Campaigns

Fairtrade Campus Week which is an opportunity to celebrate, educate, and promote the Fairtrade movement and Fairtrade certified products on Campuses across Canada! We partner with students, volunteers, food services and local Fairtrade producers to plan activities and projects to raise awareness on the topic. 

Did you know that UVic is designated as a Fair Trade Campus? As a consumer, you can have a positive impact on the environment by choosing to buy ethical products that are fairtrade but also by choosing to buy plant-based foods that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.

Activities:

• COMING FALL 2022: The Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability, DefaultVeg, and University Food Services hand out free FairTrade coffee or tea and free plant-based chili to raise awareness about UVic as a Fairtrade Campus and FairTrade products available on campus. For more information visit https://events.uvic.ca/event/60118-its-chili-outside 

Stay tuned for information on the 2022 dates and activities! 

The 2-year pilot program will provide up to 100 eligible UVic employees with an interest-free loan of up to $3,000 towards the purchase of an E-Bike. Loans will be re-paid over a 2-year period by payroll deduction, to cover the cost or partial cost of their E-Bike purchase.

The OCPS received approval for $13,500 in funding through the Strategic Framework Impact Fund in Fall 2020 to cover the cost of the internal loan’s (max. $300,000) interest over the 2-year period.

• Available to all regular, continuing staff and faculty
• Participants will be asked to complete a min. 3 surveys

The pilot program has officially launched! If you'd like to learn more about the pilot and how to apply for pre-approval, check out the project webpage.

For Go By Bike Week (previously Bike to Work Week), UVic joins Greater Victoria Bike to Work Society to host a series of events to celebrate cycling as a safe, healthy, fun and convenient way to get around the city. It is an excellent excuse to enjoy good exercise and fresh air, and sample the benefits of commuting by bike. 

When: October 3 - 9, 2022

How to register: 

• Visit the GoByBike website to sign up and register for the event and to get more information on the events happening around Victoria. Once you've got your team registered, email the team name to action@uvic.ca so we can track our progress collectively as a university!
• By registering, you will be entered to win prizes from both UVic and Go By Bike Week!

UVic Celebration Station:  

• Tuesday October 4, 2022 at Petch Fountain 7:45 am to 9:45 am
• Drop by to celebrate cycling, grab a snack and coffee, and get prepped for summer cycling by entering our table raffle prize draw. 
• There will be celebration stations set up around the city for you to visit as you bike!  

Prizes:

• Daily draws for team bag prizes 
• Newbie biking prize for a new participant - newbie name draw 
• Celebration Station Raffle Prize Draw

We want you to be safe out there on your bike – so much so that if you buy a helmet* at SUBtext, you will get a 50% discount! Protect your pumpkin!

*While quantities last.

When? November 14th, 2022 - December 14th, 2022

The end of Daylight Savings Time can sneak up on us, each year on the Monday after the clocks “fall back”, we give out free bike lights to cyclists who are riding without lights. At the end of the school day we’ll be out on campus to help you Lighten Up!

When? November 16th, 2022 from 4:30-6pm (or until we run out!)

To help make sure UVic stays both pedestrian and bicycle-friendly, please #sharethespace!

"Shared Space and Safety" is Strategy 2 of the Campus Cycling Plan. In the shared space model, the pedestrian is considered the primary path user and has the right of way at all times. In the future, UVic will establish designated slow zones within Ring Road to keep both pedestrians and cyclists safe.

Tips for Cyclists:

• Yield to pedestrians
• Slow down
• Leave room when passing 
• Use a bike bell
• Use hand signals
• Dismount in congested areas

When? This is an ongoing campaign, #sharethespace year round!

During UVic's Love-A-Mug week, we encourage you to reduce waste and break up with your paper cup and love your mug. Watch for the UVic Green Team and Muggo, if they see you carrying a reusable mug they will give you a coupon for a free coffee or tea! 

When? Check back for the Fall 2022 dates. 

The Green Labs program is run in partnership with the Occupational Health, Safety and Environment, and Facilities Management departments. The program runs energy reduction, chemical substitution, lab glassware recycling, and Mercury thermometer replacement projects. 

See the OHS website for more details. 

When? Ongoing, contact our office to get involved! 

Did you know that office electronics continue to draw energy even when they are turned off, yet still plugged in? This is known as standby power and when added together this could account for approximately 10% of the university’s energy consumption!  

You can help reduce your department’s standby power by participating in the Holiday Device Shutdown! 

When? December 25 - January 2 (or when you leave for holiday) 

How? Download the Holiday Shutdown checklist!