MenuEcotrust Canada
WebsiteMission Statement
Ecotrust Canada is an enterprising nonprofit powered by the vision of people and nature thriving together. We develop innovative economic solutions that enable rural and remote communities across Canada to share in the management and benefit of local resources –from forestry to fisheries to housing to energy. Our on the ground work and systems approach is entrepreneurial, partnership based and relentlessly practical.
Description
For more than twenty years, we’ve been proving it’s possible to create resilience in communities by embracing the connection between human, environmental and economic well-being. The results are extraordinarily compelling.
Projects in fisheries, community forestry, indigenous housing, renewable energy, and social finance have developed replicable economic models with catalytic potential. Changing systems is hard - but not impossible. Together we can build the healthy, resilient and sustainable communities of tomorrow.
Program Details
Climate Innovation: We are implementing community-led projects that reduce greenhouse gasses, and build the connective infrastructure to link these emissions reductions to investment and demand, integrating market mechanisms and emergent technologies with the key climate innovations of our time.
Community Fisheries: We are helping to build sustainable, fair and prosperous commercial fisheries. With research, analysis and facilitation, we are supporting the growing alignment among governments, harvester organizations, municipalities and First Nations for a policy shift to return greater socio-economic benefits to fishing communities.
Community Energy: We support communities in addressing energy poverty in rural and remote communities across Canada using renewable energy heating system retrofits. We are also in the process of developing new financing tools to support this program.
Indigenous Homes & Housing: First Nation communities are in dire need of support and space to develop their own vision and processes for culturally appropriate housing systems. We are supporting them to achieve their desired housing outcomes through the mobilization of First Nations knowledge systems and economic opportunities.
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Project - North Coast Innovation Lab: Building on our experience from the Local Economic Development Lab in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (ended summer 2018), the NCIL is testing how an intentionally designed social innovation lab can bring capacity, resources, creativity, and solutions to bear on the economic problems facing the Prince Rupert community.
