Join the town and take part in Earth Hour’s lights out campaign

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Each March, Earth Hour brings together communities from across the world celebrating a commitment to the planet by switching off lights for one designated hour. This Saturday, the town will participate by turning off all non-essential lighting at town facilities and is asking residents to join them in supporting this year’s Earth Hour campaign.

“Earth Hour reminds each of us that we need to take personal accountability for our impact on the planet throughout the year,” Mayor Rob Burton said. “The town is participating and we hope that Oakville residents will take up the challenge and reduce power for an hour.”

Town staff will work to reduce energy consumption at town facilities during Earth Hour without compromising public safety or interfering with town services. Measures will include turning off lighting in facilities and parking lots, and at the three war memorials in Oakville including Georges Square Cenotaph and Memorial, Trafalgar Memorial and Bronte Memorial; and marquee signage where possible at Town Hall, central operations, southeast depot, the greenhouse, community centres, libraries, the Oakville Centre Performing Arts, pools and arenas.

Taking part in Earth Hour is as easy as turning off your lights, but you can also turn down the thermostat; unplug the TV, microwave and computer; and …enjoy a candlelight dinner, read a bed-time story by flashlight, have an unplugged jam session, or take a star-gazing walk.

Residents, businesses and community groups are encouraged to register their Earth Hour event at earthhour.org. Take a picture of yourself showing how you participated in Earth Hour 2014 and tweet @townofoakville or post on the Town of Oakville Facebook page for a chance to win a basket filled with energy-saving products.

Conserving energy is a priority year-round for the town and several initiatives are in place to reduce energy use and share conservation information with the public. A few of these programs include:

  • ·         Hosting the Annual Energy Conservation Fair on May 24, 2014
  • ·         Providing public access to electric vehicle charging stations
  • ·         Greening the town’s fleet through electric vehicle use
  • ·         Completing a five-year Energy Conservation & Demand Management Plan for Town facilities

Visit Oakville Hydro’s website at oakvillehydro.com for energy conservation tips you can apply in your home.

Earth Hour is a global lights-out initiative created by the World Wildlife Fund to encourage individuals, businesses and governments around the world to take accountability for their ecological footprint. Earth Hour 2013 took place in more than 7001 cities and towns in 153 countries and territories across all seven continents. Hundreds of millions of people switched their lights off for an hour, and the campaign experienced its biggest growth since 2009.

For more information on the town’s energy conservation initiatives visit oakville.ca