Green Communities Canada

09/04/2026

Electric school buses can reduce emissions and improve air quality while offering significant operational cost savings compared with diesel.

But as electric school buses move from pilot projects to larger-scale deployments across Canada, realizing those savings will depend on getting the charging strategy right.

Our new Calgary case study shows how smarter charging can lower electricity costs, reduce infrastructure needs, and make electrification even more cost-effective as fleets scale.

This work was made possible with funding from Alberta Ecotrust Foundation.

Read the report: https://www.pollutionprobe.org/optimizing-depot-charging-for-electric-school-buses-a-calgary-case-study-on-costs-and-peak-demand/

09/04/2026

🚌 Back to school means it’s time to talk about healthy rides to school.

The Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance (CESBA) has put together a 2026 Back-to-School resource featuring key messages, research, and tools to help raise awareness about electric school buses, cleaner air, and healthier school journeys for children.

📚 Explore the resource and help spread the word this back-to-school season!

https://buff.ly/RdrTlJS

Alt text: Back-to-school graphic from the Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance and GCC featuring three children standing in front of a yellow school bus. Text reads: “The ride to school shouldn’t expose children to harmful pollution. But it does. School bus electrification is a children’s health initiative.”

09/03/2026

🚲 4 days left. Apply now!

Do you want to help create safer, healthier, and more sustainable school journeys for children?

Green Communities Canada is looking for a School Travel Planner to work with schools, community members, municipal staff, and elected officials across Toronto to improve traffic safety and encourage more students to walk, cycle, and roll to school.

Bilingualism (French and English) is strongly preferred.

📅 Apply by September 6, 2026.

Learn more about the role at the link below!
https://buff.ly/WKGqtb4

Alt text: Graphic announcing a job opening at Green Communities Canada. Large text reads "We Are Hiring" for a "School Travel Planner" position that is "remote, GTA, bilingualism (English and French) is strongly preferred." The image lists the application deadline as September 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. The background shows people collaborating around a laptop, with the Green Communities Canada logo in the top right and an illustrated megaphone in the bottom right.

09/02/2026

Les se déploient partout au Canada. Êtes-vous prêts à rejoindre le mouvement?

Green Communities Canada invitera bientôt les groupes communautaires à intégrer la communauté de pratique de l’Initiative nationale de rues-écoles actives.

En participant à la communauté de pratique, vous aurez accès à un ensemble complet d’outils, de ressources et de matériel pour vous guider à chaque étape de la mise en place d’une rue-école réussie.

Apprenez-en plus ici : https://buff.ly/reVdO3r

* La date limite pour présenter une demande est le 18 septembre 2026.

Apprenez comment mettre en place une rue-école dans votre collectivité! Présentez votre demande d’ici le 18 septembre 2026 à 23 h 59 (HP) L’ opportunité L’Initiative nationale de rues-écoles actives (INRÉA) accepte actuellement des demandes de la part de nouvelles collectivités qui veu...

09/02/2026

are rolling out in communities all over Canada. Are you ready to join the movement?

Green Communities Canada will be inviting community groups to join the National Active School Streets Initiative’s Community of Practice.

By participating in the Community of Practice, you will have access to a comprehensive set of tools, resources, and materials to guide you through each step of implementing a successful School Street.

Learn more here: https://buff.ly/SHmDfa1

*The deadline to apply is September 18, 2026.

Alt text: School Streets graphic inviting people to join the Community of Practice. Photos show a group of practitioners gathered outdoors and children participating in activities on a school street. Text reads “Apply by September 18” and highlights an honorarium, a network of 60+ practitioners, support from Technical Leads, and access to resources and training materials.

09/02/2026

Today is National Indoor Air Quality Day.

As wildfires continue to impact communities across Canada, many households are forced to close their windows to keep smoke out. But how do we stay cool when we have to shut windows during extreme heat?

That’s why heat pumps matter.

❄️ In summer, heat pumps use less electricity than air conditioners to keep homes cool and comfortable even with windows closed, protecting indoor air quality during wildfire smoke events.

🌡️ In winter, heat pumps efficiently keep homes warm without needing to burn fossil fuels.

Heat pumps offer a climate-ready solution for year-round comfort and healthier homes.

Learn how this Vancouver family retrofitted their home to help keep their air clean and cool even during heat waves:

https://buff.ly/gtIdv4L

The Home Retrofit Journey The family’s retrofit journey started eight minutes down the street at their previous home. Built in 2013, their old home was built according to the 2012 BC Building Code, the second-most recent in the province. It was relatively energy efficient but not anywhere near as ...

09/01/2026

🚸One week left to apply!

Looking for a role where your work leads to visible change?

As a School Travel Planner with Green Communities Canada, you'll help schools assess how students travel, develop action plans, and implement initiatives that make school travel safer, healthier, and more sustainable.

From improving traffic safety to encouraging active transportation, your work will help shape healthier communities for years to come.

Bilingualism (French and English) is strongly preferred.

📅 Applications close September 6. Don’t miss your chance to apply!

Learn more here: https://buff.ly/WiaHkMc

Alt text: Graphic announcing a job opening at Green Communities Canada. Large text reads "We Are Hiring" for a "School Travel Planner" position that is "remote, GTA, bilingualism (English and French) is strongly preferred." The image lists the application deadline as September 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. The background shows people collaborating around a laptop, with the Green Communities Canada logo in the top right and an illustrated megaphone in the bottom right.

08/31/2026

Did you know social integration is the #1 predictor of a long, healthy life?

Active school travel helps kids build connections and community as they walk, bike, or roll to school, boosting their well-being now and in the future.

Read our blog & make better this year: https://buff.ly/LQXKpXR

When children walk, bike, or roll to school, they improve their well-being and the general health of their surrounding community. Every step or every wheel rotation doesn’t just get kids from point A to point B; it can also lead to some pretty impactful outcomes, such as: Some of these wins might ...

08/28/2026

The Red Hill Valley Parkway in Hamilton is a four-lane freeway built in the 2000s. The freeway follows the path of Red Hill Creek and the ecologically sensitive Niagara Escarpment (a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve) down to Lake Ontario.

In October 2024, the City of Hamilton hosted a community-driven mini forest planting at Pritchard Trail, Albion Falls.

Learn more about this mini forest project & watch more videos here: https://buff.ly/cb9T6FU

The mini forest planting event was partly funded by Green Communities Canada’s Living Cities Canada Fund and conducted in partnership with the Ontario Greenbelt Foundation. The City of Hamilton led the project by rallying volunteers and resources—trees, mulch, shovels, gloves, and expert guidance from their forestry staff—to plant nearly 870 trees!

08/27/2026