Credit Valley Conservation is not just asking citizens to be environmentally conscious, it seeks to lead them by example.   The CVC can proudly boast it has achieved that goal after the announcement on June 16 that it has been named as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for 2020.   “For us, I think it demonstrates there is recognition that we’re not just asking other people to do the right thing, but that we are also walking the talk and doing the right thing,” said CVC chief administrative officer Deborah Martin-Downs.   “It’s one thing to be admonishing people for not doing enough for the environment or not watching their own footprint, but this affirms we are also involved in doing the right thing within our organization.”   The designation is awarded to winners of an annual editorial competition run by the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. It identifies organizations focused on sustainability initiatives and environmental leadership.   “We were not doing everything we could have been a few years ago, so we’ve made huge strides in identifying things we could do and gradually working them into our processes,” said Martin-Downs.   “We’re a public organization, so it takes time to do those things, but I’m really proud of how people embraced the opportunity to change and to showcase that we can do exactly what we’ve asked others to do.”   The CVC does a variety of things within the Dufferin Community, from helping run and maintain Island Lake Conservation Area, to assisting with floodplain management, applications for changes to urban and agricultural properties, helping towns and businesses manage their storm runoffs, and more.   According to Canada’s Top 100 Employers, two major initiatives the CVC has put into practice are included in some of the reasons why the organization was selected.   The first is its TerraCycle collection program that captures additional recyclables such as pens and pencils, setting up its own organic composting, and establishing an employee uniform recycle and reuse program.   The second has to do with its LEED Gold-certified building containing the CVC offices in Mississauga, which features LED motion-controlled lighting, in-floor radiant heating, louvred window coverings, and more.   Implementing “smart blue roof” technology to help manage stormwater systems is also planned but the project is still in early stages. For the CVC, being named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers is a reinforcement that it is leading by example.   “We still have a ways to go with recycling in the parks, for example. There are many other activities we have found we can do with the office as well,” Martin-Downs said.   “There were a lot of big firms on that list, and I feel like we’re this piddly, little firm, so it was nice to be recognized.”