After 11 years of bringing you local reporting, the team behind the Vancouver Observer has moved on to Canada's National Observer. You can follow Vancouver culture reporting over there from now on. Thank you for all your support over the years!

Kimberley Ytsma

Kimberley Ytsma is a journalism student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University with an interest in online  reporting and photography.

BC Hydro seeks small scale biomass electricity projects

BC Hydro may soon be partnering up with local municipalises or energy groups to produce biomass energy for local communities. The company announced today that they are looking for new biomass energy...
Kimberley YtsmaApr 7th, 2010

Community gardens add beauty to streets of Vancouver

Over the past sixteen years, Green Streets, a project sponsored by the City of Vancouver, has been giving Vancouver residents the opportunity to sponsor a community garden in their neighbourhood,...
Kimberley YtsmaApr 7th, 2010

"Fossil Fools Day" celebrated by costumed activists from VCC to RBC

As the Sky Train pulls up to the VCC-Clark Station a small cluster of activists in life jackets filter out of the train and onto the platform. Gathering into a small circle, the group put snorkels...
Kimberley YtsmaApr 1st, 2010

City's food scrap pick-up and composting program to begin on Earth Day

Getting Vancouver's meal scraps out of the landfill and into the city's composting program will start on Earth Day. The first phase of the program, according to the City of Vancouver's website, will i
Kimberley YtsmaMar 31st, 2010

City of Vancouver encourages waste reduction through composting indoors...with worms

In and around Vancouver, city governments are encouraging residents to do worm composting as part of their garbage reduction programs. Metro Vancouver’s website recommends that people who are...
Kimberley YtsmaMar 31st, 2010

Where to recycle batteries, cell phones and more in Vancouver

Recyling is not always easy. While local cities will pick up  household garbage, grass clipping and paper and plastic recycling, people are left to find  recycling locations for other...
Kimberley YtsmaMar 30th, 2010

Is incineration the solution to garbage disposal in Metro Vancouver?

No matter where you throw it, garbage doesn't really go "away." This article on incineration is the first in a VO series on Vancouver garbage.
Kimberley YtsmaMar 30th, 2010

Alstonvale Net Zero House runs entirely off renewable resources

To solve the issue of food production, the home's landscaping will be made entirely of edible plantation.
Kimberley YtsmaMar 29th, 2010

Businesses Face Global Climate Change Crisis

What will you do differently? This was the main focus of Globe 2010’s town hall conference this morning, where company officials and attending members had the opportunity to ask a small panel of...
Kimberley YtsmaMar 26th, 2010

UBC and Nexterra Systems partnering to use clean-energy technology to power campus

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is partnering with local company,  Nexterra Systems Corp., and GE Water and Power, to convert wood waste to power  the campus. The university will...
Kimberley YtsmaMar 25th, 2010