The sustainably.eco Podcast

The sustainably.eco podcast is a monthly conversation with leaders in sustainability from our own backyard in Kingston, ON and across Canada. Topics will include sustainable transportation, food recovery, climate action, sustainable energy, the living wage movement to name but a few. 

You can find the sustainably.eco podcast on the following platforms:

Google Podcasts 
Spotify 
Apple Podcasts

Don’t forget to rate and subscribe!

Looking for the first episode? Click here to jump to Episode 1.

Episode 35: Cave diver Jill Heinerth and Lost Rivers founder Helen Mills

This month, we spoke with Jill Heinerth, an acclaimed polar explorer, cave diver, author, speaker, filmmaker, and climate advocate. Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. She’ll be speaking at Earth Day at the Spire on April 21st.

We also spoke to Helen Mills, gardener, citizen geographer, eco-landscape designer, educator, and social entrepreneur. She is the founder and co-director of Lost Rivers, a program of the Toronto Green Community that supports volunteer-guided place-based walks integrating stories and information about history, geography, environmental, and urban issues. For more information, please check out this great piece on CBC.ca.

Episode 34: Retrofitting Canada's Homes with Kai Millyard / Greenovations at Queen's University

We were off for a few months but are back with an exciting new episode about the home retrofit space. This month’s episode is also unique because we’ve added new voices to the team. Liliana Chan and Noel Tesfalem Gebre are students at Queen’s University working through the Experience Ventures program. Liliana and Noel helped co-produce this episode and took the wheel in the interview with Carson Price-Gallagher and  Grace Mychajlyszyn from Greenovations – a student-led energy efficiency service at Queen’s University.  We also spoke with Kai Millyard about  Retrofitting Canada's Homes: Progress Report #1,  a report he authored on behalf of Green Communities Canada.

This episode is sponsored by The Kingston Climate Change Symposium. 

Episode 33: Experiencing Climate Change Through XR Theatre & Sustainable Tourism

This month, we spoke with Director Chris Salter and playwright Kate Story about “Animate, a climate-themed extended reality theatre production featured at the International Festival of Electronic Music and the Digital Arts in Montreal. We also spoke with Bonnie Ruddock, Executive Director of RTO9, a regional tourism organization, about sustainable tourism and the challenges and opportunities facing both visitors and those in the industry who wish to reduce their carbon footprint.

This episode is sponsored by The Sustainable Kingston Awards.

To purchase Cli Fi: Canadian Tales of Climate Change:, please visit  https://www.exileeditions.com/shop/cli-fi-canadian-tales-of-climate-change/

Episode 32: Sustainable Buildings & Geothermal Energy

We recently spoke to Adam Molson from the Daniels Corporation about the launch of their Circular Economy Hub: a dedicated space for residents to donate, repair or exchange unwanted or damaged items to reduce the waste in our landfills. We also spoke with Tim Weber, a co-founder of Diverso Energy a company that offers Geothermal Solutions for multi-family, office, retail and institutional buildings.

This episode is sponsored by Phase 2 of Sustainable Kingston's Electric Vehicle Campaign. 

Episode 31: Kingston School Streets and Hamilton's Community Fossil Free Plan

We recently spoke to Dr. Patricia Collins, Nico Koenig and Roger Healy about School Streets: a project that closes streets adjacent to schools to through traffic. The program is the product of a university-community partnership that seeks to promote children’s health and well-being and is part of a project funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research called Levelling the Playing Fields.  

We also spoke with Adan Amer and Adeola Aegbeyemi, who are the authors of a youth-led plan to reduce Hamilton, Ontario’s dependence on fossil fuels. We spoke to them about their Community Fossil Free Plan released by Environment Hamilton.

This episode is sponsored by the 2023 Commuter Challenge. 

Episode 30: EV Q+A with Cara Clairman and François Lefèvre

This month we're sharing an edited version of our EV Q+A event. This was an online presentation from Sustainable Kingston featuring Cara Clairman, CEO of Plug N Drive and François Lefèvre, Senior Manager of Market Intelligence and Corporate Planning at Nissan Canada.  Answering questions from participants and moderator Geoff Hendry, Cara, and Francois provide invaluable insight into what's new in the world of electric vehicles.

