The sustainably.eco Podcast

In this episode of the Sustainably.eco podcast, host Ben Skene speaks with Jessica Jennings, Production Consultant, Environmental Services at the Ontario Film Commission / Ontario Creates, and lead of the Ontario Green Screen program. With over two decades of experience across film, television, and sustainability, Jessica shares how the industry is evolving to reduce its environmental footprint.They discuss the role of Ontario Green Screen in supporting sustainable production practices across the province, from reducing on-set waste to embracing circular approaches that rethink traditional filmmaking processes. Jessica offers insight into the real challenges productions face when implementing sustainability measures, along with practical solutions that are helping teams of all sizes make meaningful progress.The conversation also highlights the importance of engaging emerging filmmakers and building sustainability into the creative process from the start. Jessica emphasizes the power of education, collaboration, and industry-wide commitment in driving long-term change.Learn more about Ontario Green Screen and access resources for sustainable production at www.ontariogreenscreen.ca.About the guest:Jessica Jennings is a seasoned producer, production manager, and sustainability leader with more than 22 years of experience across scripted, factual, and documentary filmmaking. She currently serves as Production Consultant, Environmental Services at the Ontario Film Commission / Ontario Creates, where she leads the Ontario Green Screen (OGS) program—an initiative that provides tools, training, and resources to help Ontario’s production industry adopt sustainable best practices.An environmentalist and impact producer, Jessica has worked as a sustainability consultant with Green Spark Group, supporting clients such as Disney and NHK. She has also played a key role in advancing industry dialogue as Production Manager of the Sustainable Production Forum in Toronto. Passionate about storytelling that drives change, her credits include work on environmental films such as Revolution and Sharkwater: Extinction, the CSA-winning documentary Toxic Beauty, and the CSA-nominated Meat the Future. She has also implemented sustainable practices on major productions, including MasterChef Canada and multiple feature films.

In this episode of the Sustainably.eco podcast, host Ben Skene speaks with Morgan Lehtinen, the executive director of Reaction Hub (RXN Hub), about the intersection of chemistry and sustainability in Kingston. They discuss the role of Reaction Hub in supporting the commercialization of sustainable technologies, the importance of water treatment innovations, and the historical significance of their location. Morgan shares insights on building a community of innovators, trends in clean tech, and the challenges of scaling sustainable technologies. The conversation highlights the importance of collaboration, municipal support, and balancing local and global impact in the pursuit of sustainability.About the guest: Morgan Lehtinen, PhD is an accomplished researcher, entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, educator and innovation consultant with 10+ years mobilizing chemical technologies in university and entrepreneurial ecosystems. As Executive Director of RXN HUB, Morgan leads a national coalition of start-up supporters to provide a first-of-its-kind near-net-zero facility and support system in Kingston; offering a home for cleantech ventures to pilot, demonstrate and manufacture their chemical technologies in service of a cleaner tomorrow.About the host: Originally from Ottawa, Ben Skene moved to Kingston in August after graduating from Carleton University with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Humanities. He is passionate about digital storytelling and exploring how media can connect communities to sustainability and place.

In this episode of the Sustainably.eco podcast, host Julia Stroud speaks with Bernardo Pereira, a mobility specialist from Lisbon's Energy and Environment Agency. They discuss the advancements and challenges in sustainability and climate action in Portugal, particularly focusing on mobility as a significant emitter of greenhouse gases. The conversation highlights the differences between Canadian and Portuguese climate policies, the successes of Lisbon in sustainability initiatives, and the importance of community engagement in driving change.Speaker Bio:Bernardo Campos Pereira (Lisbon, 1970) sustainable mobility specialist at Lisboa E-Nova - Lisbon Energy and Environment Agency since 2022. He holds a degree in architecture from the University of Waterloo, School of Architecture (1996 - Waterloo, Ontario, Canada), PhD from the University of Aveiro (2022) in Public Policy and has a vast experience in urban architecture and building projects, public space and sustainable mobility, with particular emphasis on active mobility and modal integration, including numerous projects carried out with various Portuguese municipalities and companies in the mobility and urban development sector.A big thanks to our volunteer Ben Skene for researching and editing our last podcast of 2025!

