Latest news: Celebrations and Conservation

Up first coming in via email is a note about Earth Hour in 2009:

MEMBERS’ ADVISORY

LIGHTS OUT ACROSS CANADA FOR EARTH HOUR
MARCH 28, 2009

Cities and communities in more than 70 countries will be flicking off their lights on March 28, 2009, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. (local time) to mark Earth Hour and show support for action on climate change. FCM, in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada, is asking your municipality to sign up, participate and engage your community in celebrating your sustainability efforts.

Municipalities across Canada are playing a lead role in combating climate change through public transit, waste management, energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy. This year, Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax are official partners in Earth Hour and WWF-Canada is hoping, with the help of FCM, to outstrip last year’s participation of 150 Canadian communities.

Earth Hour is an opportunity to position municipalities as key partners and solution providers in addressing Canada’s action on climate change. It also positions Canadian municipalities as leaders in the fight against climate change in advance of world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009 to negotiate a new global deal on climate change once the Kyoto Protocol expires.

How your community can get involved:

Ensure there is the mayor’s or council’s support for Earth Hour and commit to turn off all the lights in city-controlled buildings (mindful of safety lighting).
Let WWF-Canada know you are participating by emailing earthhour@wwfcanada.org and asking for a tool kit to help you organize your efforts.
Promote Earth Hour using internal and external communication channels to get as many people involved as possible and registering at EarthHourCanada.org .

Earth Hour provides local governments with a vehicle to showcase to Canadians and the federal government the important role that municipalities play in mitigating and adapting to climate change. We hope that you can join with communities and people around the world in turning out the lights on March 28 at 8:30 p.m.
For further information contact: Cynthia Paulus, WWF Campaign Coordinator, Earth Hour 2009, cpaulus@wwfcanada.org or Shannon Watt, FCM Policy and Research Analyst, at swatt@fcm.ca.

Next is news from the Cupids 400th Anniversary Celebrations. Check out their website here for opportunities to submit proposals to somehow take part in the celebrations.