Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) awarded $515,323 in grants to 32 community-based conservation and outdoor recreation projects.
 
MEC is committed to helping keep space for adventure by inspiring and enabling Canadians to be active outside, and by conserving recreationally and ecologically important places. One of the major ways it does that is through its community contribution program.
 
MEC community contribution grants  for fall 2012 range from $500 to $80,000. Here are just a few of the great initiatives being supported through this years grants: 

 


  • $30,000 to the Ottawa Riverkeepers to increase their support network to protect the Ottawa River

  • $15,000 to the Ecology Action Centre for the Making Tracks program which teaches cycling safety skills to Nova Scotia children and youth

  • $10,000 to the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition to help raise awareness and meet with decision makers showcasing the need for long-term protection of the Castle

  • $10,460 to the Living City Foundation to introduce new Canadians, high school students and families to canoeing

  • $15,000 to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-Yukon (CPAWS Yukon) to encourage public participation in the Final Public Consultations to protect the Peel Watershed

  • $15,000 to the North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA) to revitalize the Bridal Path trail on Mount Seymour for mountain bikers, hikers and trail runners.

  • $30,000 to the Environmental Earth Angels  for their Biodiversity Field Trips which will reconnect you to the environment by bringing their science curriculum to life in a full ecosystems setting

  • $10,700 to the Vallée Bras-du-Nord to widen the footbridge in the Shannahan Valley to meet the growing demand of hikers, mountain bikers and snowshoeing in the winter
     

Other organizations successful in receiving funding include The Integrated Fitness Society, Club dEscalade de la Mauricie, SkeenaWild Conservation Trust, West Coast Environmental Law Association, Wildsight, Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society, Canadian Canoe Foundation, and the Bluenose Action Foundation.
 
The community contributions program is part of the MECs continued support for outdoor recreation and conservation in Canada. As a member of 1% for the Planet, MEC is committed to investing one percent of total sales every year to environmental initiatives. Since 1987, weve invested over $21 million towards this cause.
 
Mountain Equipment Co-op is Canadas leading retailer of clothing, gear, and services for outdoor activities such as cycling, hiking, and paddlesports. MEC has more than three million members throughout Canada, whom it serves through 16 destination stores in six provinces as well as mec.ca.