In this episode of the sustainably.eco podcast, host Julia Stroud discusses the importance of landscape architecture and nature-based solutions in creating sustainable cities, particularly focusing on Kingston. Guests Chris Canning, Jonathan Loschmann, and Chris Landau share insights on the role of technology, community engagement, and the economic and social benefits of green spaces. They explore practical solutions for individuals and businesses to implement landscape improvements and emphasize the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address climate resilience and urban planning challenges.Guest Speakers:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-canning-37b352/Jonathan Loschmann, OALA, CSLA, LEED AP | LinkedInChris Landau | LinkedInAdditional Resources: https://www.asla.org/https://www.csla-aapc.ca/about-csla/societyhttps://www.canninggreenworks.com/Toronto Green Standards: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/official-plan-guidelines/toronto-green-standard/toronto-green-standard-version-4/Green Roofs for Healthy Cities: https://www.greenroofs.org/Ontario Association of Landscape Architects https://www.oala.ca/Siteform Landscape Architecture: https://www.siteform.ca/

We're back after a long break. Queen's University students Brooke McAdam and Ambrose Wong took the reins on this episode about Food Waste. They spoke with Milton Calderon Donefer, founder of MealCare and  Sarah Soteroff, Sr. PR Manager of Too Good To Go. Thanks to Abrose and Brooke for writing, researching, hosting and producing this episode. This episode is sponsored by sustainably.eco. 

This month, we spoke with Aaron Markel, Founder of Hammond Hill, the first eco-experience and wilderness retreat of its kind in Canada. We talked about sustainable building practices, tiny homes and eco-tourism. I also spoke with Russell Horne, Acting Manager, Energy & Asset Management Facilities Management and Construction Services at the City of Kingston, about the upcoming Kingston Climate Expo (Oct 3. - 20). This episode is sponsored by sustainably.eco. 

Episode 36 is all about Sustainable Transportation. We spoke with Amanda Mesluk, Senior Sustainability Manager at Flair Airlines, about sustainable aviation and some of the lesser-known strategies for lowering emissions in the industry. We also spoke with youth transit guru Dan Hendry, who returns to the podcast to discuss his Get on the Bus initiative and all things transit. This month's episode is sponsored by the Commuter Challenge. 

This month, we spoke with Jill Heinerth, an acclaimed polar explorer, cave diver, author, speaker, filmmaker, and climate advocate. Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. She’ll be speaking at Earth Day at the Spire on April 21st. We also spoke to Helen Mills, gardener, citizen geographer, eco-landscape designer, educator, and social entrepreneur. She is the founder and co-director of Lost Rivers, a program of the Toronto Green Community that supports volunteer-guided place-based walks integrating stories and information about history, geography, environmental, and urban issues. For more information, please check out this great piece on CBC.ca.

We were off for a few months but are back with an exciting new episode about the home retrofit space. This month’s episode is also unique because we’ve added new voices to the team. Liliana Chow and Noel Tesfalem Gebre are students at Queen’s University working through the Experience Ventures program. Liliana and Noel helped co-produce this episode and took the wheel in the interview with Carson Price-Gallagher and  Grace Mychajlyszyn from Greenovations – a student-led energy efficiency service at Queen’s University.  We also spoke with Kai Millyard about  Retrofitting Canada's Homes: Progress Report #1,  a report he authored on behalf of Green Communities Canada. This episode is sponsored by The Kingston Climate Change Symposium. 

