Green Communities Canada

Did you know that polar bears can walk up to 30 km in the snow? Grab your winter gear and take a polar bear stroll today, and throughout the month of February!

Happy Winter Walk Day! 🐻❄️ ❄️ 🐾 🎉

Find resources to support your polar bear stroll and bear the cold at: buff.ly/1UPBbQ5

Feb. 2 is #WorldWetlandsDay. We need to protect #wetlands for our common future. Wetlands provide life-sustaining services + help mitigate + adapt to climate change. 90% of the world’s wetlands have been destroyed. Canada has 25% of the remaining wetlands.

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“What I see as really exciting about the mini forest method is that it helps to create a forest area in a matter of decades versus a matter of centuries,”
- Jenn McCallum, manager of green infrastructure, GCC.

Read this National Observer feature on the benefits of mini forests.
buff.ly/4c1GXvw

Banner with event name, location, time

If you help bring events to life for your work or community, this symposium is for you.

Join leaders in sustainable event design for a day of engaging discussions.

Take away practical insights & connections to improve your practice.

Tickets & info: www.eventbrite.ca/e/connecting...

The January edition of GC News put the spotlight on winter active transportation campaigns! ❄️👣

Winter Walk Day is Feb 4.

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The @greenactioncentre.bsky.social in Winnipeg is hosting their Jack Frost Challenge for walking, biking, skating + more.

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Community favourite! The Climate Café. Free admissions - happening tomorrow. You can rsvp at www.greenventure.ca/climatecafe. We hope to see you there!

As the saying goes: "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing."

With the right gear & layering strategies, students can stay warm, dry, & comfortable on their journey to school.

This Winter Walk Day, help students and families keep warm while walking to school: buff.ly/3OtSOiP

New Year, New Members! In case you missed the January edition of Green Communities News, we are excited to welcome several new members!

Check out membership info here: buff.ly/WJ99SjR

‘Dozen close calls’: Milton students call for improved pedestrian safety across busy street Student-led initiative is requesting a crossing guard for high school location.

Safer crossings = healthier communities. We love seeing youth advocating for walkable, people-first streets. Read the full story in this article!

Graphic with text describing the two positions we are hiring for

We're hiring!

- Lead Installer, EnviroCentre Build
- Energy Ambassador, Power-Up

Why EnviroCentre? We’re a mission-driven environmental non-profit with a collaborative culture, flexible working conditions, and meaningful work.

Learn more & apply: envirocentre.ca/careers/

Something is better than nothing => We do have 2 implementations of School Streets planned in Toronto! While they are not permanent, we and our partners are still working to make them highly effective demonstrations of what is possible when we prioritize safety for *all* road users around schools.

It’s time to invest in school bus electrification in Canada – for our children’s health today and for their future. Investing in electric school buses is a positive step in ensuring healthy learning environments and better health outcomes for all children!

It’s time to invest in school bus electrification in Canada – for our children’s health today and for their future.

Japanese tree-planting technique helps combat climate change in cities This method has become popular globally, with different organizations worldwide vouching for its effectiveness, especially as they can grow 10 times faster than normal plantings. The method employs…

In a National Observer feature, Jenn McCallum, Manager of Green Infrastructure at Green Communities Canada, spoke about the benefits of mini forests and their role in expanding urban tree growth.

Check it out!

2025 Impact Report - Vélo Canada Bikes Over the past year we have taken tangible steps to advance everyday cycling in Canada by securing more dedicated federal funding for cycling infrastructure, hosting the 10th Bike Day on the Hill, and ...

🎆 As we ride into the new year, it's a good time to reflect on the work we did in 2025 to provide a voice for everyday cycling at the federal level.

📄 Check out our 2025 Impact Report: velocanadabikes.org/2025-impact-...

Japanese tree-planting technique helps combat climate change in cities This method has become popular globally, with different organizations worldwide vouching for its effectiveness, especially as they can grow 10 times faster than normal plantings. The method employs de...

“What I see as really exciting about the mini forest method is that it helps to create a forest area in a matter of decades versus a matter of centuries,” Jenn McCallum, manager of green infrastructure for Green Communities Canada: www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/24/n... @nationalobserver.com

A child bundled up for winter with the text “It’s cool to walk to school

❄️ Winter Walk Day (WWD) is a month away!

