This is Chris, your social director writing.  For those of you bored with the show “Heroes” and want to be one of your own, here’s a few ideas for your social calendar for the next week…

Planning in Little River Acres Park

Tonight, there will be an open house for residents interested in a proposed development of 21 homes on the south and east sides of Little River Acres Park.

The session runs from 7:00 ’till 8:30 PM in the lower level of the Riverside Baptist Church at 8300 Little River Road.

The park occupies 10.5 acres and the homes would occupy 1.95 acres. Illustrations of the proposed development will be on hand and city staff will answer questions.

A while back, James wrote about this plan, and the need to have something for the residents of this neighbourhood besides more homes. He drew up pictures of the new development with the addition of some neighbourhood commercial within walking distance of the several hundred people living within its boundaries (James - do you still have these drawings?) I suggest that anyone with a vested interest in seeing Little River Acres Park develop a little more sustainably (that’s all of us, folks), that you attend tonights open house and share these ideas with the other residents and city staff.

Are you renting in this city and frustrated by the fact that your landlord won’t make your unit a little more energy efficient? Does he hold the power, yet you pay the bills? This workshop may just be for you…

Saving Energy in Windsor - A Tenant Action Workshop

Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: College Avenue Community Centre, 3325 College Avenue, Windsor (College & Brock)
Cost: FREE - Lunch will be Provided, Free Parking Located Across the Street

Who is this workshop for?

Active tenants living in apartment buildings

Neighbourhood and community groups working with or for tenants

People looking to find new ways to save energy in their apartment building

Environmental organizations that want to learn about a tenant-led energy conservation model

What can you expect?

Free full-day workshop hosted by the Homeless Coalition of Windsor-Essex County.

The workshop will be run by the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA), a Low Income Energy Network steering committee member who has on the ground experience running energy conservation programs for tenants.

The workshop lays out the steps to help tenants start a custom-made energy saving program in their own apartment building.

At the workshop, you will:

Get inspired by real-life examples of how tenants have successfully run their own energy conservation programs.

Learn step-by-step how you could kick-start your own energy conservation program.

Collect ideas, advice, tools, and resources to help you along the way.

Participate in breakout sessions and activities.

Relate what you’ve been learning to your own neighbourhood.

Network with fellow tenant advocates and activists.

Why you should attend?
You will have the chance to talk with other tenant advocates You will feel refreshed and motivated to try out some new ways to bring tenants together and take action on an important issue. You’ll gain an impressive ‘tool kit’ to kick start energy conservation activities in your neighbourhood. What you learn at the workshop can be used time and time again to take action on other neighbourhood concerns

Registration
Register quickly at www.torontoenvironment.org/workshops by filling out the online form, or you can email, fax, or mail the registration form attached to this email. Please register by Friday, October 24th, 2008. In keeping with the theme of the conference, if feasible, organizers would encourage the use of public transit or car pooling.

For more information contact:
Coordinator, Low-Income Energy Network (LIEN)
c/o Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)
425 Adelaide St. West, 5th floorToronto, ON M5V 3C1
Tel: 416-597-5855 ext. 5167Toll-free: 1-866-245-4182 ext. 5167Fax: 416-597-5821
Email: bhanjiz@lao.on.caWebsite: www.lowincomeenergy.caWebsite: www.lowincomeenergy.ca

OR

Heather Mullins, B.A., M.S.W.Community DeveloperHomeless Coalition Windsor-Essex
(519) 258-3033 x 1148
hmullins@weareunited.com
www.homelesscoalitionwindsor-essex.com

And, for those of you who wish to chime in on Windsor’s new big-box detention centre, there’s also an open house happening next week…

South West Detention Centre Public Information Sessions

As announced on Sept. 26, 2008, the Ministry of Communit Safety and Correctional Services will commence the development of a new correctional facility to be known as South West Detention Centre, at a site near the intersection of the 401 and Walker Road. Construction of the facility is scheduled for completion in 2012.

Before construction, the ministry will be hosting a series of public information sessions to provide information about the project and answer questions from the public.

The information sessions are being held;

Mackenzie Hall, October 29 from 8:00 am ’till 5:30 pm
3277 Sandwich Street

Ciociaro Club, November 1 and 5, from 8:00 am ’till 8:00 pm
3745 North Talbot Road

These are drop-in information sessions and there will be no formal presentation. For more information, or to submit a comment or question electronically, go to www.ontario.ca/swdc or call 1-866-599-2526

Tags: event, Urban Design