This month, we spoke with director Chris Salter and playwright Kate Story about “Animate, a climate-themed extended reality theatre production featured at the International Festival of Electronic Music and the Digital Arts in Montreal. We also spoke with Bonnie Ruddock, Executive Director of RTO9, a regional tourism organization, about sustainable tourism and the challenges and opportunities facing both visitors and those in the industry who wish to reduce their carbon footprint.This episode is sponsored by The Sustainable Kingston AwardsTo purchase Cli Fi: Canadian Tales of Climate Change:, please visit  https://www.exileeditions.com/shop/cli-fi-canadian-tales-of-climate-change/

We recently spoke to Adam Molson from the Daniels Corporation about the launch of their Circular Economy Hub: a dedicated space for residents to donate, repair or exchange unwanted or damaged items to reduce the waste in our landfills. We also spoke with Tim Weber, a co-founder of Diverso Energy a company that offers Geothermal Solutions for multi-family, office, retail and institutional buildings.This episode is sponsored by Phase 2 of Sustainable Kingston's Electric Vehicle Campaign. 

We recently spoke to Dr. Patricia Collins, Nico Koenig and Roger Healy about School Streets: a project that closes streets adjacent to schools to through traffic. The program is the product of a university-community partnership that seeks to promote children’s health and well-being and is part of a project funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research called Levelling the Playing Fields.  We also spoke with Adan Amer and Adeola Aegbeyemi, who are the authors of a youth-led plan to reduce Hamilton, Ontario’s dependence on fossil fuels. We spoke to them about their Community Fossil Free Plan released by Environment Hamilton.This episode is sponsored by the 2023 Commuter Challenge. 

 This month we're sharing an edited version of our EV Q+A event. This was an online presentation from Sustainable Kingston featuring Cara Clairman, CEO of Plug N Drive and François Lefèvre, Senior Manager of Market Intelligence and Corporate Planning at Nissan Canada.  Answering questions from participants and moderator Geoff Hendry, Cara, and Francois provide invaluable insight into what's new in the world of electric vehicles. This episode is sponsored by Kingston's Project Drawdown Webinar, taking place on Wednesday, May 3 and available after the event on Sustainable Kingston's Youtube channel. 

This month is all about Sustainable Fashion.  We recently spoke with Jesse Whale, stylist, wardrobe consultant, and owner of ClosettCandyy a consignment store in Kingston, Ontario. We also chatted with Stephanie Sarka, owner of 1 Atelier,  an independent luxury brand born in New York City that uses regenerative agriculture, vegetable tanning, and on-demand production to produce sustainable handbags. This episode is sponsored by the Kingston Community Climate Action Fund. 

This month we spoke to Carissa MacLennan of the Toy Exchange Club, a premium wooden toy rental subscription service for children aged 0-3 years that reduce waste and clutter.   We also spoke with Dr. Bertrand Malsch of the Smith School of Business at Queen's University about environmental, social, and governance reporting and the practice of tying these metrics to executive compensation. This episode is sponsored by The Kingston Community Climate Action Fund. *We apologize for some of the audio quality as experienced some recording difficulties and there are some scratchy moments in some of the interviews.  

This month we spoke with actor, author, and comedian Ali Hassan (CBC's Canada Reads) about his role as returning host of the 2023 Kingston Climate Change Symposium, his new book ("Is There Bacon in Heaven?"), and his upcoming live tour ("Does This Taste Funny?").  We also had a great conversation with Jackie Ryan, founder of Planting Seeds of Hope. We discussed the unique philosophy of the organization, its impact on the children who participate and incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing into nature-based programs for children.This episode is sponsored by the Kingston Climate Change Symposium. 

This month we spoke to director, writer, and producer Victoria Lean about her new documentary "The Climate Baby Dilemma." The program, which airs on CBC on November 25th at 9:00 pm and on CBC Gem, explores the difficult questions that surround having and raising children during the climate crisis. We also spoke with author Conor Kerr whose first novel "Avenue of Champions" was longlisted for the 2022 Giller Prize. We had a great conversation about Edmonton, Indigenous youth, and authentic storytelling.  This episode is sponsored by the 2023 Kingston Climate Change Symposium. 

