Community Action for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) is a network of local environmental and climate leaders in the city of Ottawa. CAFES was founded in 2010, incorporated as a non profit organization in 2021, and is active on unceded Algonquin territory. CAFES' organizational members are urban, suburban and rural community associations, environmental organizations and citizens organizations. Our community association representatives are often environment committee chairs or green point persons in their local association. Our individual members are citizens active in their communities and concerned with living in ecological balance. (more about membership here)
As of May 2023, the network includes over 150 individual and organizational representatives from across 23 wards and over 50 neighbourhoods.
The mission of CAFES is to support effective environmental action in the local community and at the municipal level towards creating and safeguarding a more healthy and livable city.
CAFES regularly liaises with, and is a member of, the Ottawa Federation of Citizens’ Associations (FCA), as well as the David Suzuki Foundation Future Ground Network. We partner with other community organizations such as Ecology Ottawa, Forêt Capital Forest, the Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital, Waste Watch Ottawa, City for All Women (CAWI) and Synapcity and lend our support to efforts by local groups to make Ottawa a better, more healthy and livable place.
CAFES is a leading member of the Peoples’ Official Plan coalition, and CAFES is a partner in the Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation.
Media Contact: Angela Keller-Herzog
akellerherzog@cafesottawa.ca
(613) 769-3794
CAFES is pleased to present its Impact Report from 2024. Take a look to learn about our mission, mandate, vision, and what we accomplished in 2024! You can download and read the full report.
Learn more about CAFES 3-year Strategic Plan (2024-2027). Download and read about our vision and the strategic proprieties we are working towards!
Pamela is retiring from a 30+ years diplomatic career, serving twice at the Ambassador level in Tanzania and Ecuador. A strong advocate for climate action and environmental protection throughout her career, she has held several positions directly working on the environment — as a Trade Officer promoting Canada’s environmental solutions, promoting climate change action as the Deputy Head of Canada’s Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation Office, and as Director for Sustainable Development.
With a desire to return to environmental work, she is ready to take her knowledge and experience and apply it to local environmental advocacy and action. She strongly believes that communities acting together can have a huge impact, and set an example for others to follow.
For many years a Vanier resident, Pamela is now living in Carlsbad Springs, enjoying the woods and wildlife with her dogs.
Jennifer is a sustainability consultant, helping
small and medium companies in the construction and logistics sector adopt sustainable business practices. She has worked in constructions and logistics in various ways for over 20 years.
Jennifer is a chronic volunteer and believes that grassroots organizations have the power to affect tremendous change in their local communities.
She also believes that having honest conversations with neighbours and communities can bridge partisan and divisive gaps that are so pervasive today. She wants to bring rural, suburban and urban residents together at the same table for collaborative and respectful ways to work on our most pressing environmental issues. We are better when we work together.
Nour ran for mayor in the 2022 City of Ottawa elections, and was impressed by the activism of CAFES in organizing the Mayoral Debates on the Environment. He likes how CAFES localizes the big issues and inspires people to participate in what matters.
As a professor at the University of Ottawa’s School of Engineering and Telfer School of Management, he teaches AI Ethics, Operational Excellence, Lean Six Sigma, and Strategic Management. His background includes serving on nonprofit boards and teaching Corporate Governance and Ethics in MBA programs.
He is passionate about community engagement and ethical leadership, and about helping people become great board members and exceptional CEOs. He’s also held leadership roles with the Canadian Arab Federation, LebNet, the Internal Audit Institute, and the Association of Part-Time Professors at the University of Ottawa.
Nour believes in the power of education, advocacy, and strategic thinking to create positive change, and is looking forward to applying the latter to realizing CAFES’ strategic goals.
Guy retired some years back after a 40-year career in the high tech sector, developing and installing a range of (now mostly-obsolete) communications systems. As well as his Engineering degree, Guy holds an MBA (University of Ottawa,1994) and a bookkeeping certificate (Algonquin 2016).
Guy is a long-time biker (the pedal variety), hiker, kayaker, EV owner, and part-time bookkeeper for an organic farm. Over the past two years, Guy has immersed himself in the City’s Climate Change Master Plan and participated in a number of green, pro-climate events, including the April Fossil Fools March, the September 2023 Climate Strike and CAFES initiatives, including the Climate Resiliency Workshops and the Addressing Climate Misinformation project.
He is a frequent letter- and email-writer, reminding politicians at all levels of government about the urgent need for action.
Goutam has been an IT/Telecom entrepreneur for over 30 years and has been instrumental in launching successful IT/Telecom companies. Recognizing the impact of the new Anthropocene era, he ensures that the products he helps build have a minimum impact on our environment.
As a founding member of Year 3000 Group that offers consulting services in Net Zero buildings and sustainable Energy Management, serving the Indigenous communities in Ontario, he has helped sponsor University of Ottawa’s Life Cycle Analysis award for mentoring engineering students in Net zero product development.
Goutam also applies the principles of environmental harmony to his personal life. He and his wife built the City’s first Net Positive home in 2009, receiving accolades from Canada Green Building Council and SAB magazine.
He likes to grow organic vegetables and shares his zero waste recipes via the website tasteofwaste.com. Recently, he's been working with Deep Root Food Hub to help launch a sustainable food ecosystem. He is also a musician and produces and acts in stage plays.
