Larry O’Brien

Congratulations to everyone in the City of Ottawa who participated in Earth Hour.  Last night by simply flicking off a light we participated in the largest demonstration of public concern over climate change.

Ottawa is part of a worldwide awareness program that proves that “we the people” want action on the important issue of climate change and global warming. The electricity we saved last night is enough to power 58 homes for a month.

However, there is a much bigger story and a good one at that. Last night, over 4,000 cities from over 88 countries representing hundreds of millions of people took part in the third annual Earth Hour event.

Starting from one City three years ago, the growth of the Earth Hour movement has been phenomenally encouraging to all of us who believe that our actions can make a difference. I can see a day where the Earth Hour challenge is a monthly, then weekly and finally, a daily challenge for billions of people and that gives me great hope for our future. Last night, we voted for a better world and a better future.

A special recognition to Hydro Ottawa and the Ottawa Sun who went above and beyond to make Ottawa’s participation in this global event a success.

Like you, I share a concern for our environment and I am committed to participating in the Earth Hour campaign and encourage the citizens of Ottawa to do the same.

Last year Ottawa was one of the first cities in Canada and the world to join the Earth Hour initiative and we saw great success with thousands of residents and businesses participating. In fact, Hydro Ottawa reported an overall reduction in energy by four per cent during last year’s Earth Hour – with your participation we can build on this success.

So tomorrow, March 28, make sure to turn out your lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.  This campaign demonstrates how a simple act of turning off a light, conducted on a collective basis, can and will make a difference in the fight against climate change.

This morning I visited Chapel Hill Catholic Elementary School and Corpus Christi School, along with Hydro Ottawa’s Earth Hour Owl, and it was inspirational to see the level of understanding these young girls and boys had about the need to do something about climate change.

Thank you to Principals Katie Kenny and Monica Kerwin for the time they spent today making Earth Hour special.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank this year’s sponsors of the City of Ottawa’s Earth Hour Campaign.
Thank you to Rosemarie Leclair, CEO of Hydro Ottawa – without her support we would not have been able to engage the community and take up the challenge of integrating Earth Hour into our day-to-day activities.

A very special thank you to the Ottawa Sun, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, local schools and businesses for all of your support!

For more information on why Earth Hour is important to our city and our environment, please click here.

And don’t forget - on March 28 at 8:30 p.m. switch off your lights for an hour, a simple way to help make the world a better place.

Mayor O’Brien unveils Earth Hour bannerOttawa – Mayor Larry O’Brien unveiled a three storey high outdoor banner at City Hall today in support of Earth Hour, the world’s largest global climate change event. The banner, sponsored by Hydro Ottawa, reminds residents to turn out the lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28.”Last year, Ottawa was one of the first cities in Canada to support Earth Hour,” said Mayor O’Brien. “Once again, we are proud to be participating in this global call to action and to demonstrate our commitment to fighting climate change. As the capital city of a G8 nation, Ottawa has an important leadership role and I hope every resident and business will join me in turning off their lights on March 28.”Earth Hour is a global campaign initiated by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney, Australia in 2007. For the second year running, the City and Hydro Ottawa are encouraging Ottawans to get involved by signing up online at ottawa.ca and registering their support for the fight against climate change by participating on March 28.“Ottawa residents and businesses truly embraced Earth Hour in 2008, making a powerful statement about our commitment as a community to use electricity wisely, and do our part for the environment,” said Rosemarie Leclair, President and CEO of Hydro Ottawa. “We’re hoping that even more will participate in 2009, and we’re making a special effort to involve children and youth, who are often the agents of change.”This year, Earth Hour organizers hope to reach one billion people in more than 1,000 cities around the world. Through their participation, individuals can learn that it’s possible to make a positive difference in their environment.Earth Hour lasts only 60 minutes but the City has programs to reduce energy use in its buildings and facilities 365 days a year. The City’s energy investment strategy, adopted in 2002, has consistently decreased energy consumption per facility, and resulted in a $1.3-million reduction in the City’s annual utility bill.

City turns off lights for Earth Hour

Ottawa – The City of Ottawa is proud to be a supporting city of Earth Hour and will be asking all residents to participate in the campaign scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 28th from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Earth Hour is a global campaign, initiated by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney, Australia in 2007. The campaign encourages individuals and businesses to join together to demonstrate the potential for action on climate change initiatives. Through their participation, individuals can understand that it’s possible to make a real difference on their environment.

This year, organizers hope to reach one billion people in more than 1,000 cities around the world.

“Be reminded that 60 minutes of awareness will go a long way to demonstrating how each one of us can make a difference to the future of our environment,” said Mayor Larry O’Brien. “We cannot afford to ignore this global call to action and I encourage every person, business, government, school and organization to participate. In coming together we can reduce our energy consumption and we can be a part of the greatest voluntary effort on climate change that the world has ever witnessed.”

“Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing our planet,” said Councillor Peter Hume, Chair of the Planning and Environment Committee. “Earth Hour is a chance to think about the difference even a small act can make. It’s about more than just one hour though. It’s about inspiring people to make changes in their everyday lives that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the year.”

The City of Ottawa is once again partnering with Hydro Ottawa and the Ottawa Sun and will be reaching out to businesses and residents over the next six weeks to encourage them to shut off all non-essential lighting for Earth Hour.

“Earth Hour is a powerful symbol of the difference we can all make through simple actions to create a more sustainable future,” said Rosemarie Leclair, President and CEO of Hydro Ottawa. “It’s easy to take electricity for granted. Earth Hour reminds us that it’s a valuable resource that we need to conserve, in order to make cleaner energy sources go farther. It’s especially important to communicate this message to children and youth, who are often the agents of change, and Earth Hour is a fun way to do that in all of our homes.”

For more information, or to register your involvement, visit ottawa.ca.