CITY HALL:

London's environmental director looks beyond the 'baby steps' taken already on issues such as garbage limits and vehicle idling Stanford pushes city's green agenda

Kelly Pedro The London Free Press June 15, 2009

Jay Stanford is on the rooftop patio at city hall overlooking the trees in Victoria Park when he makes a confession: he's not a fan of heights. Jay Stanford has been London's environmental director for 18 months.

It's a bit of a paradox for a city environmental director who's taken city council to new heights when it comes to pushing a more environmentally sustainable agenda. Though he wouldn't tell you himself, Stanford is the man behind city council banning plastic water bottles, capping the amount of garbage we put out to four containers and taking a bite out of how long Londoners can idle vehicles. He's known among community groups to build bridges and small coalitions to get things done, often directing credit toward them. "There's no ego," said George Sinclair, past chairperson of the Urban League of London. "I think we're very lucky in London to have managers like that. . . . He knows what needs to be done. He's not fussy about who does it or who gets credit for it, he just wants to see it done." Stanford has a keen knack for knowing the political will of city council and puts forward issues they're ready to tackle, said Stephen Turner, chair of the Urban League. "He knows what's going to work and what isn't going to work and he's able to frame things that often get the politicians' ear." When it comes to the environment, Stanford walks the talk. Family vacations always include a stop at a conservation area, landfill or recycling depot. He's been known to go through his neighbour's blue box removing anything the city doesn't recycle. One day when his son was playing hockey at Medway arena, a city employee had to leave early, so Stanford grabbed a broom and dustpan and walked around the arena picking up garbage. The Stanford house doesn't use disposable utensils or plates. And if you're invited to Christmas dinner, you may need a jacket. "The joke in our neighbourhood is you have to wear a coat in our house because our furnace is set between 14 and 16 degrees," he said. Stanford, who's been environmental director for 18 months, knows he has his work cut out for him in greening the city. "We're trying to sell something people don't necessarily want and we know that because environment behaviour change requires individuals, businesses or communities to change their ways," he says. "Most things aren't easy and so we get pushback where people say, 'OK, I'm prepared to change,' but they don't follow through." So Stanford has pushed the city to take baby steps, but he believes London is ready for bigger environmental strides. "I think people are ready for more than baby steps because over the last 10 years we've built up an environmental foundation in London . . . now it's a matter of helping push them further."

--- A Free Press profile Jay Stanford Age: 48 Family: Married to Barb for almost 23 years. They have two children: Christy, 19, a student at King's University College, and Tyler, 17, a student at St. Thomas Aquinas.

Kelly Pedro is a Free Press reporter.