Vaughan Turns Out the Lights for Earth Hour
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The City of Vaughan is proud to join other major cities around the world in supporting the international Earth Hour campaign to turn off lights for one hour on March 31 at 8:30 p.m. The City is joining with the Earth Hour Vaughan community group to host a special celebration at City Hall which will include the 5th annual Lantern Walk.
“I am proud to see such outstanding support for Earth Hour in our community," said Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua. “We have made great strides here in Vaughan in our commitment to improving the environment, from our Greening Vaughan recycling program to energy-efficient Energy Star homes and our new eco-friendly City Hall."
The City of Vaughan Earth Hour 2012 event will focus on youth conserving energy and water. Vaughan high school students will present art projects designed to educate grade school children about the importance of taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Green Hero awards will be given to Vaughan residents who have made exceptional contributions to Vaughan’s sustainability.
The Earth Hour 2012 event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on March 31 and will include the following activities:
6:30 p.m. – Professional Water and Energy Indoor Exhibit; High School projects and Earth Hour videos
8:20 p.m. – Official Welcome and Lantern Walk
9:10 p.m. – Refreshments, Entertainment
9:30 p.m. – Wrap-Up: Green Hero Award and Prizes
In support of Earth Hour, residents are encouraged to switch their lights to energy-efficient bulbs and turn off lights when leaving a room to help make energy conservation a part of their everyday lives.
“Earth Hour aligns with a number of key objectives in Green Directions Vaughan, the City’s Community Sustainability and Environmental Master Plan,” said City Manager Clayton Harris. “Vaughan is committed to being a leader in environmental sustainability and events such as Earth Hour are a great way to help us achieve that goal.”
Earth Hour is an annual, global event organized by World Wildlife Fund. It is held on the last Saturday of March. It encourages households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about the need to take action to fight climate change. For more information about Earth Hour 2012, visit www.earthhourvaughan.ca.