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F R ID A Y MARCH 24, 2017 K V IL L E · m· e t r o la n d m e d ia O A K V IL L E dentistoakville.com 9 0 5 -8 4 2 -6 0 3 0 $ 1 .0 0 C O N N E C T E D T O Y O U R C O M M U N IT Y I N S I D E H A L T O N . C O M 56 pages It 's tim e to p o w e r d o w n , O a k v ille ! Town has been turning `lights out' for 10 years in global initiative by Nathan Howes Oakville Beaver Staff W a q J a g Signup Online W a gJa g.co m O akville 2017 D espite some hiccups, Earth Hour has greatly reduced energy consumption in Oakville and has led to more awareness of its impact on climate change. This is according to the Town of Oakville, an active participant in the initiative, and other environmental programs, to combat climate change locally. Initially launched in 2007 as a World Wildlife Fund (W W F) effort in Sydney, Australia, Earth Hour has become a global lights-out effort to encourage individuals, businesses and governments to take accountability for their ecological footprint. For one hour on a single March night every year, from 8:30-9:30 p.m. local time, residents are encouraged to turn off non-essential lights and un plug electronics. Suggested activities include a Police board begins review The Town of Oakville, joined by local school boards and Halton Region and Halton Regional Police, is challenging residents to turn their lights out and save power for one hour this Saturday as the global Earth Hour initiative marks its 10th anniversary - and counts up its savings. | World Wildlife Fund candlelight dinner, board games by flashlight, stargazing by the lake or a moonlight stroll, to name a few. This year' s event takes place tomor row (Saturday, March 25). According to Oakville Hydro and the Town, Oakville' s first Earth Hour in 2008 saw energy consumption drop by 8.2 per cent. A year later -- the peak of the town' s power conservation, to date -- there was a 13.3 per cent decrease in consumption, followed by a signifi cantly lower reduction of only 1.7 per cent in 2010. It' s been up-and-down since then: 3.6 per cent drop in 2011, five per cent decrease in 2012, 2.9 per cent in 2013, 5.3 per cent in 2014, 1.6 per cent in 2015 and 3.7 per cent last year. Since 2008, the estimated amount of energy saved in Oakville has been about 80 mWh, equivalent to about 1.3 million light bulbs, says the Town. This year, Oakville aims to increase participation locally and reduce con sumption even further, says Cindy Toth, Oakville' s director of Environ mental Policy. Page 5 O liv e r! T h e M u s ic a l onstage Artscene see Town on p.3 i n g e b o r g 's w a re h o u s e est. 1958 rieker k w iU m r in A ilJ T , m o re (before tax S a le ! i n g e b o r g 16i8i) F l n f a r , C O U R T M I S S I S S A U G A * w w w . i n g e b p r g s . c a