This month we speak with Cheryl Ng from the University of British Columbia's Cool Hood Champs program and Julie Salter-Keane from the City of Kingston about their Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions initiative.  We also spoke with Janette Haase, author of From Seed to Table: A Practical Guide to Eating and Growing Green, about improving access to local food. This episode is sponsored by Sustainable Kingston's Energy Services. 

This month's episode features two great conversations including interviews with Clarke Mackey and Emma Reid. We spoke with Clarke Makey who has written and directed the Makers and Shakers Society a new scripted audio drama in six parts that centred on the climate crisis. We also spoke with Emma Reid, Head of Sustainability and ESG at Simba Sleep about getting the message right in corporate sustainability and some of the exciting developments in the Sleep Industry. This episode is sponsored by Better Homes Kingston. 

In this month's episode,  we speak to Lukas Duchaine, Technical Specialist at Defence Construction Canada, about the massive energy conservation project at Canadian Forces Base Kingston. We also chat with Professor Barry Cross at the Smith School of Business at (Queen’s University) about the plastic straw’s last hurrah: how the single-use plastic ban can be an innovation catalyst for businesses. This episode is sponsored by Sustainable Kingston's Energy Services. 

In this month's episode,  we speak with Sue Lyon (Green Burials Kingston) and Sarah Reid (James Reid Funeral Home) about Green Burials: the sustainable alternative to the traditional burial. We also have a recording of an online panel featuring Paige Agnew (City of Kingston) and Dr. Ajay Agarwal (Queen's University) about urban planning and sustainable commuting.This episode is sponsored by Kingston Accommodation Partners and Renew-a-Lawn Kingston. Helpful links: http://www.greenburialcanada.ca/https://www.greenburialcouncil.org/

This month we spoke with green marketing expert, Dr. Jacob Brower from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University about why guilt is no longer working as a tool to encourage more sustainable consumer choices. We also chatted with Kathryn Winkler, Founder and Executive Director of the Sustainable Alberta Association about Commuter Challenge, the annual campaign to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home in favour of sustainable transportation. This episode is sponsored by the Commuter Challenge. 

This month we spoke with Dr. Sofia Bonilla and Kasey Dunn from HOPE Pet Food about the benefits of insect protein in pet food and how products like Berry Buglicious are helping to mitigate the climate crisis. We also spoke with Kristin Mullin from Earth Day Canada about the history of Earth Day, this year's Earth Day theme, and why she's optimistic for the future.  This episode is sponsored by Sustainable Kingston Energy Services.  

Episode 19 of the sustainably.eco podcast features an interview with Rena Upitis and Danielle Picard from Wintergreen Studios about their great online Electric Vehicle resource, “To EV or Not to EV.” We also spoke with François Lefèvre from Nissan Canada to get the perspective of an automaker. We had a great chat about supply chains and a future in which one of three cars is electric. As a special bonus, and in keeping with our Rain Garden Project that we’re fundraising for through the Kington Community Climate Action Fund, we chatted with Emily Amon from Green Communities Canada about why Rain Gardens are so important.This episode is sponsored by Sustainable Kingston’s Rain Garden Webinar: What to do with a downpour featuring Gardening expert Sean James. The webinar is free and takes place on Thursday, March 28th at 12:00pm. To register, please visit sustainablekingston.com.

The sustainably.eco podcast is back. This month we spoke with Jeff Ranson, Sr. Director - Energy, Environment & Advocacy at BOMA Toronto. We had a great chat about the challenges of transitioning buildings to net-zero and what other municipalities can learn from Toronto.  We also spoke with Cedric Pepelea, COO of Sustainable Kingston about his sustainability journey, the asset transfer agreement with Red Squirrel Conservation Services and the importance of incentive programs.If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting Sustainable Kingston's Rain Garden Project through the Kingston Community Climate Action Fund. We're grateful for your support. To donate, please click here. 