This episode is sponsored by Kingston's Project Drawdown Webinar, taking place on Wednesday, May 3 and available after the event on Sustainable Kingston's Youtube channel. 

Episode 29: Sustainable Fashion with Stephanie Sarka and Jesse Whale

This month is all about Sustainable Fashion.  We recently spoke with Jesse Whale, stylist, wardrobe consultant, and owner of Closet Candy a consignment store in Kingston, Ontario. We also chatted with Stephanie Sarka, owner of 1 Atelier,  an independent luxury brand born in New York City that uses regenerative agriculture, vegetable tanning, and on-demand production to produce sustainable handbags.

This episode is sponsored by the Kingston Community Climate Action Fund. 

Episode 28: Carissa MacLennan (Toy Exchange Club) & Dr. Bertrand Malsch (Queen’s University)

This month we speak to Carissa MacLennan of the Toy Exchange Club, a premium wooden toy rental subscription service for children aged 0-3 years that reduce waste and clutter.   We also spoke with Dr. Bertrand Malsch of the Smith School of Business at Queen's University about environmental, social, and governance reporting and the practice of tying these metrics to executive compensation.

This episode is sponsored by The Kingston Community Climate Action Fund. 

*We apologize for some of the audio quality as experienced some recording difficulties and there are some scratchy moments during the interviews.  

Episode 27: Author/Actor/Comedian Ali Hassan & Planting Seeds of Hope with Jackie Ryan

This month we spoke with actor, author, and comedian Ali Hassan (CBC's Canada Reads) about his role as returning host of the 2023 Kingston Climate Change Symposium, his new book ("Is There Bacon in Heaven?"), and his upcoming live tour ("Does This Taste Funny?").  We also had a great conversation with Jackie Ryan, founder of Planting Seeds of Hope. We discussed the unique philosophy of the organization, its impact on the children who participate and incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing into nature-based programs for children.

This episode is sponsored by the Kingston Climate Change Symposium. 

Episode 26: "The Climate Baby Dilemma" and "Avenue of Champions"

This month we spoke to director, writer, and producer Victoria Lean about her new documentary "The Climate Baby Dilemma." The program, which airs on CBC on November 25th at 9:00 pm and on CBC Gem, explores the difficult questions that surround having and raising children during the climate crisis. We also spoke with author Conor Kerr whose first novel "Avenue of Champions" was longlisted for the 2022 Giller Prize. We had a great conversation about Edmonton, Indigenous youth, and authentic storytelling.

This episode is sponsored by the 2023 Kingston Climate Change Symposium.

Episode 25: Cool Hood Champs & Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions / Eating and Growing Green

This month we speak with Cheryl Ng from the University of British Columbia's Cool Hood Champs program and Julie Salter-Keane from the City of Kingston about their Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions initiative. We also spoke with Janette Haase, author of From Seed to Table: A Practical Guide to Eating and Growing Green, about improving access to local food.

This episode is sponsored by Sustainable Kingston's Energy Services.

Episode 24: Playwright and Director Clarke Mackey / Simba Sleep's Emma Reid

This month's episode features two great conversations this month including an interview with Clarke Mackey. Clarke has written and directed the Makers and Shakers Society a new scripted audio drama in six parts that centred on the climate crisis. We also spoke with Emma Reid, Head of Sustainability and ESG at Simba Sleep about getting the message right in corporate sustainability and some of the exciting developments in that industry.

This episode is sponsored by Better Homes Kingston.

Episode 23: Energy Conservation at CFB Kingston / Life After Single-Use Plastics

In this month's episode, we speak to Lukas Duchaine, Technical Specialist at Defence Construction Canada, about the massive energy conservation project at Canadian Forces Base Kingston. We also chat with Professor Barry Cross at the Smith School of Business at (Queen’s University) about the plastic straw’s last hurrah: how the single-use plastic ban can be an innovation catalyst for businesses.

