Winners of Clean North Awards announced in secondary school, citizen, and business categories
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Clean North Awards, honouring outstanding contributions to environmental stewardship in the Sault/Algoma. From youth leadership to grassroots activism to corporate responsibility, this year’s recipients exemplify the spirit of sustainability in action.
“Each winner demonstrates that positive change is possible when individuals and organizations step up,” said Robert Bressan of Clean North. “They’re helping to build a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable community that benefits all of us. We are grateful to them and hope others are inspired by their green-minded actions.”
Secondary School Award: Jaela Viotto, St. Mary’s College
Jaela plays an active role in her family’s sustainable lifestyle in rural Echo Bay, helping to plan and maintain their 1-acre permaculture property with a 16×60-foot greenhouse and a massive vegetable garden. She helps with seed saving, caring for and harvesting more than 100 sustainably raised chickens per year, and foraging local plants like elderberries and mullein for natural remedies. Inspired by her parents, Jaela is passionate about eating local, reducing environmental impact, and encouraging her peers to be environmental stewards.
Citizen Award: Sherri Viotto
Jaela’s mother Sherri leads her family in living sustainably by managing extensive food production and preservation on their property. She grows and preserves much of their food including making their own sourdough breads and canning over 1,000 jars a year. She and her family raise poultry, forage wild foods, and source all meat and produce locally, including through bartering with other local farmers. Sherri’s commitment to permaculture, local food systems, and traditional skills has deeply influenced her family and community.
Citizen Award: Glenn Sirois
Glenn is a dedicated environmental steward known on social media as Old Critter Fighting Litter, spending countless days each year picking up litter in and around Sault Ste. Marie. Even after recovering from covid last year, he returned to his cleanup efforts—removing over 150 items from Jardun Mine Road alone. Glenn shares his litter finds on social media to raise awareness and inspire others, proving that consistent, grassroots action can make a visible difference.
Business/Organization Award: Regen Natural Resources Ltd.
Led by Brent Attwell, Peetrylia Zammit, and Matthew Dreifelds (not shown), Regen Natural Resources Ltd. has transformed the Sault Ste. Marie/Algoma landscape by partnering with landowners on reforestation. Since 2005, they’ve facilitated the planting of over 500,000 trees —150,000 in 2024 alone. Through the Forests Canada 50 Million Tree Program, Regen supports landowners by offering free site assessments, custom planting plans, and guidance and help in planting and tending trees. Their work has so many benefits: Beautifying our community, cleaning the air, creating wildlife habitat, increasing land value, reducing flooding erosion and flooding risk, and sequestering carbon—making Regen a giant in local environmental stewardship. And much of the costs are covered by the program.
We congratulates the 2025 award winners and thanks them for their amazing efforts.
Feeling inspired?
Click the How to Be Green tab at the top of the page. You’ll find a wealth of resources on green living, ranging from how to recycle properly to where to donate your unwanted stuff to growing native plants.
