This past winter, in collaboration with our community partners at Cowichan Energy Alternatives Society in part of their Community Carbon Smart program, we had the incredible opportunity to host a Cowichan Secondary trades class (grades 9-12) at our Bing's Creek Facility.

It was a great hands-on experience for the students, beginning with a Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) tour of the entire recycling facility and the potential career opportunities they may have within their community. The CVRD tour was followed-up by a Biofuel facility tour lead by CEA's Education Coordinator, Dylan taking the students through the biofuel cycle from the point of when the cooking oil is dropped off to when the biofuel is ​dispensed through the Green & Go Pump. In addition, students were able to observe a bio-diesel production demonstration (picture on the bottom right) also given by Dylan.  

A big thank-you to our partners at the City of Duncan for making this event possible by providing Cowichan Energy Alternatives with an education grant of $1000 to help increase awareness through education amongst students of local sustainable and alternative energy opportunities.  

CEA offers year-round facility tours and bio-diesel for students and groups. For more information on pricing and tours in general e-mail Dylan, CEA's Education Coordinator . 

Thank-you to everyone who attended our Let's Dance! event this past Saturday, without the support of community members we would not be able to accomplish our mission of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in the Cowichan Valley. 

Here are some highlights of the evening from the incredible introductions, the auction the bands and the dancing! Once again, thank you to all those who came out and we hope to see you all soon. 

Alistair MacGregor, Member of Parliament for Cowichan-Malahat Langford, gives opening introductions. 

Sonia Furstenau, Member of Legislative Assembly gives opening introductions. 

Brian Roberts, President of the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op and Executive Director of Cowichan Energy Alternatives welcomes guests to kick off the event.

Brian Roberts with Alistair MacGregor and Sonia Furstenau behind. 

Great audience for our opening introductions. 

We are so grateful to have so have had so many silent auction items donated to the event - perfect for all ages! 

Kira Pike from Climate Access with David Minkow and family connecting within The Hub's Cafe. 

Fantastic to even see some our community members and our incredible Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op members have such an incredible time.

Sonia Furstenau taking the time to connect with community members. 

Thank-you to Alderlea Vineyards for featuring your incredible Plaid wine selection! 

The night finished up with a rocking and fun set from the sounds of Bijoux Du Bayou.

We had such an incredible turnout and we thank everyone who took the time to support us and the work that we do! We look forward to continuing this momentum to helping expand our vision of creating a more resilient Cowichan Valley.

Only two days left to our fundraiser event! A big thank-you to all those who have donated to our silent auction and to all of our volunteers for helping organize the evening, we look forward to all the support we receive from our community members this weekend. Our vision of expanding bio-diesel in the Cowichan Valley is that much more closer thanks to all of the community support we have received for this event.  

Interested in finding out what items you can bid for? We've featured all items below! 

