campus at 250.427.7116, Ext 3752.

Early-bird price is $125 (before 4 pm on Friday, January 14, 2011); regular price is $149.

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About Wildsight • www.Wildsight.ca

Wildsight works locally, regionally and globally to protect biodiversity and encourage sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and southern Rocky Mountain region. This area is internationally recognized as a keystone to conservation in western North America.

Contact:

Erna Jensen-Shill Program Coordinator, Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook 250.427.9360 • Erna@Wildsight.ca.