City celebrates Earth Day

Released: April 22, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.

Winnipeg, MB - Each year on April 22, the City of Winnipeg is proud to celebrate Earth Day, the largest environmental event in the world. More than 6 million Canadians participate in Earth Day activities within their communities!

"The City is proud to build a more sustainable and environmentally responsible Winnipeg," said Mayor Brian Bowman. "I encourage everyone to take a few moments to consider your impact on the environment today - even doing something small like turning off the lights when you leave the room makes a big difference."

The City of Winnipeg is committed to green initiatives all year round. The following are some of the many plans and programs that the City undertakes to help build a more sustainable and environmentally responsible Winnipeg:

Community Sustainability Initiatives

  • The City owns and operates a number of LEED-certified buildings, including Sturgeon Heights Community Centre, the East Yard Complex. Other new facilities, such as the Transit Parking and Servicing Garage on Brandon Street are pursuing LEED certification.
  • The City’s first zero-emission battery-electric propulsion transit bus hit the road in November 2014, and is expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas and smog-causing criteria air contaminant emissions.
  • The City’s first parking-protected bike lane was installed in 2014 on Sherbrook Street between Wolseley Avenue and Broadway.
  • The UPass program will begin in September 2016, in which all full-time undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Manitoba and The University of Winnipeg will have a bus pass included in their tuition. The UPass helps increase the number of Transit users, which will reduce traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Stage 2 of the Southwest Transitway is underway, which will extend rapid transit network from 3.6 kilometres to 11.2 kilometres and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging Winnipeggers to use public transit through improved travel times and reliability.
  • Announced in Budget 2015, the City will move to 100 per cent biological larviciding, which is shown to be an effective and environmentally-friendly approach to mosquito control.
  • Winnipeg’s waste diversion rate for 2014 was 29.7 per cent, surpassing the target diversion rate of 25 per cent.
  • The City established a new nine-hectare compost pad in 2013. In 2014, almost 30,000 metric tonnes of yard waste was composted, a 28 per cent increase in composting from the year previous.
  • In 2014, the City began work on its Organics Diversion Strategy which will identify a framework and potential options to manage all types of organic material that arrive at the Brady Road Resource Management Facility, including kitchen waste, leaf and yard waste, biosolids, landscaping waste, animal waste, and wood waste.

Sustainability in City Operations and Programs

  • Conversion to LED lamps in two Winnipeg arenas.
  • The Bikeshare Pilot Program in the Planning, Property and Development department provides bicycles for staff to use to make short trips for business travel, rather than using their cars.
  • The City’s Business Travel Administrative Standard encourages the choice of low-emission, healthful, and cost-efficient travel during the workday.
  • Composting pilot projects are being introduced in select City of Winnipeg offices.
  • In 2014, the battery recycling program in City offices, Public Libraries, Police Service locations, and Fire Paramedic Stations collected over 4,600 kilograms of batteries for proper recycling through the Call2Recycle program. That’s the equivalent weight of 27,207 hockey pucks!
  • New waste sorting stations have been installed at the Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex.
  • The City’s Planning, Property and Development department has partnered with the Winnipeg Arts Council to create an Artist in Residence program, in which local artist Erika Lincoln is working to enhance public awareness and discussion on the issue of climate change through art. Her work builds on City Council’s commitment to reducing corporate and community-wide greenhouse gas emissions.

More information on the City’s Earth Day efforts is available at City of Winnipeg - Earth Day. For information on Earth Day 2015 on April 22, please visit Earth Day Canada.

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