Other Featured Donors & Items:  
Red Arrow Brewing: Growler Fill Card 
The Raptors Society: 2 Passes to Raptor's Society Event called 'Close Encounter' 
Alderlea Vineyard: 3 Wine Bottles 
Cherry Point Estate Wines: Farm and Winery Tour for 6 
Robert Cerins: 11 x 14 Giclee Print and a 16 x 20 mat 
Stephanie Cerins: Healing My Heart (book written by Stephanie herself) 
Stephanie Cerins: Gift Certificate to Reflexology/Reiki 
Sutton Creek Spice Blends: Spices Box 
Party Animals: Catnip toy 
Charles Wainman: Garden Gnome 
Botanical Bliss: Rose Hip Face Cream
Craigdarroch Castle: 4 Free Passes 
Royal BC Museum: 2 Passes to Museum (includes IMAX tickets) 
BC Forestry Museum: Family Day Pass 
Guy Marchand: 2 Bottles of Chardonnay 
Excellent Framing: Framing Gift Certificate 
Island Mini Donuts: Gift certificate for catering event (2 hours) 
Cowichan Green Community: Gift Certificiate for their co-op online shopping 
Duncan Garage Cafe and Bakery: Gift Card
Duncan Lanes: Gift Certificate 
Kyla Mortil: Electromagnetic Frequency Inspection 
The Soap Exchange: Gift Basket 
Barbara Sobon: Handel & The Great Italian Tenor CDs 
Barbara Sobon: Saki Set for 2 
Iguana Cycles: Bike Helmet 
Monk Office: Computer Speakers
True Grain Bakery: Gift Basket of Granola 
Barely North Entertainment: Tickets 
Dinter's Nursery: Plant 
Little Bird Gifts: Tiara
Essential Remedies: Mini Bio Mineral Pot (Water Filter) 
Westholme Tea Farm: Gift box (Tea and Gi) 
Bee Alive in the Hive: Gift Certificate to Pro Bee Camp 
Twisted Mug Cafe - 400g of Spirit Bear Coffee (Whole Bean) 
Radway Studio and Boutique - Shopping Basket & Gift Certificate 
Christy Greenwood - Bodywork Gift Certificate 
Kaye Smillie - Ceramic Sculpture of a Mermaid in Yoga Pose 
The Clay Hub Collective - Medium sized ceramic bowl, canister and 2 mugs 
Ten Old Books - Set of Prayer Flags 
Beverlee McLeod - Etching of a Lion 
Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op: 1 Free Annural Membership + 20L Free of Bio-Diesel (choice of blend) 
Harmony Yoga Center - 2 Week unlimited pass for yoga sessions 
Station Street Cafe - Lunch for 2 (half sandwich and cup of soup) 
Just Jakes - Gift Certificate 
Chrystalline Vortex Pottery Studio - Plate and Bowl 
Sai's Place Spice Cafe - Gift Certificate 
Cherries Ice Cream Parlour - Gift Certificate 
Seaside Computers - Computer Mouse 
Brian Roberts - Bamboo Xylophone Kit 
Maison Preserves Co. - Preserves x 2 
Mercury Players - The Anatomy of Gray, a play by Jim Leonard Jr. 
Duncan Showroom - ShowDough 
Cowichan Cycles - Certificate for a bike tune-up 
Ali Bertin-Ancient Futures - Clothing 
The Fishbowl Cafe - Gift Card 
Jennifer Lawson - Box of Cards 
Rebecca Hazell - Children's Story Book 
Ampersand Distillery - Gin 
David Coulson Design - Gift certificate for customers 
David Martinello - Floating Shelf 
Pipi Home Decor - Tablewear 
Chantelle Foss - 5Rhythms Dance Class 
Bow Mel Chrysler - Oil/Filter Change 
Maple Leaf Kettle Corn - Popcorn 
Lorri Hamilton - Avon Donation 
Tracy Lewis - House Lanterns and Fairy House Village 
Bee Wick'd - Beeswax Candle 
Special Occasions Party Rental and Sales - Account Credit 
Jaz Yamaguchi - Painting 
Brian Roberts and Emily Yamaguchi - Dehyrdrator 
Linda Weech: May Wisdom Flow Art Print
Community Carbon Marketplace - Carbon Offset Credit to carbon neutralize a household or vacation 
Willow and Orchid - Air Plant Garden
Blue Grouse Winery - Gift Certificate 

Other Event Sponsors: 
Kroffat Auto and Brake (event donation) 
Community Carbon Marketplace (donation of carbon credits to make the event carbon neutral) 
Our volunteers for planning, arranging and outreaching for this event! 

Alcohol features from Riot Brewing and Alderlea Vineyard and coffee featured from Coffee on the Moon

Advance tickets are available until end of the day Friday at Cowichan Energy Alternatives Society office (office hours 9am - 4pm, #3-55 Station Street, Duncan B.C.) and Ten Old Books (330 Duncan St., Duncan, B.C.)

In partnership with our community partners at Cowichan Energy Alternatives invites all to join us at our Let’s Dance! fundraising event on Saturday March 3, featuring live bands Bijoux Du Bayou, Genevieve and the Wild Sundays, and Johnathon Churcher.

All proceeds from the event go toward the building of a new Green & Go™ bio-diesel pump at our Cowichan Petroleum Sales location on Allenby Road. Our vision is to make make bio-diesel more accessible for our co-op and community members in the Cowichan Valley.

