Love Food, Not Waste

Love Food, Not Waste!

The Impacts of Food Waste

Food waste is a significant environmental and economic issue, both globally and right here in the Bow Valley. In Canada, over 46% of all food is wasted annually, with 41% of this being avoidable. This waste has a huge financial impact, amounting to $58 billion in losses each year. Beyond economics, the environmental cost is staggering—avoidable food waste contributes approximately 25.7 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, the equivalent of 253,000 flights from Toronto to Vancouver!

Locally, in Canmore, a 2023 waste audit found that 42% of residential waste going to the landfill is food waste, with 9% being edible food. When food waste decomposes in landfills, it creates methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Reducing food waste can significantly lower emissions and save money for households!

When we compost our food scraps they get sent to a farm in Central Alberta where they are turned into valuable soil for Alberta farms! This completes the food lifecycle, ensuring nutrients are returned to the earth to help new things grow!

How to Reduce Food Waste at Home

Reducing food waste is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to lessen our environmental footprint. Here are some simple strategies:

  1. Plan Your Meals – Create a meal plan and shopping list before heading to the store. This helps prevent impulse purchases and ensures you use what you buy.

  2. Store Food Properly – Use a fridge and pantry guide to store food correctly and extend its shelf life.

  3. Portion Control – Be mindful of portion sizes when cooking and serving meals to avoid excess leftovers going to waste. Try this portion calculator to help guide you! It's especially helpful if you are expecting company and you need to make more than your normal portions!

  4. Revive & Repurpose – Wilted veggies can often be revived with a soak in ice water. Stale bread can become croutons or breadcrumbs. Overripe fruit is perfect for smoothies or baking.

  5. Use Your Freezer – Freeze leftovers and fresh produce to extend their usability.

  6. Compost Food Scraps – If food waste is unavoidable, composting ensures that nutrients return to the soil instead of emitting methane in landfills. Pick up a free kitchen composter from Canmore or Banff Town Hall!

Community Initiatives and Resources

We have lots of local resources and initiatives in the Bow Valley to help our community reduce food waste:

  • Food Waste Bins – Located around town for composting food scraps instead of sending them to the landfill. Check out these maps to find your nearest bin in Canmore and Banff!

  • FoodHero at Safeway – Offers discounted food items nearing their best-before dates. Download the app here: foodhero.com

  • Canmore Food Recovery Barn – Rescues surplus food and redistributes it to the community. Check out the Food Market on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 5:30pm at Shepard of the Valley Lutheran Church! 

  • Banff Food Rescue – Banff Food Rescue keeps good Food from becoming Food Waste. They pick up and receive food from grocery stores/ retailers etc. 215 Banff Avenue. Lower level Sundance Mall.

  • Canmore Food & Friends – A community meal program that connects friends through food! Join Community Dinner on Mondays from 5-7pm at St. Michael Church.

Take Action Today!

Addressing food waste is an easy and practical step toward sustainability. Not only does it help the environment, but it also saves money and supports food security. Whether by planning meals, composting, or supporting community initiatives, everyone can play a part in reducing food waste and making the Bow Valley a more sustainable place to live.

For more information and local resources on waste reduction, visit our website!

Winter EV Driving Experience: Book Now!

Free Electric Vehicle Test Drives in the Bow Valley

We are proud to partner with national nonprofit Plug’n Drive, a trusted source for electric vehicle education and test drives, to bring you the Winter Electric Vehicle Driving VIP Experience!  We offer you a free electric vehicle test drive, starting in your own driveway.  This is not about selling you a car – it is about helping you learn about electric vehicles. We guarantee a  brand-agnostic test drive designed to help you make informed decisions about electric vehicle ownership.  

Our seasoned Electric Vehicle Ambassadors, locals Ron Groves and Edmund Ong, will guide you through the experience, offering expert advice and insights tailored to winter driving in the Bow Valley.  We’re pleased to offer this to anyone currently residing in any Bow Valley community: Banff, Canmore, Harvie Heights, Lac des Arcs, Dead Man’s Flats, and Exshaw.

Ready to take one of the 2024 electric vehicles for a spin? Choose between the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the Volvo XC60 and book your test drive today!

2024 Volvo XC60 AWD PHEV (All-Wheel Drive Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle)

2024 Chevrolet Equinox FWD BEV (Front-Wheel Drive Battery Electric Vehicle) or

2024 Chevrolet Equinox AWD BEV (All-Wheel Drive Battery Electric Vehicle)

Friends of Kananaskis is Hiring!

Trail Care Supervisor and Trail Technician

TRAIL CARE SUPERVISOR (Friends of Kananaskis)

(Seasonal, full-time) The Trail Care Supervisor is responsible for supervising FKC’s Trail Care program. This is a technical field position combined with volunteer management, public outreach, and program development responsibilities, and also supervises summer trail technicians. 

TRAIL TECHNICIAN (Friends of Kananaskis)

(Seasonal, full-time) The Trail Technician will work to enhance recreational experiences on multi-use trails in Kananaskis Country. This position reports to a Trail Care Supervisor and is expected to perform trail building and maintenance tasks, as well as engaging with FKC volunteers and the public, and basic data collection.

