EKOS Communications, Inc.

I have just returned from two weeks spent in St. Lucia, Barbados and Jamaica where I met with team members, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) and representatives of several non-government organizations, including Panos Caribbean and Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust. These meetings were exceptionally beneficial on many fronts. It was the first time that team members were able to meet with and get to know each other.

Think you know what a dome is? I thought I knew. I recalled the domes that some of my friends built and lived in. Funky structures that never seemed to live up to their potential as perhaps the best design for living and work spaces. Maybe okay for hippie communes of the 60s or back-to-the-landers of the 70s, but definitely not something you’d expect to find as suburban homes for the masses.

Well a company from the Southern Interior of BC has set out to change all this.

Before leaving Jamaica, several weeks ago, I had an opportunity to hike through a portion of the St. Ann’s Forest Reserve near Oche Rios in the company of two men from the Hills United Development Organization (HUDO). This organization represents the interests of several tiny rural communities in the region. The two men were anxious to show me the area they hoped to develop as a nature trail with an interpretive/visitor centre.

Canadian youth have a valuable role to play in the social and economic development of the nation. From their influence on political policy, to their strength in the marketplace as consumers, to their innovations and insights for the environment, youth have the power to determine the future of sustainability in Canada.

In this edition of ekosRadio, co-hosts Starr Munro and Rick Searle, chat with Justin Trudeau at Globe 2006, about the important role youth play in transforming our society’s understanding and respect for the natural environment.