With climate change accelerating and greenhouse gas emissions driving it, the Proulx-Coll family of Cedar Park wanted to do their part. “We love outdoor activities,” said Jess Coll, addressing a group of West Islanders on a recent Sunday, “we want to make sure nature is still there for our kids and their kids one day.”

It started with an email from Canadian Geographic Magazine in the spring of 2023 calling for video applications to take part in the challenge. Rather than deleting it, Jess pitched it to the family – wouldn’t it be fun to make a video about us and what we’re doing for the environment? Expecting it to end there, she submitted the video. Instead, they were accepted as finalists in the challenge.

The competition pits eight families from across Canada against each other in a bid to cut household greenhouse gas emissions. Challenges target some of the more carbon-intensive aspects of our daily lives such as commuting, homes and holidays. The winning family will take home a $50,000 prize to be awarded on the basis of the steps taken to reduce emissions, as well as the quality of their videos, overall creativity, their engagement and social media reaction. Jess, her partner Oli Proulx, and their children Sasha (11), Flo (9) and Cedric (5), are the only Quebec finalists.

The biggest change you’ll notice walking by the Proulx-Coll house is that they have traded in their camping trailer for a tent and given up their second vehicle. “The hardest part has been the communication,” said Oli, when I spoke to him after the talk. “We really need to stay on top of everyone’s work and extracurricular activities to make sure we can get them where they need to be.”

But small changes can make a big difference too. Sasha, who is in Grade 6 at École Marguerite-Bourgeoys, had heard that air fryers are more efficient than large ovens, so she decided to do an experiment. She made a batch of potatoes and put half in the air fryer and half in the oven. The result: the air fryer used only half the electricity (and half the time) of the oven!

The family has also made a host of changes around their 100-year-old Cedar Park house, from lowering the temperature, to placing insulating film on the windows, to installing a “jacket” on their water heater. 

That said, climate change is bigger than just individual households. While the Proulx-Colls were enthusiastic about a low-carbon Christmas, hand-made gifts wrapped in reusable fabric took some explaining. “I think our attitudes about consumption need to change at a societal level,” said Oli. Nonetheless, the level of engagement, whether on social media or in person, has been one of the highlights of the challenge. The welcome on Sunday morning was especially warm, as members shared their tips on the finer points of composting and some of the difficulties they’ve encountered in larger residential buildings.

The challenge wraps up on February 28th. In the meantime, you can follow them on Instagram (@jessica.eve.coll). Points are awarded for social media engagement, so you might just help bring the prize home to Pointe-Claire.