Upcoming Events!

Community Climate Conversations - March 26th, 2025

Join us for Community Climate Conversations on Wednesday 26th February, 7:00 - 9:00pm, at the Biosphere office! Are you curious about climate topics? Join us on the last Wednesday of every month to discuss climate topics that are relevant to the Bow Valley. Let’s come together to share, learn, and support one another!

Join us for an evening of meaningful conversation and finding hope in these challenging times. Bring your questions, thoughts, and a desire to connect—we’ll provide the snacks and drinks!

Hope to see you there.

Earth Talks - March 17th, 2025

Environmental Justice and Affordability in the Bow Valley

How does environmental justice thinking and action relate to affordability and conservation in the Bow Valley?

Join us on Monday, March 17, from 7-8pm at the Canmore Public Library for an Earth Talk with Adam Linnard on the topic of “Environmental Justice and Affordability in the Bow Valley”.

Register Now
Join Online Via Zoom

Attendees will learn…

● The roots of the environmental justice framework and social movement

● How environmental justice thinking and action relates to affordability and conservation in the Bow Valley

● Some strategies for taking action!

About the Presenter
Adam Linnard is a conservation professional with backgrounds in community development in the global south and environmental justice in North America. He was born and raised in Canmore and lives in Exshaw with his partner and their four young kids.

Light snacks provided!

Following Adam’s presentation, there will be a short discussion and question period. Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert and Javan Mukhtarov (Bow Valley Settlement Services) have agreed to join the conversation and Q&A portion to provide institutional and immigrant perspectives, respectively.

Alberta Ecotrust - ENBIX Workshop - March 4, 6, 11 &13, 2025

Training: Building Electrification Strategies in Alberta

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation invites building professionals in Alberta to participate for free in a training program (four half-day sessions) to advance codes-based knowledge and efficient building electrification in the province. This two-part training series, delivered by CIET, is part of Alberta Ecotrust’s Emissions-Neutral Building Information Exchange (ENBIX).

Building Electrification Strategies in Alberta is an intensive course for professionals in sustainability, environmental management, and decarbonization based in Alberta. This program is meticulously crafted to empower participants with the technical expertise needed to identify, implement, and optimize building electrification strategies for enhanced sustainability.

To be eligible for this training series, a significant portion of candidates’ professional work must support construction and renovation in areas of Alberta outside of the corporate city limits of Edmonton and Calgary. 

To view all details and register, click here.

Alberta Ecotrust - ENBIX Presentation - March 6th, 2025

Celebrating International Women’s Day with a documentary screening and panel discussion

In celebration of International Women's Day, Alberta Ecotrust - ENBIX in partnership with SSRIA and CLF Alberta presents "Women of Carbon."

This groundbreaking documentary features women transforming construction while combating climate change. Echoing the spirit of the original Industrial Revolution, these visionary women are on a quest to inspire change for a sustainable planet. Their innovative work places them at the core of decarbonization, human health and economic opportunity. Directed by Basia + Leonard Myszynski, “Women of Carbon” shares their empowering journeys and collective vision for a better world.

Post-screening we will feature a panel of local women leaders who are transforming their industries. Networking to follow.

This event is free, however, registration is required.

Screenings are taking place in both Calgary and Edmonton. This event is for Calgary. To register for Edmonton, Click Here.

2025 Green Buildings Open House - May 31st, 2025

Self-guided tour of high-performance and sustainable building practices in the Bow Valley

The Green Buildings Open House is an annual showcase of homes and businesses that display leadership in high-performance and sustainable building design, construction, and homeowner practices. Buildings can display examples of sustainable technology, renewable energy systems, water and energy efficiency, climate adaptation, and more. This open house is unique because homeowners or business-owners take the lead in showing their own buildings to the public. This facilitates peer-to-peer learning and network-building.

Last year's event showcased 10 properties across the Bow Valley with over 350 visitors who joined the tour and learned about sustainable building practices!

The 2025 Green Building Open House will be on Saturday, May 31st! 

If you would like to show your property, energy efficiency upgrade, or renewable energy project, please take 10 minutes to sign up here: https://s.pointerpro.com/gydvhiil

This event couldn’t happen without our sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please get in touch.

Bear Day 2025

Welcome bears back to the landscape and learn how to stay safe!

This event is a celebration and welcoming of bears back on the landscape for another year. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the bears in our area and to refresh your bear safety knowledge and skills so you are prepared for the upcoming season and are bear aware.

Indoor and outdoor activities include bear spray demonstrations, bear safety talks, a bear trapping demonstration, bear awareness hikes (registration required), kids’ bear storytimes and bear-related booths and displays. In attendance to chat with you about all things bears will be Alberta Parks Ecologists, Park Rangers and Interpretation staff, Conservation Officers, Fish and Wildlife Officers, Parks Canada Public Outreach, Town of Canmore, Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors, Bear Monitoring and Aversive Conditioning Volunteers and Stoney Tribal Administration.

This is a FREE family-friendly event! Activities begin at 9:00 am and end at 3:00 pm. In the event of inclement weather, the majority of activities will take place indoors.

Want to take action?