Education

Transition Streets Project and Transition Training workshops

Shani Graham speaking in Gibsons!

The LIFT Speaker Series Get inspired. Learn stuff!

October theme: “Living a Resilient Life”

Friday October 19th, 2018 12:15pm – 1:05pm

Gibsons & District Library, 470 South Fletcher Road Gibsons

To register: Phone Gibsons Public & District library 604 – 886 2130

SPEAKERS:

Shani Graham and Tim Darby

West Australians Shani and Tim have lots of experience when it comes to creating sustainable housing, gardens and community. Their deep rooted passion for improving our world drives them to share their learning about sustainability with others. Prepare to be inspired by their latest project and title of their talk “Ecoburbia; a housing cooperative and urban farm run by benevolent dictatorship”.   http://www.ecoburbia.com.au

Have a preview of Shani Graham’s inspiring 2013 TEDxPerth talk “Developing Sustainable Communities in your street” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1WSkXWSJac Her first words are “I come from Gibsons” – yes, Shani was raised here on the Coast!

Once described by a federal an Australian MP as “playing a significant role in making their home town of Fremantle a leader in environmental action and innovation”, Shani and Tim teach, promote and model resilience in a way that is fun, real and empowering.

Naomi Fleschhut

Coordinator of the Roberts Creek Resilient Neighbourhoods program, Naomi is part of a provincial collaborative effort to help create resilient neighbourhoods across British Columbia. She will speak about the Roberts Creek pilot project she launched in 2017 and future plans to keep this initiative running into the future! http://www.resilientcoast.ca

Hosted by Leonie Croy Co-founding member of Sunshine Coast in Transition Initiative/Coordinator of Transition Streets Project on the Sunshine Coast

 

LIFT Speaker Series website: https://www.sunshinecoastspeakers.com

Gibsons & District Public Library www.gibsons.bclibrary.ca

Transition Streets Project

Updated October 2018

• Are you interested in getting some neighbours together to do the Transition Streets program?  We can help you get started and support your group through the process.  Contact Leonie at:  leoniecroy@gmail.com
• Want to know more?  Check out the Transition Streets project which was founded in the United Kingdom. Visit www.transitionstreets.org.uk
• Want more inspiration?  Check out this amazing TEDx talk about resilient streets by Shani Graham who spent her childhood here in Gibsons BC and moved to Western Australia.
• Here is a 2018 Top Tips for Neighbourhood Initiator resource
• And….here’s what some Langdale and Gibsons participants liked most about the Sunshine Coast Canada Transition Streets Pilot Project:
  • “Feeling energized by like-minded people”
  • “Meeting new people & talking with them below the “surface”
  • “Sharing ideas & big picture discussions about issues, hearing about different actions/organizations happening within the larger community of Gibsons & the Coast”
  • “Always felt good at the end of a session/more hopeful”
  • “Excellent format ready to use”
  • “Having fun!”
• To learn more about what Langdale and Gibsons neighbours had to say about the pilot project, check out our final report here Transition Streets Pilot Project Report 2015
• Posted in our summer 2015 newsletter:  Water Restrictions, empowerment & Transition Streets August 2015 
• Read more about the Transition Streets Pilot in this inspiring article by Katherine Scott, a participant in the Langdale neighbourhood group:How Small Steps Can Become Massive Change

 

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Transition Streets Pilot Project launched May 30, 2014

We are collaborating with the Neighbourhood Stewardship Pilot Program and launching the first phase of the program: “Transition Streets” – a tried and tested, award winning project designed by Transition Town Totnes in the UK to reduce energy use, household costs and strengthen neighbourhoods.  A Transition Street is a place where people are taking steps to transition toward greater self-reliance at the same time as they are finding ways to live in balance with the world’s diminishing resources.  And they are doing it together!  We thank the Town of Gibsons for issuing a small grant to help us launch this pilot project.

How does the Sunshine Coast Transition Streets Project work?

One Initiator from a street or neighbourhood gets a group of neighbours together to apply for the program.  Ideal group size is 7-10 households.  We can help you to invite your neighbours to apply.

The project is open to all residents of the Sunshine Coast.

