Canada's Greenest Employers (2025) - Flipbook - Page 4
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CANADA'S GREENEST EMPLOYERS (2025)
J. MICHEAL/YMCA
SPONSOR CONTENT
The biodiverse ecosystem at Cooper Koo, one of several green roofs accessible to employees at the YMCA of Greater Toronto.
Bringing the outdoors into urban workplaces
Living, breathing ecosystems connect people with the natural world
H
ow do Canada’s Greenest
Employers (2025) celebrate
nature and biodiversity?
Apiaries on-site? Indigenous
gardens with native plants? Goats grazing
on the lawn to keep the grass trimmed? All
of the above and more. Each winning
organization does it in their own unique
way. The YMCA of Greater Toronto has
created entire biodiverse ecosystems on its
various urban rooftops and beyond,
including at its Cedar Glen Outdoor
Centre, a 263-acre site north of the city.
“It’s about giving people access to nature
who may not normally have it,” says Alex
Versluis, senior vice president, property
and development management. “A lot of
what we’re trying to do is demonstrate
how we can interact with the world in a
healthy and respectful way.”
The Y’s many green roofs include
Toronto’s largest publicly accessible one at
the Cooper Koo Family YMCA. Designed
through community engagement, it
features wheelchair-accessible planters,
urban farming areas and an educational
apiary. The goal is education first, but
through a lens of authenticity.
“We’re not just putting turf on a roof
— we’re really trying to think through the
true lens of biodiversity,” says Versluis.
“You have to track the birds and the bees
and the bugs — all the good stuff that
comes with the green space — so we bring
in a lot of signage and programming so
people can see that depth of biodiversity.”
While urban honeybees aren’t a native
species, Versluis says bees are an accessible way to help people understand the full
biodiversity spectrum.
“A beehive where you can see the honey
is a really powerful way to start making
people think beyond what’s green on top
of a roof,” he says. “We also have an apiary
at our Cedar Glen site where they extract
the honey and make it available on our
farm stand. As well, we have a sugar shack
there and produce maple syrup every
year.”
Whether through urban farming,
apiaries or educational programs, the Y is
helping people form a deeper understanding of ecological interconnectedness.
“Our urban spaces create a bit of nature
in the middle of the city,” he says. “It’s
giving people opportunity to think about
what they could plant on their balcony
and actually have fresh tomatoes or fresh
spices. Every little bit counts.”
– Diane Jermyn
