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Media Advisory

CLEAN TRAIN COALITION WINS PRESTIGIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM AWARD

Toronto, Dec 8 - The Clean Train Coalition is thrilled to announce that they have been chosen as the 2009 recipients of the Bob Hunter "Damn Fine Activist" Award. This award is given out on a yearly basis by the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) and will be presented by his family at this year’s Ecobunk Awards at the Lula Lounge on December 9, 2009.

“The Clean Train Coalition is honoured to receive this award in Bob Hunter’s name,” said Carina Cojeen, co-chair of the Clean Train Coalition. The Hunter family has continued to give out the award on a yearly basis, and this year marks the first time the award has ever been given to a group instead of to one individual. “The Clean Train Coalition owes its success to the thousands of Toronto residents who have worked together for a better city,” said Cojeen.
The Clean Train Coalition, founded to represent communities along the Georgetown South rail corridor, believes that a healthy environment and vibrant neighbourhoods depend on smart investment in public transit infrastructure. The Coalition has been actively working to convince the provincial government and Metrolinx to electrify the Georgetown South rail corridor, which includes GO Transit trains as well as the new infrastructure that will be built for the Air-Rail Link between Union Station and Pearson Airport. The plan to run over 450 diesel trains through densely populated neighbourhoods in west Toronto is ill-conceived, and needs to be revisited. Transit is important, but good transit is crucial. Instead of improving our city, this plan will harm the health of over 300,000 residents, will contribute to climate change and SMOG, and will threaten the vitality of 12 vibrant neighbourhoods.

The Clean Train Coalition continues to call upon Metrolinx and the Province to change their focus from diesel to electric, and to build it right the first time.
Bob Hunter was a committed environmentalist who handed out this award in his name until his death in 2005. Mr. Hunter was a veteran advocacy columnist, scriptwriter, author and lecturer, but is probably best known as one of the co-founders of Greenpeace. After his time as president of Greenpeace, he continued to encourage Toronto to focus our local and global attention on environmental issues in his role as ecology specialist for City TV in Toronto.

For more information, please contact the Clean Train Coalition co-chairs:
Carina Cojeen: 416-886-2320
Mike Sullivan: 416-240-7836

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The Clean Train Coalition represents the communities along the rail corridor. We believe that a healthy environment and vibrant neighbourhoods depend on smart investment in public transit infrastructure. Build it once, build it right! www.cleantrain.ca