In addition to great music, dancing and a local food kiosk, there will be a silent auction, featuring items from BC based businesses, artists and organizations.

Where: The event will take place on Saturday March 3, 2018 at The Hub in Cowichan Station (2375 Kokisilah Rd., Duncan. B.C.).
When: Doors Open 6:30pm
Price: $15 per person, door price $20. Children 12 and under are free.
Tickets can be purchased at the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op Office (#3-55 Station Street, Duncan, BC) and Ten Old Books (330 Duncan Street, Duncan, BC).

Know a BC based artist, organization or business that would be a great feature in our silent auction? Contact us! 

Line-Up Times:
7:00pm - 8:00pm: Johnathon Churcher
8:15pm - 9:15pm: Genevieve and the Wild Sundays
9:30pm - 10:30pm: Bijoux Du Bayou
 ​

For more information on the event contact us at info@smellbetter.org  ​

What’s a Volkswagen Owner to Do?
 
So now we know: Volkswagen cheated on its vehicle emissions tests and this may apply to other vehicle manufacturers.   What should not be news is that all cars pollute if they’re being run on petroleum-based fuels.  Even the ones that pass emissions testing are still releasing greenhouse gases and toxins to the atmosphere.  With this recent news, now we just know that some cars pollute more than we previously thought.
 
Of all the questions that have been asked about the Volkswagen scandal – who, what, when, how, and why – the most important one is: What can we do about it?
 
If you can afford an electric vehicle you can drive almost emissions free - if you’re certain the electricity you use to charge your car is coming from renewable sources.  
 
But what can you do if you can’t change your car? 
 
Change your FUEL!
 
The Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op (CB-DC) has been supplying 100% renewable biodiesel made from recycled cooking oil as a petro-diesel alternative since 2005. Biodiesel offers well-documented environmental, mechanical and human health benefits; it reduces CO2 and other harmful emissions to the atmosphere and our lungs, including an 80% to 90% reduction in PAHs and other carcinogens. 
 
And for Volkswagen owners asking themselves what to do next, biodiesel is a “drop-in” fuel that can be used now in existing diesel vehicles with little or no modifications needed.
 
Finally, a fuel to feel good about! 
 
The CB-DC is working to increase access to sustainably-produced, low-carbon biofuels through the growing BC Biofuel Network. The BCBN is powered by biofuel producers, distributors, waste cooking oil recyclers like Greasecycle and the local restaurants they collect from, supporters like Vancity and Coastal Communities Credit Union, and of course the most important part of the solution – people who make a real difference by using biofuels.  These change-agents can be found at a local biofuel Co-op near you – in the Cowichan Valley, Victoria and Vancouver.
 
To find out how you can replace your polluting exhaust with the smell of French fries, visit the CB-DC website at:  www.smellbetter.org

Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op
Fuel to Feel Good About!

     The Cowichan Bio-diesel Co-op will now be attending the Cowichan Farmers Market for the rest of the Market Season, (October 28th). The market is located at 2300 University Way, Duncan, held from 4:00 until 6:30 pm every Wednesday. For more information on the farmers market visit: www.cowichanfarmersmarket.ca. 

    We will be informing the local citizens about the role the Cowichan Bio-diesel Co-op plays in their local community. We will also be selling 20.0L jugs of Bio-diesel for $30.00 each 1.0L bottles of Diesel Conditioner for $5.00 each. The conditioner is used to ease your vehicle into using bio-diesel or as an amendment to increase fuel lubricity for small moving parts. 
    Some of our recently developed products include a 250mL bottle of oil-igarchy sold for $4.00 and a 500mL bottle sold for $ 8.00. This is a general purpose lubricant used for lubricating hand tools, drill presses, displacing water, etc. Additionally we are selling Bio-solve for $10.00 a general purpose solvent used to remove paint, asphalt, crayon, rubber, and adhesive residue. Un-B-Lube-Able is being sold for $6.00 and is used as a bio-lubricant to loosen rusty parts, ease use of key and combo locks, lubricate lathes, drill presses, hand tools, and as a honing oil for sharpening knives and scissors. The Anti-Grease sold in 4.0L jugs for $15.00, is used to clean dirt and grime from engine parts and tools and can only be used with metal parts, fittings, and tools. The most recently developed product is Naked Soap sold for $5.00. It is a liquid hand soap made from locally sourced renewable materials, primarily recycled canola oil. We have two types of scents, lavender and cedar wood derived from essential oils. 

