Community Initiatives

HIEA implements and sponsors a number of local community programs and initiatives, including:

• Greenbelting: Since 1999, HIEA has invested almost $135,000 in it's multi-year Greenbelting program by planting dozens of trees that clean the air by removing wind-blown dust, and help beautify neighbourhoods.

• Outdoor Education: Since 2000, HIEA has donated $126,000 to sponsor outdoor environmental education for Hamilton's lower city elementary schools.

• Earth Day: Since 1999 HIEA has helped Hamilton area students increase their environmental knowledge by providing over $32,000 in sponsorship funding and by participation in the annual Earth Day festival.

• Mohawk College: HIEA sponsors two bursaries at Mohawk College. Students who are enrolled in the Chemical Engineering Technology - Environmental Program and the Environmental Technician with or without Co-op Internship Program are eligible to apply. For more information about these bursaries please check the Mohawk College website

• Yellow Fish Road: HIEA contnues to work together with the Bay Area Restoration Council and is pleased to provide our support for this valuable project. Each year our member companies look at ways we can help improve our local environment and increase public awareness and education.

• Children's Water Festival : The Children's Water Festival is a project of the Water and Wastewater Division, Public Works, City of Hamilton. This festival has approximately 30 activities geared to water conservation, water science and technology, water awareness and water protection. This three day event brings 2,400 Grade 4 students, 200 secondary students and 100 volunteers together to enjoy hands-on educational activities that support the Ontario Curriculum including the new 2007 Ontario Science and Technology curriculum. Completing activities through hands-on activities ensures that students learn to respect water and the environment while having fun.

• Adopt-a-Creek:HIEA is pleased to support BARC in this renewed program. Our CAP members, HIEA member representatives and thier friends adopted 2 sections of a creek in 2009. The clean up that  occured was beneficial to the environmental health of urban creeks, valley corridors and ultimately, Hamilton Harbour.

• Green Venture: HIEA was pleased to support the redevelopment of the EcoHouse interpretive signage. For more information about Green Venture and thier projects check thier website at http://www.greenventure.ca
You can visit the EcoHouse at 22 Veevers Drive, Hamilton.

• Hamilton Naturalist Club: The Land's Inlet Nature Project: Restoring Nature in Hamilton's North End. For more information about this organization check thier website at: http://www.hamiltonnature.org  and to learn more about the Lands Inlet project visit: http://www.hamiltonnature.org/HLT/LandsInlet.htm

• Commuter Challenge: HIEA helps organize Hamilton's Commuter Challenge every year, and was one of the main sponsors of the event in 2003.

• Open House: The public met HIEA and community representatives at HIEA's first Open House, in April 2003.

• Adopt-a-Creek: HIEA is pleased to support this exciting new program that targets both urban homeowners and high school students in order to engage both groups in activities that are beneficial to the environmental health of urban creeks, valley corridors and ultimately, Hamilton Harbour.

• Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair : The Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair is an annual event that provides an opportunity for grades 7-12 students to showcase thier talents and ingenuity in Science and Technology. Our members were pleased to show our support for this event with a silver sponsorship.