This month, we chat about COP26 with Diana Sukailo, Sustainability Consultant and Vice President of the Cambridge University Social Impact and Sustainability Society. We also check in with Michelle Owen, founder of Musicians Fighting Climate Change, about how the music industry is responding to the climate emergency. This episode is sponsored by The Kingston Climate Change Symposium. 

This month's episode is all about Innovation. Earlier this month, we spoke with Morgan Wyatt, founder of Greenlid: a Canadian company specializing in compostable products that are poised to replace single-use plastics.  We also spoke with Morgan Lehtinen, founder of Micellotech: a Kingston-based company working to make industrial wastewater contamination in our water systems a problem of the past.This episode is sponsored by SnapCab and J.E. Agnew Food Services Ltd. 

This month's episode is all about parking and its impact on the climate.  I spoke with Paige Agnew, Commissioner, Community Services at the City of Kingston, Ontario and renowned planning consultant Brent Toderian about the Power of Parking: A New Parking Paradigm for Kingston. It’s a new game-changing, parking discussion paper, that while focused on Kingston, is highly relevant to anyone interested in urban planning and sustainability.  I also chatted with Professor Buckland Abbey, a landscape architect and retired professor at Louisiana State University about green parking and how parking lots, can play an active role in mitigating climate change. This episode is sponsored by St. Lawrence College and Weller Pharmacy. 

This month's episode is inspired by the sustainably.eco Organic Badge. We spoke with Eric Payseur of Canadian Organic Growers about which Province is leading the way in supporting organic farming and COG's role in helping with certification and supporting the sector. We also ha a great conversation about the sector, from the perspective of the producer, with Keenan Sprague of Sprague Foods: a family-run, Canadian cannery specializing in canned organic products. This episode is sponsored by TWIG and Nature's Apprentice Farm. 

This month's episode features an interview with Ron Kamen, host of the AWEsome Earthkind Energy Podcast who tells us how New York State became one of the leaders in sustainability and its one significant missed opportunity. We also spoke with Keshiv Kaushal and Gabrielle Kolotinsky at the Kingston Social Value Fund. They break down how their youth-led impact investment model can be a game-changer for social enterprises, enterprising non-profits, co-ops, and other socially-focused organizations that are under-served by the current impact investing market. This episode is sponsored by the Plastic Free Summer Challenge. 

In this month's episode, we chat with Aliya Hirji and Sophie Krouse from Fridays for Future Toronto about their #BankSwitch campaign and grassroots organizing during the pandemic. We also spoke with Dr. Leanne Keddie, Assistant Professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University about her research examining the use of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance-based incentives in executive compensation contracts. This episode is sponsored by J&J Cycle and the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires – Kingston & Region Division. 

This is part two of our two-part series on Recycling and Waste Diversion. We spoke with Dr. Myra Hird, author of Canada's Waste Flows and professor at the School of Environmental Studies at Queen's University about Canada's waste crisis, our dysfunctional recycling systems, and how inequity impacts being a good environmental citizen. We also spoke to Zach Fang, co-owner of Miss Bao: a zero-waste, pan-Asian restaurant in Kingston Ontario,  Zach discusses his cutting-edge compost system, working with suppliers, and other strategies to reduce waste in the restaurant industry. This episode is sponsored by sustainably.eco members Black Dog Tavern and Top Shelf Distillers. 

This month's episode is all about recycling and waste diversion. We chat with Peter Vinall of Sustane Technologies, a Nova Scotia company that transforms municipal solid waste back into raw materials. We also spoke with Marion Gonsalves,  Co-Founder at Waste Less Recycling – a Kingston-based not-for-profit focused on reducing waste sent to landfill by offering junk removal services that strip away recyclable and reusable material.  This episode is sponsored by Harlowe Green and Bread and Butter Bakery. 

