Alumni Association of Lakehead University

Alumni Profile: Colin Lacey, BSc '04

By Maureen Arges Nadin

That is exactly what Colin, who achieved a Bachelor of Science from Lakehead University in 2004, is doing in his native Southern Ontario.  Born and raised in Pickering, Colin was attracted to the Earth Sciences program at Lakehead because of what he considered to be the “natural advantage of being in Northwestern Ontario.” He describes being “blown away by the topography” of the area and was particularly drawn to the Sleeping Giant and the waterfront. Although he admits that most of his friends didn’t know where Thunder Bay was, he saw it as an exotic place and a perfect opportunity to pursue his love of nature and the outdoors, in both a personal and educational capacity.

During his three years in Thunder Bay, Colin made and retained friendships with students from various points in Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba. He developed a deep appreciation for the culture of the area and it was during his time in Thunder Bay that he became interested in combining his knowledge of physical geography with building cities. The integration of these two areas would become his ultimate career destination but he utilized his time in the Northwest to enhance his understanding of the outdoors and natural environment that is so abundant in and around Lake Superior.

Colin remembers his time at Lakehead University as being a positive and exciting experience.  He particularly enjoyed the summer that he worked for his professor and experiencing what he describes as the relaxed attitude of the city, a stark contrast to the SARS crisis and Blackout of 2003 that was darkening the mood of Toronto at the time. He was particularly impressed with not only the helpful nature of the professors in the Geology Department but the strong sense of community among the Earth Sciences students. “The people in the program were very passionate about it.” he recalls.

When Colin graduated from LU, he felt that he needed to learn more about cities and the urban environment so he applied and was accepted into the Urban Studies program at University of Toronto.

When he completed the program and graduated in 2007, he was already involved on a volunteer basis with the organization that would later become his employer. He first became aware of Evergreen, a non profit organization that started in 1991 with the vision of “bringing people and nature together for the benefit of both” through one of his professors who was the Manager of the “Evergreen Brick Works” project. When Colin took the professor’s course in Urban Infrastructure, the concept that nature is an essential component of cities really resonated with him. Through the course he learnt that Evergreen is transforming Toronto’s historic Don Valley Brick Works factory from an underused, deteriorating collection of buildings into a thriving environmentally based community centre that engages visitors in diverse experiences connected to nature. He started volunteering with Evergreen shortly thereafter and has been employed with them since graduating.

The position combines his interest in nature and physical geography with his passion for urban development. His interest in building cities, however, comes from the unique perspective that nature and green space are essential to sustainable urban living. Colin is the first to admit that the job is a perfect fit for him and his current position in the Evergreen Common Grounds program provides him with an opportunity to pursue something that is particularly exciting for him- conserving and restoring degraded spaces in urban areas.

“It is not just about putting trees in the ground. Recently we’ve also been looking at animating and bringing greater value to green spaces in urban areas through community gardens. Food security is something everyone can appreciate and value“Colin tells me. Through his position as Stewardship Coordinator, he is responsible for projects in parks and open spaces across the region. Part of his mandate includes creating and facilitating the concept of restoration through hands-on community involvement. The aim is to give people the opportunity to get their hands dirty, learn about broader restoration plans already under way, and to play a meaningful part in protecting and enhancing our common grounds. Colin coordinates projects in Markham and Oakville in the GTA but is also quite involved in the Downsview Park project located in Toronto.

The area is a former military base which began the process of becoming Canada’s first designated urban National Park in 1996 with the first phase of construction commencing in 2005. The government gave over 580 acres of the area to the crown corporation Parc Downsview Park, 360 acres of which will be developed into a traditional park space. Evergreen is currently partnering with Downsview Park to assist with the restoration of the park grounds, mainly in the area that will become the 40 acre Canada Forest. Colin explains that a critical part of this vision will be helping Downsview engage the community and build connections with local residents, something Evergreen has been doing on site since 2006. What also makes this project even more interesting is that Downsview Park eventually will have 20 acres set aside for urban agriculture and community gardens which will be a significant step towards the  larger vision of  ensuring access to locally grown food in Toronto.

Working with people and communities is an equally important aspect of Evergreen’s mandate and Colin’s friendly and easy going manner make him an ideal ambassador for urban greening.

Evergreen is a national organization that works on projects right across Canada. The organization’s head office is located in Toronto with a regional branch in Vancouver as well as several associates in various cities across the country. The organization is able to promote its vision through far reaching granting opportunities that are provided as part of its Learning Grounds and Common Grounds programs. Common Grounds administered over 700 thousand dollars for 103 community projects in 2008 alone. Evergreen is able provide grants to community groups and schools for projects such as park naturalization, community gardens, watershed restoration, stormwater management and school ground greening initiatives. To learn more about Evergreen, check out their website at www.evergreen.ca.

When asked what aspect of his job he enjoys the most, Colin enthusiastically responds “all of it.”  However he has a particular affinity for the community education component and enjoys delivering workshops and educating the public on the importance of integrating nature and green spaces in urban development.

Not surprisingly, Colin relaxes by engaging in such outdoor pursuits as cycling and hiking. He currently lives downtown Toronto very close to Little Italy and although he appreciates all that has to offer, he loves “driving out into the wilderness” whenever he has the opportunity.

For this young Lakehead University graduate, the perfect job with an organization that matches his passion for nature and the environment has given him an opportunity to “spread the word”, something which he would like to do more of in the future. Colin hopes to focus on creating more and newer concepts of green spaces in urban environments and eventually taking that message other cities and provinces. And if that mission involves a return visit to Thunder Bay, it would be a chance to revisit the city that provided the perfect setting and backdrop for the first leg of his journey.