Since 1983
Neal
Livingston
Neal Livingston lives in the Mabou Inverness area on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Livingston is a well known Nova Scotian documentary filmmaker and artist, has businesses in renewable energy, and film production. He has a commercial maple syrup farm and is an active woodlot owner.
Livingston is an award-winning independent documentary filmmaker, two of his films were shown in the 2010 Vancouver Cultural Olympiad as part of the Olympic celebrations.
ABOUT BLACK RIVER
The Black River Group of Companies includes:
Neal is available for public speaking engagements as well as project consulting on our renewable energy future.
Livingston has produced documentary films for television broadcast on a wide variety of topics, from the political to the humorous. Livingston has made 40 films, has a Fine Arts Degree in film, and has been producing films for more than 40 years since the age of twelve. Several of these films made over the last 30 years are recognized as the most important political documentaries made on environmental issues in the region. Neal Livingston is also a visual artist and photographer. His photo works since 2002 have been shown in 5 one person and 5 group shows in Nova Scotia. In 2009 are his first sculptures, an edition of 32 pieces called TREE ART, made from Trees he selected from his eco-certified woodlot.
Livingston has a 35-year career as a leading Nova Scotian renewable energy practitioner, developer, and policy advocate for solar, water, and wind power. He owns Black River Hydro Limited, which has a 220-kilowatt hydroelectric plant and was Nova Scotia's first new private company selling electricity to the grid since 1984. Since 1980 he has had a micro-hydro plant that runs his passive solar home and was one of the first people to net meter domestically with NSPI since 1993. Starting in 2003 Livingston began work to develop commercial-sized wind power projects in Nova Scotia. In 2005 he formed Black River Wind Limited, he is the President, and Peggy Cameron the V.P. . In 2013 they partnered with Glen Estill and finally built a three turbine 6MW wind project, selling power to NS Power on a long term contract.
Livingston is available to give public lectures on his ideas for creating a solar energy transition for Nova Scotia and Canada, a crash program to reduce pollution, lower energy costs to homeowners, and create jobs.
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Livingston has a distinguished career as an environmental activist on issues related to energy, forestry practices - against clearcutting and forest spraying, and wilderness preservation on Cape Breton island. Neal is the co-chair of the Margaree Environmental Association. He is the former chair of the National Conservation Committee of the Sierra Club of Canada. From his home province he has received a Nova Scotia Energy Award (1989) and the first ever awarded Creative Arts/Cultural Nova Scotia Environmental Award (1993).
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In 2008 Livingston was awarded by the Nova Scotia Government, Woodlot Owner of the Year – Eastern Region. Since 1984 Neal also owns and operates Black River Maple Products a commercial maple syrup farm, and woodlot operation. Livingston was the first landowner on Cape Breton Island to have his woodlot eco-certified.