The exterior of the Huntingdon Manor Hotel
VICTORIA – Adopting sustainability into a business can sometimes seem like a daunting and overwhelming task. But, according to Julia Canton, Director of Sales and Marketing/ Sustainability Manager at Huntingdon Manor Hotel and Pendray Inn and Tea House, it doesn’t have to be.
“You don’t have to be a business where sustainability is ingrained from the bottom up, you can get started at any stage in the game and make your contribution to being sustainable and helping the environment,” said Canton.
In 2017, Canton joined the Huntingdon Manor and Pendray Inn team and was tasked with creating a sustainability mandate for the two properties from virtually nothing. Huntingdon and Pendray are historical, traditional properties with expansive acreage and entrenched operations and although they have always been keen to contribute, the problem lied in where to begin.
“We started with the lowest hanging fruits with actions like building recycling and com- posting programs and changing products like switching out inefficient lights and moving to LED lights,” said Canton. “As the years went by, we definitely started to get more bold and more creative.”
General Manager, Erin Cassels (Right), and Julia Canton (Left), Director of Sales & Marketing with the Huntingdon Manor’s Biosphere Certification
Naturally, one of the most common problems small to mid-sized properties face is a lack of funds and capital investment for improvements like these. Which is why the company looked for help from its client base.
“We decided to implement an eco-fee,” said Canton. “Of course, adding fees to any service is not always desirable but we thought, this way, our guests were actively participating in reducing energy usage and it would come full-circle as we create ways to give back to the community.” The money collected from the eco-fund goes to a third-party company called Green Step, who then contributes those funds back into envi- ronmental initiatives on the properties. So far, that fee has allowed Huntingdon and Pendray to reduce nearly 50,000 kWh in energy consumption and covered nearly $45,000 in costs. These efforts also allowed Huntingdon and Pendray to apply for and be granted new certifications that encourage further initiatives in the community.
“The Biosphere Lifestyle Certification is a global sustainability certification for tourism businesses that meet the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility, and The Green Key Eco-rating program is recog- nized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Coun- cil (GSTC),” said Canton.
“We now hold both certifications and use them to highlight our contributions. We are fortunate to have Destination Greater Victoria and the City both encouraging a sustainable visitor economy.”
Finally, the focus of sustainability is not just about the environment but the social aspect of contributing as well.
“During Covid, when we lost all our revenue, we still wanted to make an impact and help the local community who were isolated and afraid to go to indoor spaces,” said Canton.
“So, we provided a part of our garden to build a community garden so that people could come and plant and grow their own produce while also offering the chance to get outside the home and socialize.”
In partnership with the James Bay Neighbourhood Association, Huntingdon and Pendray have now converted the garden into a permanent feature with a total of 22 garden plots and three accessible plots for gardeners with mobility issues.
“We are really proud of the sustainability contributions we have made and what we really wanted to show other business is that you don’t have to be afraid to take the first step,” said Canton. “Any step, no matter what size, is a step in the right direction.”
By Business Examiner Staff
