The province of Saskatchewan declared Wednesday to be Clean Air Day, and it was kicked off in Weyburn with the Southeast Saskatchewan Airshed Association (SESAA) presenting their inaugural Clean Air Leadership Awards. The awards are designed to recognize initiatives and efforts by companies, organizations or individuals for their efforts in improving air quality, improving monitoring of air quality, or improving regulations around air quality.

Terry Gibson is the executive director of SESAA. He says there is a spin-off effect from these awards as well.

"Recognition of what the companies or organizations have done also encourages further development of initiatives like that for other organizations, other companies, other municipalities, to do things that promote clean air," Gibson explained after the ceremony.

The awards were given to three organizations from the southeast, who have taken a number of important initiatives. Gibson added that others can look at these initiatives as a springboard for their own improvements.

 

Twila Walkeden receiving the Bronze Clean Air Leadership Award on behalf of Cenovus Energy.The bronze award was presented to Cenovus Energy for their work with mobile air quality monitoring stations in the southeast. Twila Walkeden, senior community relations advisor with Cenovus, says the company is honoured to receive the award.

"It's just a testament to getting the achievement that we're looking for in terms of being a responsible operator, and being recognized for that," Walkeden said. "It's a very proud moment for us."

 

 

 

 

Ian Yates receiving the Silver Clean Air Leadership Award on behalf of SaskPower.SaskPower's carbon capture and storage project at Boundary Dam received the silver Clean Air Leadership award. The work at the dam has reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by 100%, and capturing up to 97 per cent of other particulates created by burning coal. Ian Yates, vice-president of carbon capture initiatives with SaskPower, says that it is true power generation can create a number of pollutants, but there are responsibilities that come with it.

"We are obliged to mitigate as best we can what those emissions might do to the environment," Yates pointed out. He added that the efforts by SaskPower are being adopted by a number of companies around the world. With more than 7,000 coal-fired turbines around the planet, SaskPower has taken the lead to improve air quality.

 

Laura Morrissette receiving the Gold Clean Air Leadership Award on behalf of the City of Weyburn.The gold award for the Clean Air Leadership Awards was presented to the City Of Weyburn for their Idle Free Zone campaign, that involved the whole community, including poster campaigns by students at area schools, and including businesses themselves adopting the idea. City Councillor Laura Morrissette said the entire campaign was a team effort. "We are very, very proud to team up with the citizens of Weyburn to keep our city clean, to keep our air clean," she said.

Morrissette added that the idle free zones are being adopted around the city, and that a number of businesses are asking the city to work with them in the promotion of their idle free zones. Some notable ones around the city include outside of elementary schools, and outside of the Weyburn General Hospital.

The awards were presented ahead of the SESAA annual general meeting, which was also held Wednesday morning in Weyburn.