This month's episode is inspired by the sustainably.eco Living Wage Badge. We were thrilled to chat with the editors of Rising Up: The Fight For Living Wage Work in Canada. Dr. Carlo Fanelli, Dr. Bryan Evans, and Dr. Tom McDowell discuss living wage vs. minimum wage, the opposition to the movement, and their post-pandemic outlook. We also spoke with Gillian Waters, Program Director at KEYS Job Centre in Kingston, Ontario about her experience working with job seekers, employers, and what we can do to encourage more businesses and organizations to be living wage employers. This episode is sponsored by Weller Pharmacy and Ontario Approved Professionals. 

This month's episode is inspired by the sustainably.eco Plant-Based Badge. We chat with Chef and Sustainability Manager for Sodexo Canada, Davide Del Brocco about plant-based menu development and his tips for plant-based cooking at home.   We also speak to MPP, Environment Critic, and former Executive Chef Ian Arthur about what the Ontario Government can do to encourage more plant-based consumption and his advice for transitioning away from an animal protein-heavy diet. This episode is sponsored by Pure Colour Baby and allCare IT.

This month we listen back to our favourite sustainably.eco podcast interview clips from the past 6 months.  Geoff is joined by his Sustainable Kingston colleagues Kristin Mullin and Tess Wittmann to chat about their sustainability highlights from 2020 and what we've learned from interviewing the eclectic group of sustainability leaders who joined us on the podcast.This episode is sponsored by the Kingston Climate Change Symposium. 

This month's episode is inspired by the sustainably.eco Community Badge. We chat with Tom Stanley, writer/producer of CBC/Vice's Good People with Mark Sakamoto, about how empathy and innovation can transform communities. We also speak to Tarek Hussein, owner of Weller Pharmacy in Kingston, about his community support, carbon offsets, and the benefits of being a living wage employer. This episode is sponsored by the Kingston Climate Change Symposium and Get Bent Solutions Cleaning. 

In part two of our two-part series on sustainable transportation, we talk to Kalen Anderson and Brad Smid from the City of Edmonton. We discuss long-term planning, public transit, and the development of a new Light Rail Transit line. We also chat with Neal Scott, President of Cycle Kingston about cycling safety, education, and the Covid-related cycling boom. This episode is sponsored by Cunningham Swan Carty Little & Bonham LLP and Trailhead Kingston. 

Part 1 of our 2-part Sustainable Transportation series features an interview with Plug'N Drive President and CEO Cara Clairman. We spoke at length about trends in electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and the used EV market. We also spoke to sustainability champion Dan Hendry about the award-winning Kingston Transit High School Bus Program. This episode is sponsored by sustainably.eco members Aquatarium and VOCEC Hands On Car Wash. 

Our third episode features an interview with JP Gladu about indigenous participation in the Green Economy.  Former President and CEO of The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and current Chancellor of St. Paul’s University College at the University of Waterloo, JP Gladu is Anishinaabe and a member of Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation.  We also spoke with Dr. Sonya Nobbe, Naturopathic Doctor and Director of Kingston Integrated Healthcare Inc. We spoke about the link between climate change and health and why it's important for her as a business owner to prioritize sustainability. This episode is sponsored by KEYS Job Centre and C3Inc.  

The second episode of The sustainably.eco Podcast is about all things locally sourced. We chatted with Mara Shaw, Executive Director of The National Farmers Union who talked about some of the barriers to getting more locally-grown food to market, how farmers have adapted to the pandemic, and some reasons for optimism. We also spoke to Rudi Mogl owner of Tara Natural Foods who helped explained the issue from the retailer perspective. This episode was sponsored by James Ried Funeral Home and Kingston Integrated Healthcare. 

In our very first episode of The sustainably.eco Podcast, we speak to Sustainable Kingston's Kristin Mullin to get a little historical background on the sustainably.eco program and why it's important. We also speak to David Hyndman and Ted Hsu from SWITCH. SWITCH is a network of businesses, research and educational institutions, public sector participants, energy professionals, students and community volunteers dedicated to making Southeastern Ontario a leading centre in sustainable energy.