Eileen Velthuis “This is a turning point for the paper industry,” she explained. “If logging com- panies in British Columbia and the Canadian boreal want to retain their paper markets, they will increasingly need to prove they aren't logging endangered forests,” she said. Some of the endangered forests that have been logged in the past are BC’s Great Bear Rainforest, and the Canadian boreal forest, which is necessary for climate regulation and wildlife migration. The Paper Campaign chose Staples as a target for several reasons. For one, Staples is a US$11 billion dollar corporation, and is the largest and fastest growing office supply store in the world, with locations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands. They opened their 1000th store in 1999, and by the end of this year they plan to have a total of 215 stores in Canada alone. Also, Staples stocks paper with fibers manufactured at the Cariboo Pulp and Paper Mill in Quesnel, BC, made with fiber which is almost all from old-growth forests—and it’s vocal environmental groups around. Candace Batycki, BC Interior Program Director for ForestEthics, is hopeful that large companies such as Staples will now be held accountable for their actions and their contributions toward a cleaner environ- ment. not only one mill or one old-growth forest. Now that Staples, a major player in the office supply sector, has agreed to make a commitment to the environment, they will be following the new agreed-upon guide- lines. The guidelines require that Staples must have at least 30 percent post-con- nifer Henderson antic Bureau ALIFAX (CUP)—Experts may disagree ether homelessness is an economic or ial issue, but one Nova Scotia universi- is treating it as if it’s an academic one. alifax’s Mount Saint Vincent iversity is offering a unique program oted to seeking solutions to homeless- —a continuing education course in eloping affordable community hous- p. The certificate course, the first of its d in Canada, offers community ivists, non-profit groups, and interested dividuals the opportunity to gain practi- experience in developing, designing d managing non-profit community housing. According to Deborah Norris, a professor of family studies and gerontol- ogy at the Mount Saint Vincent, the pro- gram addresses a pressing concern for many Halifax residents. “Every day there seems to be another story on the news about a tent city,” said Norris. “We walk by homeless people on our streets all the time. We need to create good, affordable places for people to live. We need to fix this problem. It’s not going to fix itself.” Angela Bishop is the spokesperson for Community Action on Homelessness, a not-for-profit instrumental in designing the housing course. She says those who call the street home are the only people caught in a housing crunch. Individuals who live in sub-standard or overcrowded conditions can also benefit from the cre- ation of affordable housing projects. “It’s very difficult to say who is most in need. I hear from women in transitional housing that there is a lack of affordable housing available to them,” said Bishop. “We also have a huge problem with single people. Rents are extremely high, especial- ly if you don't have a partner or a room- mate to share it with. Often these people are in core need, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing.” Bishop believes that popularity of the certificate course, which currently has a waiting list, proves community and not- for-profit agencies are logical groups to tackle the issue of homelessness. “Last November, the federal government announced funding for affordable hous- ing. I think community groups are in the best position to use these funds to develop housing,” she said. Ann Bromley, a student in the certificate sumer recycled content in all paper prod- ucts for sale. They must also phase out all wood product purchases from endangered forests, and provide annual reports detail- ing their environmental results from their new environmental affairs division. According to ForestEthics, experts predict that paper and paperboard consumption will only get worse—increasing by 90 per- cent over the 1993 levels by the year 2010. But Todd Paglia, director of The Paper Campaign, believes that Staples’ commit- ment will force other companies to change as well. “Staples’ huge purchasing power will now become a force to protect endangered forests and increase the availability of recy- cled paper products,” he said. The Paper Campaign is targeting new businesses such as Office Depot and Corporate Express. These companies are being challenged to meet or beat Staples’ commitment to phase out certain products. BC Coast Director for ForestEthics, Merran Smith, believes that if Staples can make the commitment, so can the other companies. “It's becoming more and more clear that green practices make for good business,” she said. students Seek Creative Solutions to Housing Crunch ffordable housing course ies to help during crunch program hopes the course will give her the tools to do just that. Bromley’s interest lies in creating an affordable housing project in rural Nova Scotia. “Our population is aging and as baby boomers sell their homes to retire, they often have to leave their rural communi- ties to find affordable housing,” Ann Bromley. “It's only going to get worse. Because I am new to the development business this course will give me the tools I need to actually make something hap- pen.” The tools the Developing Affordable Housing certificate will use to help Bromley and the other students emphasize the practical as well as theoretical aspects of housing design. The participants don’t walk away from the experience empty handed; the course offers a final project that allows students to apply the knowl- edge they've gained to solving the problem of homelessness. “In the end there is a group project where participants actually develop a proj- ect for a non-profit group in the area to meet a particular housing need,” said Bishop. page 3 ©