Environmentally conscious community leaders and organizations were recognized by city officials earlier this week. Last Thursday, the City of Nanaimo handed out its Green Nanaimo Awards at Beban Park social centre. The awards are given out as a way to recognize individual community leaders, local business leaders, schools and non-profits that make a significant contribution to Nanaimo’s environment through preservation and protection.Among the recipients was Andre Sullivan, chairman of Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation and former president of the Young Professionals of Nanaimo, who won the award in the Healthy Living category as a result of his environmental leadership and establishment of the YPN’s community garden program.In 2011, while president of the YPN, Sullivan led an initiative to create a community garden within Nanaimo. Sullivan came up with the idea to turn abandoned gas station lots into beautiful green spaces that could be used by everyone. Eventually, after making numerous phone calls to oil and gas companies, Sullivan and the YPN were able to secure community garden space at 5909 Island Highway in the city’s north end. “They gave us very cheap rent … and we were able to put a great garden together at the Turner Road site which is still operating today,” Sullivan said. That same year the YPN secured community garden space at Irwin and Needham streets in the city’s south end. Sullivan said he was a little surprised at winning the award since he is no longer involved with the community garden project, but added that it is great to be recognized for his environmental efforts. “My involvement in that garden stopped three years. I moved downtown and I walk every day. I have my own chickens, I grow a lot of my own food with my family and wife and so those type of things are what I’ve been focusing on,” Sullivan said. “So it did come a bit out of the blue for me but I’m honoured to get it.”Other recipients of the Green Nanaimo Awards were Diana Kirsh, Jenn Bogwald, Pacific Garden Co-Housing and Departure Bay Eco-School.

Nanaimo News Bulletin