John Abbott College Recognized for 'Green' CCAA National Championship

John Abbott College will be presented with the CCAA Innovation Award for successfully hosting the eco-friendly 2013 CCAA Men's Basketball National Championship. 

Concerned about the environment impact of hosting such a large-scale event, the organizing committee partnered with RPM Développement durable and adopted eco-friendly practices throughout the CCAA national championship. 

The event was bottled-water free, printing resources were tracked and reduced in favour of electronic messaging, and suppliers were selected based on ethical sources and long-term value. In addition, campus student groups volunteered as the ‘Green Brigade,’ food providers composted during the event, and curb-side composting was implemented for the first time.

“John Abbott's initiative to make the 2013 CCAA Men's Basketball National Championship a green event was a great demonstration of how we can all have an impact on the environment,” said Vince Amato, CCAA vice-president of marketing. “Well-received by the teams and participants, their project should be the baseline on which future CCAA national championships are organized in terms of environmental stewardship and sustainability.”

Participating teams were directly involved, traveling on carbon-friendly means of transportation, and reusing and recycling to limit their use of bottled water. 

The long-term effects of the event’s success include establishing permanent curb-side composting service, and highlighting the importance of sustainable on-campus public transportation. Subsequent on-campus events have incorporate the college's waste management and recycling services, and future events held on campus will be subject to a sustainable event policy. 

“On behalf of the organizing committee of the 2013 CCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship, we are very grateful to be receiving this award,” said Steve Shaw, athletic director at John Abbott. “It is a tribute to all the hard work that key people like Josee Lanouette and Patrice Lemieux put into this project. We certainly hope that other colleges will do the same at future CCAA national championships.”

The award will be presented Friday, October 25 at the John Abbott Islanders men's basketball home opener during halftime. The match begins at 6:30pm in the Casgrain Sports Centre.

The 2014 CCAA Men's Basketball National Championships will be hosted by Quest University March 12-15 in Squamish, B.C. 


The CCAA is a national sport organization that enriches the lives of student-athletes through intercollegiate competition.