This episode is sponsored by Sustainable Kingston's Energy Services.

Episode 22: Green Burials and Sustainable Commuting

In this month's episode, we speak with Sue Lyon (Green Burials Kingston) and Sarah Reid (James Reid Funeral Home) about Green Burials: the sustainable alternative to the traditional burial. We also have a recording of an online panel featuring Paige Agnew (City of Kingston) and Dr. Ajay Agarwal (Queen's University) about urban planning and sustainable commuting.

This episode is sponsored by Kingston Accommodation Partners and Renew-a-Lawn Kingston.

Helpful links:
www.greenburialcanada.ca
www.greenburialcouncil.org

Episode 21: Green Marketing and Commuter Challenge

This month we spoke with green marketing expert, Dr. Jacob Brower from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University about why guilt is no longer working as a tool to encourage more sustainable consumer choices. We also chatted with Kathryn Winkler, Founder and Executive Director of the Sustainable Alberta Association about Commuter Challenge, the annual campaign to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home in favour of sustainable transportation.

Episode 20: Sustainable Pet Food and Earth Day 2022

This month we spoke with Dr. Sofia Bonilla and Kasey Dunn from HOPE Pet Food about the benefits of insect protein in pet food and how products like Berry Buglicious are helping to mitigate the climate crisis. We also spoke with Kristin Mullin from Earth Day Canada about the history of Earth Day, this year's Earth Day theme, and why she's optimistic for the future.

This episode is sponsored by Sustainable Kingston Energy Services.

Episode 19: Electric Vehicles (Nissan Canada/Wintergreen Studios) & Rain Gardens (Green Communities Canada)

Episode 19 of the sustainably.eco podcast features an interview with Rena Upitis and Danielle Picard from Wintergreen Studios about their great online Electric Vehicle resource, “To EV or Not to EV.” We also spoke with François Lefèvre from Nissan Canada to get the perspective of an automaker. We had a great chat about supply chains and a future in which one of three cars is electric. As a special bonus, and in keeping with our Rain Garden Project that we’re fundraising for through the Kington Community Climate Action Fund, we chatted with Emily Amon from Green Communities Canada about why Rain Gardens are so important.

This episode is sponsored by Sustainable Kingston’s Rain Garden Webinar: What to do with a downpour featuring Gardening expert Sean James.

Episode 18: Transitioning Buildings to Net Zero with Jeff Ranson and Home Energy Incentives with Cedric Pepelea

This month we spoke with Jeff Ranson, Sr. Director - Energy, Environment & Advocacy at BOMA Toronto. We had a great chat about the challenges of transitioning buildings to net-zero and what other municipalities can learn from Toronto. We also spoke with Cedric Pepelea, COO of Sustainable Kingston about his sustainability journey, the asset transfer agreement with Red Squirrel Conservation Services and the importance of incentive programs. 

Episode 17: COP26 and Musicians Fighting Climate Change

This month, we chat about COP26 with Diana Sukailo, Sustainability Consultant and Vice President of the Cambridge University Social Impact and Sustainability Society. We also hear from Michelle Owen, founder of Musicians Fighting Climate Change, about how the music industry is responding to the climate emergency. 

This episode is sponsored by The Kingston Climate Change Symposium. 

Episode 16: Innovation in Compostable Products and Industrial Wastewater

This month's episode is all about Innovation. Earlier this month, we spoke with Morgan Wyatt, founder of Greenlid: a Canadian company specializing in compostable products that are poised to replace single-use plastics. We also spoke with Morgan Lehtinen, founder of Micellotech: a Kingston-based company working to make industrial wastewater contamination in our water systems a problem of the past.

This episode is sponsored by SnapCab and J.E. Agnew Food Services Ltd.

