Vaughan joins millions in powering down for Earth Hour

March 30, 2015 12:00 a.m.

One hour of lights out powers 503 homes

The City of Vaughan joined thousands of cities and towns across the world in marking Earth Hour by powering down for one hour on Saturday, March 28. Vaughan is a proud participant of this global movement that aims to educate and encourage people about the many ways and benefits of conservation.

Hundreds of residents participated in Vaughan’s Earth Hour event held at City Hall which included lantern making, a community lantern walk, a cycling night ride, an energy conservation exhibit, refreshments, live entertainment, a flash mob and an environmental Jeopardy game for participating Vaughan secondary schools.

A ceremony was also held to celebrate Vaughan’s Green Heroes Awards, a recognition given to residents who demonstrate a leadership role in conservation and reducing their impact on our planet, especially by conserving energy. This year’s recipients are as follows:

Green Heroes

  • Shawn Smith
  • Mark Inglis
  • Eesha Patel
  • The Prataviera family

QUOTE

“We have a proud tradition of celebrating sustainability and the many ways that everyone can do their part to make our City a greener place for tomorrow. I want to thank the Earth Hour Vaughan Committee for organizing another successful event and bringing the community together to demonstrate our commitment to positive action. I am pleased with the incredible response we have received once again this year and I encourage everyone to go beyond the one hour and commit to making changes within their daily routines that can have a lasting impact on our most precious resource – planet Earth.”

-Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua

QUICK FACTS

  • Earth Hour is held annually on the last Saturday of March and is organized by the World Wildlife Fund
  • Earth Hour began in 2007 and is a global sustainability movement that brings attention to the issues of energy conservation and climate change
  • There were more than 41,910 celebrations in 172 countries for Earth Hour 2015
  • PowerStream reported that Vaughan reduced its energy consumption by five per cent during Earth Hour 2015
  • By turning off the lights between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., the City reduced its energy use by 16.8 megawatts, enough energy to power 503 average-sized homes for 24 hours

LEARN MORE

 

Ward 1 Councillor Marilyn Iafrate and Green Hero award winner Eesha Patel
 

Ward 1 Councillor Marilyn Iafrate and Green Hero award winner Mark Inglis


Ward 1 Councillor Marilyn Iafrate and Green Hero award winners the Prataviera family

 

Ward 1 Councillor Marilyn Iafrate and Green Hero award winner Shawn Smith

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