Toronto's Entertainment District Turns the Lights Down Low During WWF's ANNUAL EARTH HOUR

TORONTO, March 27, 2014 /CNW/ - Businesses in Toronto's Entertainment District are turning their lights down low and lighting up candles in support of the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) eighth annual EARTH HOUR. Lights at several of the Entertainment District's landmarks, including: CN Tower, Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC), Rogers Centre, Oxford Properties - MetroCentre, The Fairmont Royal York hotel, Air Canada Centre, Roy Thomson Hall and Bell Media's Toronto Headquarters --- will turn off as a symbol of their commitment to the planet. This year's Earth hour begins at 8:30 p.m. on March 29, 2014.

Visitors to the District will have an opportunity to partake in this global event by witnessing a variety of EARTH HOUR initiatives taking place at some of Toronto's most iconic buildings. The CN Tower, the MTCC and The Fairmont Royal York, each located on Front Street West, will lead the partial power down in unison with other Entertainment District businesses and hundreds of millions of EARTH HOUR participants worldwide.

CN Tower, Canada's national icon, will participate in this international event to show its support for taking action against climate change. The Tower will remain open to the public, but take steps to reduce energy by turning off its exterior lighting and look for other ways to reduce consumption inside during EARTH HOUR. It will turn off all non-life safety interior lights and monitors, reduce the heat by five degrees, decrease elevator use, remind its staff and tenants to turn off lights and computers and encourage them to participate.

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) will be turning off all non-essential lighting, signage, LCD screens, and escalators during EARTH HOUR and provide suggestions for activities employees can do at home with their families to increase participation and awareness. Nearby at Rogers Centre, one of the world's premiere sports venues and stadiums, is showing its support for EARTH HOUR by turning off its signs on the exterior of the building, the roof lights and most exterior canopy lighting.

Oxford Properties will once again participate in EARTH HOUR this year with reduced lighting in all of their buildings. Following the event, the buildings will continue their joint landlord tenant initiative in Going Beyond Earth Hour. The main driver of this initiative is to optimize lighting in all tenant spaces. Oxford Properties Group will expand its observation of EARTH HOUR in the District to its other buildings in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

The Fairmont Royal York's Sustainability Team will be lighting candles in the lobby, and turning out all unnecessary lights and electrical equipment for the hour. Its neon rooftop sign will go dark, signaling the hotel's Sustainability Team to power down the exterior awning, canopy lights, pool area and hotel lobby. 

South of Front Street, at Air Canada Centre, during the Leafs vs. Red Wings game, all exterior advertising and search lights will be turned off as well as dimming of the lights on the concourses for the entire evening of the EARTH HOUR observations.

In the heart of the District, Roy Thomson Hall will shut its roof lighting and its Simcoe St. marquis sign and interior electronic signage to honour EARTH HOUR.  Further north on Queen St. West, all non-essential lights at the Bell Media's Queen St. building will be shut off, and all signage will go dark for the sixty-minute period.

Earth Hour is a global event created by the WWF to help raise awareness and assemble hundreds of millions of people to share the opportunities and challenges of creating a sustainable world http://www.wwf.ca/events/earthhour/. In 2008, several members of the Entertainment District were early adopters of the concept and among the first to register their participation.

According to Janice Solomon, Executive Director of the Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area, "On Saturday, March 29, 2014 the District will show its support for WWF's EARTH HOUR with reduced lighting on many landmarks. By turning the power down our members are proactively making change a reality and we are proud to participate along with the hundreds of millions of people worldwide in over 7001 cities and 152 nations across the globe."

About the Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area:

Established in 2008, TOED's mandate is to promote, improve and preserve a dynamic area of Toronto. Benefitting from economic, environmental and social factors driving downtown growth, the Entertainment District is in the midst of a renaissance, firmly establishing itself as a thriving and vibrant district for living, creating, working and entertainment. From Air Canada Centre to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the Entertainment District includes many of Toronto's most iconic buildings. In the heart of the District is the CN Tower, Steam Whistle Brewing, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, MetroCentre, Rogers Centre, Roy Thomson Hall, Princess of Wales Theatre, Royal Alexandra Theatre and TIFF Bell Lightbox. www.torontoed.com

SOURCE: Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area

Janice Solomon, Executive Director, Toronto Entertainment District BIA, 416-926-1337, [email protected], torontoed.com, facebook.com/torontoed, twitter: @toronto_ed