Canada's Greenest Employers (2025) - Flipbook - Page 28
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SPONSOR CONTENT
CANADA'S GREENEST EMPLOYERS (2025)
At Conservation Halton, sustainability is a way of life
C
onservation Halton
offers such a wide
range of environmental wellness programs
in its southern Ontario
region that Kim Barrett, the
organization’s senior specialist,
research and sustainability, says
it’s hard to pick a favourite.
“That’s like asking me to name
my favourite child,” she says with
a laugh.
The Pass It On program,
however, is one she’s especially
enthusiastic about. Offered in
partnership with local libraries, it
enables community members to
“check out” a Conservation Halton
park pass at their library, just like
they would check out a book.
the benefits of nature for mental
health and physical health,” says
Barrett.
Conservation Halton preserves,
manages and enhances the
environmental health of the
watershed it oversees, and staff is
encouraged to visit it first-hand.
“Seeing what’s happening out
on the landscape is good for our
folks who are involved in
watershed management,” says
Barrett.
The conservation authority
protects 10,600 acres of green
space, oversees 842 water
monitoring sites and monitors 39
invasive species. In 2023,
Conservation Halton completed
141 restoration projects, restored
8.5 kilometres of stream and
planted 130,385 trees and shrubs.
In total, the conservation authority
has planted more than four
million trees over the past 60
years.
“We are inherently a green
business,” says president and CEO
Chandra Sharma. “The kind of
work we do promotes
sustainability and advances green
jobs. We also embed sustainability
in our day-to-day operations and
the work we do in our own
facilities.”
Several examples illustrate this
point, including electric vehicle
charging stations in Conservation
Halton’s main parking lot and
recent office renovations that
included installing LED lighting.
Staff have also worked hard to
reduce Conservation Halton’s
greenhouse gas emissions. The
Atmospheric Fund's annual
emissions report for the Greater
Toronto and Hamilton Area
(GTHA) provides a barometer for
Conservation Halton's success.
Sharma notes that employees at
all levels participate in
sustainability initiatives. There are
staff-led tree planting days and
eco challenges, such as
eliminating straws and buying
local. On the organization’s
intranet, there’s an internal
We are inherently a green
business.
— Chandra Sharma
President and CEO
“We have 400 passes available at
libraries for community members
to sign out so that they can access
our parks at no charge,” says
Barrett.
It’s a creative way of fulfilling
Burlington, Ont.-based
Conservation Halton’s mandate to
provide opportunities for people
to connect with nature at one of
the authority’s eight parks in the
region between Toronto and
Hamilton. This mandate applies
to staff too: employees and their
immediate families receive a free
annual membership that allows
them to visit all conservation
authority parks across Ontario.
“There’s a lot of research about
Employees at Conservation Halton plant trees at Hilton Falls Conservation Area.