We’ve got everything you need to celebrate. Posters, graphics + activity sheets make it easy (+fun!) to show that it’s cool to walk to school—even in winter. Find all the resources you’ll need in one cool place - buff.ly/EUj6xop

The team at Green Communities Canada will be taking a pause from December 25 through to January 1 inclusive. We appreciate your understanding, as our team will not be responding to messages until we return. We wish you and your loved ones good health and happiness for 2026!

A graphic showing three children who are enjoying the winter. Above them, text reads “Celebrate Winter Walk Day!” At the bottom of the page is the text “Learn More” and a QR code.

Bundle up and get ready, Winter Walk Day (WWD) is on February 4, 2026 and will be here before you know it! Register your school and start planning your WWD event at buff.ly/EUj6xop
☃️ ✨

A graphic showing three children who are enjoying the winter. Above them, text reads “Winter Walk Day is Coming! February 4, 2026

Mark your calendars, Winter Walk Day (WWD) is coming! ❄️ 📅 👟 On Wednesday February 4, and throughout the month of February, we encourage all schools across Canada to embrace winter active travel and celebrate WWD!☃️ More details to follow.

Every step counts. Many GCC members are making remarkable progress with their active transportation programming!

GreenUP is celebrating achievements for 2025: 5.5 tonnes of CO2 were avoided locally in 2025 through their Shifting Gears May Challenge alone!

Explore GCC’s Green Infrastructure course catalogue!

Learn how to plant mini forests, develop green infrastructure policies, coordinate Depave Paradise projects, + more. All courses are FREE + designed to help you make a real impact in your community.

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On Nov 27, GCC hosted an inspiring panel discussion with leaders driving change across Canada's most populous city, Toronto.

The conversation explored how local green infrastructure can transform Canada’s urban communities, one mini project at a time.

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On World Soil Day, GCC is highlighting their partnership with the Vineland Research Centre in digging deep into soil research to support thriving mini forests across Canada.

Learn more in our latest blog: buff.ly/3PztyV0

For #ThankYouThursday we thank our supporters: buff.ly/4gaxHJP

Green Communities Canada is a non-profit charity that has been leading community-based climate action since 1995. Our supporters are vital to our work with non-profit environmental organizations across Canada!

Accessibility and Inclusion Toolkit for Organizations | EnviroCentre Accessibility and Inclusion Toolkit Diverse Voices for a Greener Tomorrow Access Our Toolkit with Support from EnviroCentre and CAWI. Champion climate inclusivity and make your organization a

Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. More than 1 in 5 Canadians self-identify as living with at least one disability.

This tool by GCC member @envirocentre.bsky.social helps climate orgs be accessible & inclusive to people with disabilities.

Today is #GivingTuesday, a global movement to unleash the power of people + organizations to transform their communities + the world.

Today, get to know our member organizations.

Please connect with & support your local environmental non-profit: buff.ly/4g1ZETO

Hey teachers, get your class outdoors with a #CommunityScience project this winter! Now is the perfect time of year to learn about invasive spongy moths.
Email education@greenventure.ca or see our website

#CommunityScience #HamOnt #HamiltonOntario #HWDSB #HWCDSB #EcoEducation #OutdoorEducation

We're starting in a few minutes, but you can still register! You don't want to miss this!

How to Prepare Your Rain Barrels for Winter - Green Communities Canada Rain barrels are vulnerable during the winter. Here are the four easy steps to winterize your rain barrels so they can serve you in years to come.

In community gardens + at homes, rain barrels divert runoff & reduce demands on municipal water supply 🌧️🛢️

⤵️Here are the steps you need to take to protect your rain barrel as the temperature drops🌡️

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#WaterManagement

Celebrate World Sustainable #TransportDay! Active transportation—walking, wheeling, & biking—keeps us moving & reduces CO2 emissions.

GCC programs like School Streets, School Travel Planning & CESBA advocate for sustainable transport and infrastructure for kids.

Learn more: buff.ly/4i1mOf0