Toronto
L ocated on the shore of the beautiful Lake Ontario , Toronto has the largest population of all in Canada . As a thriving city , developing and maintaining a sustainable legacy is a mission that Toronto and its venues have taken up in force – such as the world-renowned Exhibition Place .
Exhibition Place is known for being Canada ’ s largest mixed events venue and has deep roots in the province ’ s history – located on the traditional territory of First Nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit , the Anishnabeg , the Chippewa , the Haudenosaunee , and the Wendat Peoples . Now a hub for 5.3m visitors per annum , Exhibition Place took on an environmental plan in 2004 which is now the GREENSmart programme which promotes sustainable development .
This legacy programme has created some impressive achievements for the site , including Toronto ’ s first permanent wind turbine , a 12,077sqm solar farm , and a scheme for organisers to buy Renewable Energy Attributes to offset their event .
Following the success of their almost two-decade old programme , Exhibition Place officially signed the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge in 2022 , with full intention to meet the targets as laid out in the Paris Climate Accord .
Exhibition Place site is home to several buildings , including the Enercare Centre , Beanfield Centre and Queen Elizabeth Exhibit Hall . The Enercare Centre is LEED Platinum certified and the Beanfield Centre is LEED Silver certified , demonstrating the site ’ s commitment to its environmental goals . Outside of the buildings , the site has embraced its surrounding greenery through an urban forestry programme that aims to promote biodiversity in the city of Toronto . Exhibition Place isn ’ t the only venue investing in sustainability ; the Metro Toronto Convention Centre ( MTCC ) can be found in the heart of Toronto ’ s popular Downtown area . Despite its size , the centre manages to
Time in Toronto
reduce its footprint by decreasing its energy consumption and by diverting 90 % of event waste from landfill . In 2019-2020 alone , almost 1,000,000kg of waste was diverted or recycled .
The MTCC is the first Canadian convention centre to provide an optional clean energy provider to organisers ( Bullfrog Power ) and the first in North America to partner with the Voyage Control app to reduce CO2 emissions at the top and tail of events . Locally , the centre was the first in Toronto to utilise
Enwave Energy ’ s Deep Lake Water Cooling System , which uses cold water from Lake Ontario to cool the centre ’ s South Building .
Urban green spaces are ‘ must-haves ’ not ‘ wants ’ for major convention centres who are passionate about sustainability – and MTCC is no exception . The South Building ’ s roof boasts seven acres of green space , including a public park and six beehives .
In March 2023 , Exhibition Place signed the Sustainable Tourism 2030 pledge . Combine a sustainable event with some eco-friendly excursions in Toronto :
• Add farm-to-table restaurants to your itinerary .
• Learn more about Toronto Zoo ’ s research programmes .
• Tour the city ’ s green spaces and sculpture parks .
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