Episode 15: Parking (why less is more) with Brent Toderian and Paige Agnew & Green Parking with Buckland Abbey

This month's episode is all about parking and its impact on the climate. I spoke with Paige Agnew, Commissioner, Community Services at the City of Kingston, Ontario and renowned planning consultant Brent Toderian about the Power of Parking: A New Parking Paradigm for Kingston. It’s a new game-changing, parking discussion paper, that while focused on Kingston, is highly relevant to anyone interested in urban planning and sustainability. I also chatted with Professor Buckland Abbey, a landscape architect and retired professor at Louisiana State University about green parking and how parking lots, can play an active role in mitigating climate change.

This episode is sponsored by St. Lawrence College and Weller Pharmacy.

Episode 14: All things organic with Eric Payseur of COG and Keenan Sprague of Sprague Foods

This month's episode is inspired by the sustainably.eco Organic Badge. We spoke with Eric Payseur of Canadian Organic Growers about which Province is leading the way in supporting organic farming and COG's role in helping with certification and supporting the sector. We also ha a great conversation about the sector, from the perspective of the producer, with Keenan Sprague of Sprague Foods: a family-run, Canadian cannery specializing in canned organic products.

This episode is sponsored by TWIG and Nature's Apprentice Farm.

Episode 13: Lessons from New York with Ron Kamen & Youth-led Impact Investing with KSVF

This month's episode features an interview with Ron Kamen, host of the AWEsome Earthkind Energy Podcast who tells us how New York State became one of the leaders in sustainability and its one significant missed opportunity. We also spoke with Keshiv Kaushal and Gabrielle Kolotinsky at the Kingston Social Value Fund. They break down how their youth-led impact investment model can be a game-changer for social enterprises, enterprising non-profits, co-ops, and other socially-focused organizations that are under-served by the current impact investing market.

This episode is sponsored by the Plastic Free Summer Challenge.

Episode 12: Fridays for Future Toronto and Dr. Leanne Keddie

In this month's episode, we chat with Aliya Hirji and Sophie Krouse from Fridays for Future Toronto about their #BankSwitch campaign and grassroots organizing during the pandemic. We also spoke with Dr. Leanne Keddie, Assistant Professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University about her research examining the use of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance-based incentives in executive compensation contracts.

This episode is sponsored by J&J Cycle and the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires – Kingston & Region Division.

Episode 11: Recycling and Waste Diversion - Part 2

This is part two of our two-part series on Recycling and Waste Diversion. We spoke with Dr. Myra Hird, author of Canada's Waste Flows and professor at the School of Environmental Studies at Queen's University about Canada's waste crisis, our dysfunctional recycling systems, and how inequity impacts being a good environmental citizen. We also spoke to Zach Fang, co-owner of Miss Bao: a zero-waste, pan-Asian restaurant in Kingston Ontario, Zach discusses his cutting-edge compost system, working with suppliers, and other strategies to reduce waste in the restaurant industry.

This episode is sponsored by sustainably.eco members Black Dog Tavern and Top Shelf Distillers.

Episode 10: Innovation in Recycling and Waste Diversion - Part 1

This month's episode is all about recycling and waste diversion. We chat with Peter Vinall of Sustane Technologies, a Nova Scotia company that transforms municipal solid waste back into raw materials. We also spoke with Marion Gonsalves, Co-Founder at Waste Less Recycling – a Kingston-based not-for-profit focused on reducing waste sent to landfill by offering junk removal services that strip away recyclable and reusable material.

This episode is sponsored by Harlowe Green and Bread and Butter Bakery.

Episode 9: The Living Wage Movement in Canada

This month's episode is inspired by the sustainably.eco Living Wage Badge. We were thrilled to chat with the editors of Rising Up: The Fight For Living Wage Work in Canada. Dr. Carlo Fanelli, Dr. Bryan Evans, and Dr. Tom McDowell discuss living wage vs. minimum wage, the opposition to the movement, and their post-pandemic outlook. We also spoke with Gillian Waters, Program Director at KEYS Job Centre in Kingston, Ontario about her experience working with job seekers, employers, and what we can do to encourage more businesses and organizations to be living wage employers.