Pam grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and enjoyed sailing on Lake Erie and exploring the area’s parks. She received her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Toronto, and taught at the University of Saskatchewan and Southern New Hampshire University.
Her environmental research focuses on the Canadian-US binational stewardship of the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Maine as managed through the cooperation of government agencies, First Nations groups, environmental groups, and scientific institutes in both countries. She found that diverse networks such as these are vital to building climate resilience on the community level.
She is particularly inspired by CAFES’s mission of advocating for environmental sustainability and promoting climate action and leadership in Ottawa’s neighbourhoods. As a CAFES board member from Kanata, she looks forward to working with CAFES members across Ottawa on various climate action and advocacy issues.
Harry was a Chief Engineer in the Canadian Navy for 35+yrs and is currently doing data analysis for the Navy at Weir Canada. Outside interests include rock climbing, kayaking and being a grandfather.
Working under senior management, he is converting his lawns into flower and vegetable beds to improve local biodiversity and to grow heirloom tomatoes. He volunteers at Beetbox Farm both in the greenhouse and as a field hand.
He is busy trying to get local groups to join to have a common voice when advocating at city hall so we can be “greener.” He is active with the Maitland Area Pollinator Projects (MAPP) group, along with being a member of the FCA, Horizon Ottawa and the Bel-Air Community Association.
Magdalene has been a member of CAFES since 2021, actively contributing to many initiatives, such as the 2022 mayoral debates, the CAFES 2022-2028 priorities document, the Climate Resiliency Community Dialogues, and promotions of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and renewable energy for Ottawa. She is currently serving her third year on the Board of Directors.
As a professional graphic artist, a large part of Magdalene’s contribution to CAFES is through applying these skills in the communication team. In the same manner, she is active with Fridays for Future Ottawa. She also collaborates with like-minded artists to highlight the urgent need for climate action.
Magdalene resides in Barrhaven, suburban Ward 24. Now semi-retired, at a time when climate progress faces an onslaught by retrogressive forces, CAFES and climate work is among her top priorities.
Akil is a newcomer to Canada and moved to Ottawa in 2018. He is passionate about creating a human society that is in love with nature and biodiversity, and is the founder of The Box Of Life, a social enterprise that builds beautiful, sustainable worm farms and teaches people how to easily compost at home.
Akil joined the CAFES board to help boost Ottawa's circular economy sector and brings some business expertise to the table. He wants to help both non-profits and for-profits to incorporate a social mission and revenue streams in their business models. He loves lounging with his cat in his free time, and spending time in nature on weekends with his partner.
As a newcomer to Canada, Nasratullah (Nasrat) brings international expertise as an environmental and climate change specialist. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences and a MicroMasters of Leadership in Global Development. He has promoted sustainable development, climate action, and social justice for over half a decade through training, research, capacity building, advocacy, and outreach in Afghanistan and Europe.
Nasratullah is the founder of the grassroots environmental non-profit, Samsoor Watan, a network of experts and activists in Afghanistan. Nasratullah also served as a senior environmental expert with the National Environmental Protection Agency of Afghanistan until the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
A sought-after educator and TEDx speaker, he has shared his insights at international conferences addressing issues from climate justice to women’s rights. Having moved to Ottawa, he looks forward to contributing to CAFES Ottawa’s mission by linking global environmental trends with local action in order to foster collaborative efforts and sustainable communities in Ottawa.
Sara holds degrees in Education and Business and previously worked as a professional accountant. Now that she is retired and her children are grown, she enjoys having more time to volunteer in her community.
For more than a decade, Sara has been the Treasurer and a settlement volunteer with The Interchurch Refugee Group, a small east-Ottawa charity that privately sponsors refugees. Since 2021, she has been active as a climate campaign organizer with several local groups, including the Council of Canadians Ottawa Chapter, Fridays For Future Ottawa, and For Our Kids Ottawa-Gatineau. Sara is deeply concerned about climate change and looks forward to supporting CAFES’ ongoing climate advocacy work.
Sara has been a resident of Orléans for nearly 20 years and loves being close to its beautiful ravine parks, conservation areas, and the bike & ski trails along the river.
Mike grew up in an environmental household in the 70's with parents who helped get community recycling going in Guelph, Ontario. Mike's career involved a varied industrial background prior to joining the City of Ottawa in 2013. At the City Mike has worked on energy conservation including a deep building retrofit, energy management and helping to develop the City’s climate mitigation plan (Energy Evolution).
In his personal life, Mike devotes a fair bit of his time to climate activism. He lives outside Munster with his family. The family homestead includes ground mounted solar and solar on the house, a ground source heat pump, a rechargeable battery storage powerwall and about a quarter acre of veggie gardens. The favourite crop is asparagus eaten within the hour it's picked with a fresh beefsteak tomato as a close runner up.
Angela is the founding Executive Director of CAFES and served as the co-chair of CAFES from 2015 to 2020, prior to the incorporation of CAFES in January 2021. She is active in the community as an environmental and social justice advocate and active citizen observer of municipal affairs. She serves as a director on the boards of the Glebe Community Association, the Ottawa Renewable Energy Coop and Co-Energy Ontario Coop. She leads Horizon Green, an economic consultancy, and prior to COVID-19 also ran an eco-friendly B&B. Angela is a trained economist and has over two decades of experience in consulting, programme management, policy development, risk management and international development with the Canadian International Development Agency.
