7-10 May, 2008, Exhibition Place
Toronto, Canada – 06 May, 2008: The Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative (TREC) is launching a unique and exciting new festival on May 7-10 at Exhibition Place to showcase renewable energy technologies and energy conservation using a fun, interactive approach that will appeal to people of all ages. The Kids’ World of Energy Festival will take place over four days beginning with a schools program on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, ending with the Family Wind Energy Day on Saturday May 10th.
More than 50 educational activities, including hands-on learning, visual displays, speakers and live performances will be offered and organised around various themes. “This is going to be an exceptional, first-of-its-kind event” says Judy Lipp, TREC’s new Executive Director. “With over 3,000 kids registered to visit during the school days, we are excited about the opportunity to educate the next generation to be wiser about using and saving energy”. Grade 5 students and teachers from the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board will attend the school days this year, participating in tours of the wind turbine, planting a green roof, building solar boats and cars, calculating their carbon footprints and making hot chocolate with pedal power, to name only a few of the unique activities on offer.
The hands-on learning opportunities provided by the Festival represent a unique and highly effective approach to energy education according to Steve Bibla, TSDB’s Instructional Leader of the EcoSchools Program, who says “the turbine tour has been a centrepiece of our Grade 5 EcoSchools education program. Seeing the turbine first-hand is definitely one of the greenest energy education experiences both teachers and students can have. This festival brings that experience to thousands of others providing an important learning opportunity for people of all ages.” TDSB is a proud supporter of this event and TREC’s long term education programs which have already reached thousands of students in the GTA. TREC works with the TDSB to educate Grade 5 and 7 students in the EcoSchools “Excursion for Kids” curriculum throughout the school year taking them on tours of the only urban-based and co-operatively owned wind turbine in North America, the largest PV array in the country, a sustainable condo as well as providing hands-on activities in a dedicated Eco-pod at Exhibition Place.
The “Family Wind Energy Day” on Saturday is organized in collaboration with the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) and The Clean Air Partnership’s Fresh Air Fair and is free and open to all. Featuring more than 40 interactive activities, displays and live performances, the line-up is sure to amaze, enthral and inform. You can groove to Chris McKhool’s performance on the solar powered stage, get a free bike tune-up, watch the Toronto Kite Fliers demo and visit the Sun Kidz multi-media bus powered by solar energy and vegetable oil. TREC is aiming for a zero-waste, low-carbon event; it will be powered by Bullfrog Energy and carbon offset with credits provided by Zerofootprint. All this is a perfect fit with Exhibition Place’s leadership in energy efficiency and self-sufficiency. The generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Enbridge, CanWEA, Toronto Hydro, among many other sponsors have enabled this event. “The support for this event has been overwhelming” says Joanna Slezak, TREC’s Education Co-ordinator and driving-force behind the festival. “This is only our first year; we will make this an annual event to complement the success of the schools program we run all year. There is no better way to learn about energy issues than through first-hand experience.”
Media contacts: Judy Lipp, Executive Director, TREC, tel: 416 977 5309 ext. 34, jlipp@trec.on.ca Joanna Slezak, Education Co-ordinator, TREC, tel: 416 977 5309 ext. 24, slezakj@trec.on.ca About Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative (TREC) TREC is a non-profit, co-operative, environmental organization. Its mission is to develop co-operatively owned renewable energy and energy efficiency/conservation projects, and to educate Toronto citizens and visitors about renewable energy, energy efficiency/conservation and the community power model. TREC appreciates the financial support of its primary sponsor – The Ontario Trillium Foundation. Learn more at www.trec.on.ca.
Festival flyer: Please link to the event flyer at http://www.trec.on.ca/documents/TREC-flyer_v9.pdf
Major event sponsors: The Ontario Trillium Foundation Enbridge Canadian Wind Energy Association Toronto Hydro ARISE Technologies Portlands Energy Centre Enwave Energy Corporation Tremco Design Solutions Alterna Savings Hydrogen Village
Key participants, activities and performances: Bee’s Knees – workshop Blue Sky Solar Racing – workshop/display Canadian Native Center – workshop Chris McKhool – kids’ musician Chocosoul – pedal power hot chocolate Clean Air Partnership – Fresh Air Fair Community Bicycle Network – bike tune-up workshop Drum Artz – workshop Earth Day Canada – video game zone Earth Rangers – eco trivia game Everdale Farms – strawbale construction Hydrogen Village – display KidWind – workshops Kortright Centre – display and workshops Ontario Sustainable Energy Association – Community Power workshop Otesha Project – presentation Planet Power – aerial acrobatics Samba Kidz – workshop Samba Squad – workshop Shrimp Magnet – theatre workshop Sumkidz – multimedia bus powered by solar and bio-fuels The Royal Conservatory of Music – workshop Toronto Kite Fliers – demo Zerofootprint – Carbon calculator designed specifically for kids (www.zerofootprintkids.com)
About Toronto EcoSchools: Eco Schools is a comprehensive program that engages staff, students, and parents in taking leadership and action to help build a healthy and sustainable future. The TDSB has certified 173 of its schools as bronze, silver or gold EcoSchools. Certified EcoSchools can be found in all parts of the city and in all kinds of neighbourhoods. We have certified elementary, middle, secondary schools and outdoor education schools. Visit www.ecoschools.ca for more information.