Green light for biodiesel

A two-year, $600,000 alternative fuel study is nearly complete and the results are promising: 20 Winnipeg vehicles were successfully run on a conventional fuel and soy-based diesel mix, without altering the engines.

The Winnipeg Free Press reported that biodiesel can be made from low-grade or blighted crops, used cooking oil and possibly even algae.

Because of a floating belief that alternative fuels will not function in cold weather, other Canadian cities are paying attention to the study.

This may pave the way to biodiesel being used in all city vehicles, city officials said.

Cross Lake turning blue

A couple in Cross Lake First Nation, a community 520 km north of Winnipeg, is encouraging their neighbourhood to stop smoking.

The couple handed out blue light bulbs to use as porch lights to all nearby residents who do not smoke, thus signaling their common commitment to health.

More than 300 light bulbs were provided in the last year alone, reported the Winnipeg Free Press.

The idea was readily received by the town, which supported the spread of awareness as well as its aesthetic appeal.

The couple hopes to expand the initiative provincially, birthing smoke-free ‘blue-light communities’ across Manitoba.

Air travelers’ rights on the agenda

A Winnipeg Member of Parliament plans to present a new bill of rights protecting Canadian passengers when their flights are delayed or canceled.

CBC News reported that Jim Malloway wants Canada to follow the European Union’s footsteps and compensate Air Canada passengers with $1,200 plus hotel and meal costs when they are bumped, even due to bad weather.

The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies supports the proposal, their only concern being a fair balance between the consumer and the business.

Enhanced identification card initiated

A Manitoba news release announced that a less-expensive alternative to the passport is being introduced in Manitoba to allow entry into the United States by land or water only.

A wallet-sized Enhanced Identification Card (EIC) will conveniently meet the new border crossing rules that come into effect in June.

Starting Feb. 2, Manitobans can apply for an EIC on a voluntary basis through Autopac brokers and Manitoba Public Insurance outlets, for as little as $30.

The card incorporates a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip that can be read by scanners at U.S. border crossings for up to 4.5 meters, with a protective sleeve to prevent unintended scanning.

“Smart development” ushers in Ikea

Winnipeg is trying to find a smart way to combine consumerism with sustainability in its massive $400 billion, 350,000-square-foot Ikea store and a 1.5 million-square-foot shopping mall in the Tuxedo area.

The suggestion involves a private developer pay the upfront costs of the civic amenities, such as road-widening and sewer extension, reported CBC News. Taxpayers will repay the developer over a period of approximately 10 years, while Ikea and the other strip mall tenants will produce property tax revenues for the city.

If the funding method is approved by city council, it will jumpstart the project’s original start date of 2018.

Published in Volume 63, Number 18 of The Uniter (January 29, 2009)