This episode is sponsored by Weller Pharmacy and Ontario Approved Professionals.

Episode 8: Plant-based eating with Chef Davide Del Brocco and MPP Ian Arthur

This month's episode is inspired by the sustainably.eco Plant-Based Badge. We chat with Chef and Sustainability Manager for Sodexo Canada, Davide Del Brocco about plant-based menu development and his tips for plant-based cooking at home. We also speak to MPP, Environment Critic, and former Executive Chef Ian Arthur about what the Ontario Government can do to encourage more plant-based consumption and his advice for transitioning away from an animal protein-heavy diet.

This episode is sponsored by Pure Colour Baby and allCare IT.

Episode 7: Best of 2020

This month we listen back to our favourite sustainably.eco podcast interview clips from the past 6 months. Geoff is joined by his Sustainable Kingston colleagues Kristin Mullin and Tess Wittmann to chat about their sustainability highlights from 2020 and what we've learned from interviewing the eclectic group of sustainability leaders who joined us on the podcast.

This episode is sponsored by the Kingston Climate Change Symposium.

Episode 6: Community

This month's episode is inspired by the sustainably.eco Community Badge. We chat with Tom Stanely, writer/producer of CBC/Vice's Good People with Mark Sakamoto, about how empathy and innovation can transform communities. We also speak to Tarek Hussein, owner of Weller Pharmacy in Kingston, about his community support, carbon offsets, and the benefits of being a living wage employer.

This episode is sponsored by the Kingston Climate Change Symposium and Get Bent Solutions Cleaning.

Episode 5: Sustainable Transportation - Part 2

In part two, Geoff talks to Kalen Anderson and Brad Smid from the City of Edmonton. They discuss long-term planning, public transit, and the development of a new Light Rail Transit line. Geoff also chats with Neal Scott, President of Cycle Kingston, Inc. about cycling safety, education, and the Covid-related cycling boom.

This episode is sponsored by Cunningham Swan Carty Little & Bonham LLP and Trailhead Kingston.

Episode 4: Sustainable Transportation - Part 1

Part 1 of our 2-part Sustainable Transportation series features an interview with Plug'N Drive President and CEO Cara Clairman. We spoke at length about trends in electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and the used EV market. We also spoke to sustainability champion Dan Hendry about the award-winning Kingston Transit High School Bus Program.

This episode is sponsored the Aquatarium and VOCEC Hands On Car Wash. 

Episode 3: Indigenous Participation in the Green Economy / Climate Change and Health

Our third episode features an interview with JP Gladu about indigenous participation in the Green Economy.  Former President and CEO of The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and current Chancellor of St. Paul’s University College at the University of Waterloo, JP Gladu is Anishinaabe and a member of Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation.  We also spoke with Dr. Sonya Nobbe, Naturopathic Doctor and Director of Kingston Integrated Healthcare Inc. We spoke about the link between climate change and health and why it's important for her as a business owner to prioritize sustainability.

This episode is sponsored by KEYS Job Centre and C3Inc.  

Episode 2: Locally Sourced

The second episode of The sustainably.eco Podcast is about all things locally sourced. We chatted with Mara Shaw, Executive Director of The National Farmers Union who talked about some of the barriers to getting more locally-grown food to market, how farmers have adapted to the pandemic, and some reasons for optimism. We also spoke to Rudi Mogl owner of Tara Natural Foods who helped explained the issue from the retailer perspective.

This episode was sponsored by James Ried Funeral Home and Kingston Integrated Healthcare.

In our very first episode of The sustainably.eco Podcast, we speak to Sustainable Kingston's Kristin Mullin to get a little historical background on the sustainably.eco program and why it's important. We also speak to David Hyndman and Ted Hsu from SWITCH. SWITCH is a network of businesses, research and educational institutions, public sector participants, energy professionals, students and community volunteers dedicated to making Southeastern Ontario a leading centre in sustainable energy.

Our first episode is sponsored by Kingston & Frontenac Housing Corporation and Gordon's Estate Services.