Celebrate Earth Hour with the City of Kitchener

- Mar 23, 2022

To celebrate Earth Hour, the City of Kitchener will be turning off the lights for an hour at 8:30 p.m. this Saturday at dozens of City facilities. Lights will go out at City Hall, 13 community centres, the Kitchener Operations Facility, pools, Lions Arena and the Victoria Park Clock Tower. This symbolic act of switching off is a reminder of the impact we can all have in the fight against climate change.

Earlier this year the City of Kitchener joined the Transform Waterloo Region Climate Action Strategy, a region-wide community partnership that is working together to achieve a long-term goal of an 80 per cent greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2050, with a shorter-term goal of a 50 per cent reduction by 2030. Earth Hour is a reminder that every person, organization and business in our community has a part to play in achieving these ambitious goals.

For the City of Kitchener, saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not relegated to a single hour or day, but is a key operational goal that guides how facilities and equipment are upgraded, maintained and replaced. In recent years the City has:

converted numerous lights in facilities, parks and trails to efficient Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
made numerous facility heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC) efficiency upgrades.
managed a significant rainwater harvesting system that has saved 22 million litres of potable water.
worked to install solar power systems to offset facility electricity consumption.

begun the process of installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at several facilities.

The City of Kitchener was recently recognized for exceeding its corporate emission reduction goals, and is committed to demonstrating Environmental Leadership as part of its 2019-2022 Strategic Plan. Find out more about the City of Kitchener’s commitment to climate action by visiting kitchener.ca/sustainability.

Earth Hour is one of the world’s largest grassroots environmental movements, raising awareness of climate change in more than 190 countries and territories. Learn more about Earth Hour by visiting its website.

You can join the City of Kitchener, World Wildlife Fund and millions of people around the world this Earth Hour by turning off the lights in your home at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 26. You can also get involved by:

Learning about the issues

Encouraging your business to take part

For more information, contact:
Bethany Rowland
Director, Corporate Communications & Marketing
City of Kitchener
bethany.rowland@kitchener.ca

Land acknowledgement

The City of Kitchener is situated on the traditional territory of the Chonnonton, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee Peoples. We recognize our responsibility to act as stewards for the land and honour the original caretakers who came before us. Our community is enriched by the enduring knowledge and deep-rooted traditions of the diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples who live in Kitchener today.