Cochrane FutureFest

Cochrane residents will have a chance to celebrate all things sustainable this October.  From October 6 to 16, Cochrane FutureFest will give area residents a chance to learn, share and celebrate sustainability at events all across the community.

“Our goal with Cochrane FutureFest is to help our community acknowledge and share all the progress that is being made towards achieving the goals of our Pathways to the Future from the Cochrane Sustainability Plan,” says Valerie McCracken, Co-Chair of Sustainability Partners Uniting Resources (SPUR).  “FutureFest is an opportunity to share our successes and also motivate us for the future.”

From the funding competition in the SPUR Bull Pen to a screening of Carbon Nation (in conjunction with the Cochrane Environmental Action Committee), there’s no lack of opportunities to get involved.

All throughout FutureFest, Cochrane residents are invited to take part in the Passport to Sustainability. Visit our Champions of Sustainability and collect stickers to add to your Passport.  Those who collect the most stickers will be eligible to win great prizes.

You can learn more about the Passport to Sustainability here.

And you can download a poster for FutureFest here.

Scheduled events for FutureFest include:

Thursday, October 6:  Screening of Carbon Nation ( 7 pm., Spray Lake Sawmills Senior’s Centre)

Thursday, October 6:  Students from Glenbow Elementary School will Gobble Up Garbage in the community, figuring out where the waste is coming from and how to reduce it.

Friday, October 7: Deadline for applications for funding from the 2011 SPUR Bull Pen

Wednesday, October 12:  Nan Boothby Memorial Library Open House (10 a.m. to 8 p.m., 405 Railway Street)

Thursday, October 13:  Conversation with the Mayor. Join Mayor Truper McBride at 7 p.m. for a casual conversation about the future of Cochrane.  (Java Jamboree, #9 312 5th Avenue West)

Friday, October 14:  SPUR Bull Pen funding competition (7 p.m., AC’s Restaurant and Lounge, 240 Riverview Drive, Cochrane).  Finalists for this year’s competition include:

· Glenbow Elementary School
Stream of Dreams – watershed education program and mural installation

· Enviros Base Camp
Replace and upgrade diesel generator to allow for capture of wasted heat

· Ranche Days Committee
Mobile Recycling Unit for Ranche Days festival, Farmers’ Market and outdoor events

· Thrive on Wellness – Commuter Challenge
Host a Commuter Challenge (June 2012)

· Cochrane & Area Events Society – Winterfest
Outdoor ice surface for Winterfest and as a public ice rink throughout winter

· Family & Community Support Services – Cochrane CookHouse Community Kitchen
Display freezer to support an Artisan Market at the Community Kitchen

Sustainability is a key focus at Glenbow Elementary this month.  Students are making harvest soups with the bounty of the fall harvest from the community gardens located on the south end of the school grounds.  They are also showcasing their new native grasslands bed located on the east side of the Glenbow club portable. This recently planted area, supported by the student’s fundraising efforts,  is an extension of students studying the needs of the most endangered ecosystem in the world. This is a collaborative effort between 2011 and 2010 students.

At the Nan Boothby Memorial Library, the Town of Cochrane Council has proclaimed October as Library Month in our community. The October 12 Open House will include several tables/displays for the Cochrane Library Board, the Friends of the Library, Marigold Library System, materials and e-book readers, plus tutorials and impromptu instructional sessions on the use of e-book readers, e-resources, and other library resources.

Check back to the Cochrane Sustainability Plan website regularly for updates, as the schedule is constantly expanding with the addition of new events.