Lights go off downtown for an hour to draw awareness to climate change
Saturday, some buildings in Calgary – and around the world – turned off the power for an hour, drawing awareness to how anyone can make positive change for the environment.
Calgary Tower was one of the landmarks to go dark between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, as a gesture of the commitment to action on climate change.
At Central Library, a free family celebration took place, including displays and activities like pedal powered bike generators.
Organizers said Earth Hour is about showing people how even small changes can make a difference for the environment.
"To support people in feeling both connected and empowered," said organizer Jared Blustein. "To take action on climate, so I think too often, we can feel kind of depressed about the state of our climate or climate concerns.
"This is really just about coming together and celebrating and feeling like – a lot of people really care."
Earth Hour was started by the World Wildlife Federation in 2007. 170 countries take part in the program.
Earth Hour celebrations at Central Library in Calgary, March 25, 2023
SAVE NOSE CREEK
Earth Hour also prompted a group called Save Nose Creek to give a tour Saturday. It is advocating for the creek valley to become a national urban park.
The group says it's important to find a balance between development and green space, saying Nose Creek is already unhealthy and development close to the creek could make it worse.
"The watershed needs protecting," said Andrew Yule, of Save Nose Creek. "The biodiversity needs protecting, the history – there's a lot of First Nations and settler history in this valley – and just community green space.
Save Nose Creek is advocating for green space in north central Calgary
"This is north central Calgary and we don't have a lot of green space," he added. "Naturalized green space that we can go to."
The Save Nose Creek advocacy group is hoping to present its case to the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.