We hope to have both our existing and new members come out to visit and to also meet some new people! 

Thanks!
Michelle York
Cowichan Bio-diesel Co-operative

When we first moved to the Cowichan Valley some 8 years ago, we were driving a little Jetta that ran on bio-diesel. It wasn’t long before we had bought a diesel van that had been converted to run on veggie oil (to meet the needs of our expanding family) and had joined the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op (the Co-op or CB-DC) to support locally produced, sustainable biofuels. Living, as many of us do here in the Valley, on a rural property, means long drives to get to Duncan, school, and services, and running our vehicle on altrrnative fuel helps ease the guilty conscience that comes with lots of driving. To date, the Co-op together with its supporting partner the Cowichan Energy Alternatives Society (CEA) has prevented over 800 tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere by supplying the community with its recycled cooking oil biofuels.

At the best of times it’s not easy running a social enterprise focused on sustainable solutions, not profit. Then last summer I heard that the offices of the Co-op and CEA were broken into. Not just once, but five times, despite repeated requests from the tenants to make the building more secure. The CB-DC offices suffered the loss of thousands of dollars in stolen property and damages. “Our insurance had a $1000 deductible for each break-in and did not insure personal property so in the end we were not reimbursed for anything- it was a complete loss” says Brian Roberts, Co-op President.

In November, CEA was denied the essential Gaming Grant funding on which it relies for delivering their programs, leaving them without core funding. Nearly six months after sending a request to review the decision, CEA has still not received an answer from the Province. Then at the start of the new year the Co-op’s biofuel pump broke down which forced closure and expensive equipment repairs of the Co-op’s biofuels pump located. This left the Co-op without the much-needed biofuel distribution pump at Cowichan Petroleum Services, and the loss of its main source of revenue for several months.
After hearing about these difficulties I began brainstorming about organizing a fundraiser to help out the struggling organization. When I shared my ideas with Brian from the Co-op, he requested that we also extend the fundraiser to include a family in need.

With the unexpected and tragic death of Miles Phillips, the timing of a fundraiser could not be more appropriate. Philips, who was the financial manager of CEA and CB-DC, has left behind a wife and two daughters now coping with grief and in serious financial difficulties. The Co-op is already supporting a campaign to raise money for the family.

You can donate on-line at: hhttp://www.smellbetter.org/1/post/2014/03/fundraising-for-miles-phillips-family.html

In the spirit of giving, there will be a community dance event taking place May 31st at the HUB in Cowichan Station, 5pm-11pm. There will live music from Bijou de Bayou, Paradigm Shifters, the Twisted Vine String Band and more, a silent auction, food, beverages and kids activities. Proceeds will be split between the family of Miles Phillips, and the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op. We are suggesting a donation of $25 at the door, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds or for donating more!

It’s not every community that is blessed with its own locally produced, sustainable biofuel service as we are here in Cowichan. Let’s keep our Co-op going, and providing the essential service it does, and help out a struggling family at the same time.

Come demonstrate your support and the resilience of our Cowichan community! See you there!

Blog Post Submitted By:
Genevieve Charbonneau
gencharb@gmail.com
http://twistedvinefarm.ca

To all Co-op members,supporters and friends,

As most of you know, Miles Phillips was killed in a tragic car crash on January 23 leaving behind his wife and two daughters.  Miles worked with the Co-op and contributed to many other local social enterprises, including our partners CEA and Greasecycle. The pursuit of environmental and social purposes is not always an easy or profitable one, and Miles’s family is currently in great need of financial help.  If you can find it in your heart to contribute something to the family you can do so by going to the link below.
 

Thanks so much from all of us at the Co-op.