Award recognizes Brewster’s conservation effort

The Columbia Icefield knows what the three R’s are all about.

The Recycling Council of Alberta presented the 2008 R’s of Excellence in Public Spaces Recycling award to the Columbia Icefield, a division of Brewster Tours, for demonstrating its commitment to the environment. 

The icefield is located about 60 km south of Jasper, and Brewster offers tours of the Athabasca Glacier via specially designed buses. About half a million people visit the site annually.

Denis Vandal, general manager at the Columbia Icefield, received the award at a ceremony at Jasper Park Lodge on Oct. 10 and said employees of the centre have been working for years to be the best citizens they can of the park. “I think winning an award like that pushes you to do better,” Vandal said. “The staff is very proud too. It’s not just the company, it’s the employees.”

He said for him, environmental stewardship doesn’t end when he leaves work. “It’s very important to me, not only because we’re here in the park,” he said. “I do it too at my house in Calgary.”

A truck collects recyclable items from the Icefield weekly, including paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, and tin and beverage containers. Brewster also recycles used oil, batteries and?tires, uses efficient water fixtures, treats and reuses sink and shower water, and generates its electricity on site using a three diesel generator power plant.

Joanna Buckingham, senior marketing manager, said Brewster’s recycling initiatives impress her. “A recycling truck goes by once a week, they have a recycling room where everything gets sorted, they also have a cardboard baling machine,” Buckingham said. 

Being part of such a beautiful location at the Icefield is certainly part of the dedication to conservation. “It’s all about the psychology out there that they want to share the environment with guests,” Buckingham said. “They’re reducing the footprint and still able to show visitors it’s an extraordinary place to visit.”

Claudia Boecking, administrator at the Recycling Council of Alberta, said the council reviews nominations, which are accepted year-round, then presents awards to those with merit. The icefield’s nomination came from AquaDiversity Inc., the company that works with Brewster on water and wastewater treatment.

The awards are designed to recognize outstanding contributions to waste reduction, recycling and resource conservation in Alberta, Boecking said. The Recycling Council of Alberta is a not-for-profit, non-political organization that promotes and facilitates waste reduction, recycling and resource conservation in the province.