• We’ll help you to invite your neighbours to an orientation session.  We’ll share ideas to make it fun and social, as well as productive.
• We provide a digital manual with useful, accessible information.  You and your neighbours meet to discuss and share ideas around 5 topics: transportation, local food, water use, waste/consumption and energy use.  You do the learning together, one topic per session and then individuals and their families identify the personal actions they are able to take in each area.  Groups meet 7 times, usually over 5 -7 months for 2 hours.  The first meeting is an orientation where a facilitator will get you started and the last meeting is a wrap-up and celebration.

What are the benefits?

• Have fun, get to know your neighbours and increase the resiliency of your neighbourhood
• Identify and reduce your daily costs of living
• Learn more about climate action , resources, regional food and more
• Reduce your carbon footprint and impact on the environment
• Access free, hands-on workshops and learn useful and great skills

What are some of the results?

In Transition Town Totnes, United Kingdom, nearly 500 households participated in Transition Streets between 2010-2011.  On average, each household saves 570 Pounds ($1,050) per year and 1.3 tons CO2 each year.  Ref: Transition Town Totnes Transition Streets final project report September 2011 Transition Streets

In Transition Victoria,  British Columbia,  a group of neighbours on McCaskill St participated in a Transition Streets pilot and while the group achieved significant energy reduction goals, it also had a number of unanticipated benefits in terms of building relationships amongst neighbours.  One of the leaders of this group mentioned that he had lived on the block for 15 years and while he knew his neighbours, he never had something concrete to engage them with.  When he saw the Transition Streets project, this gave him the courage and the reason to go around and talk to his neighbours.  From there, so much more has happened.

Here are some of the results from the McCaskill Transition Street Pilot (9 households):

• 6 energy audits done and 5 heat pumps installed
• 4 major insulation upgrades
• different habits for washer, dryer and dishwasher use
• 5 low-flow toilets installed plus new shower heads and rain barrel
• more bike and bus riding
• 7 houses aggressively composting
• boulevards being reclaimed for food production
• group purchasing of local organic food
• water audits done on 7 houses via the residents’ posse
• gardens are being shared with one another
• work parties for major and minor tasks
• tool sharing has increased (ladders, concrete mixer, lawn mowers etc.)
• 5 chicken coops with 22 chickens (5 of which are cooperatively owned/managed)
• And….. a new sense of community on a street where no one knew each other before!  Ref: Transition Victoria

For suggestions on how to be a catalyst and get your neighbours together to apply for the Transition Streets Pilot Project, you can download:

• Top Tips for Neighbourhood Convening host copy
• 2016 Transition Streets Pamphlet

If you have any questions or require help, you can contact Katherine or Leonie at ttsunshinecoast@gmail.com or phone 604 886 8769

Other Transition Streets Resources:

1. www.transitionstreets.org.uk – watch a short video “How does Transition Streets work?”
2. www.transitionnelson.org – Nelson BC has a pilot Transition Streets
3. www.transitionnewcastle.org.au/project/transition-streets-challenge – Transition Streets Challenge operating in New South Wales, Australia.  Read an article “Transition Newcastle’s Streets project in Australia wins plaudits from the NSW Sustainable City Awards”
4. Transition Victoria

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Transition Training Workshops

Transition LAUNCH Workshop

Transition LAUNCH, is a 2 day course, packed with imaginative ways to delve into the practice of Transition. It provides practical tools and know-how on how to set up, run, and evolve a successful Transition Initiative.

Transition LAUNCH aims at people, who:

• are new to transition and want to evaluate the model and practice to see if it is for them
• are part of a TI that is just beginning or about to start
• want additional skills or awareness in how to communicate about peak oil and other reasons why we need to do transition, fundamental skills around awareness raising, fundamental skills in how to set up and run an Open Space event, or the basic skills in how to create and run a successful initiating group.

Transition LAUNCH provides:

• an experience of Transition.
• insight into the early stages of a Transition Initiative.
• a deepening journey into the inner dimension of Transition.
• the opportunity to meet other people involved in Transition initiatives and share experiences, difficulties and successes

Contact: Leonie Croy at ttsunshinecoast@gmail.com if you are interested in  setting up a Transition Initiative group in Sechelt or Pender Harbour and/or  would like to host a Transition Launch  workshop on the Sunshine Coast. 

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