Barrie environmental group advocating for electric vehicles
A Barrie-based environmental group is working towards educating the public about the benefits of electric vehicles.
Living Green Barrie held its inaugural 'Tread Lightly' event on July 31. The event, held at the city's Open Air Dunlop, is part of the group's 10 actions for climate, highlighting July's focus of thinking about how you move around, hence treading lightly.
On Saturday, the group partnered with the Electric Vehicle Society, bringing owners of those types of cars out to answer some of the most pressing questions Living Green Barrie gets.
"People often have questions about range anxiety, how would I charge it, all of these kinds of things," says Andee Pelan, the director of Living Green Barrie. "So it's really great to hear from the people who own the car, the user experience, and then you aren't getting any sort of sales pitch on that and feel good that it's pretty unbiased information."
Pelan says that 55 per cent of Barrie's greenhouse gas emissions are from single vehicles. As part of its month-long push to highlight the importance of evaluating their transportation needs, she encourages many to consider cycling, public transportation or car-sharing options.
Pelan says it can bring benefits in the long run for those with concerns over the cost of electric vehicles.
"So like a lot of things, if you pay a little bit more on the front end, you are going to save money, one, two, three years down the road and then the savings really become significant," says Pelan. "So one of the messages that we really want to get out there is actually something that may be more affordable than people think it's going to be."
The group has been highlighting one of its 10 actions for climate each month. In August, Living Green Barrie will focus on how to power down while at home, providing tips on finding energy efficiencies.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.