Did you partake in Earth Hour? (6 photos)

Yesterday evening, everyone was invited to bike, walk or take public transit down the Bellevue Park to take part in the Sault's first-ever Earth Hour event.

People gathered at the park bandshell between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. for a special candle lighting event in celebration of a healthier planet.

Faithful SooToday.com reader Emily Tithecott was kind enough to submit some photos of the event.

Organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature and now celebrated across the planet on the last Saturday in March, the first Earth Hour took place in 2007 in Sydney, Australia.

During Earth Hour, people are encouraged to turn off all non-essential lights to promote energy conservation and raise awareness of global climate change.

For more information about Earth Hour and other initiatives, please click here

A news release issued today by Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator follows.

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IESO releases Earth Hour conservation results

TORONTO - The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) reported that compared to a typical Saturday night in late March, demand for electricity in Ontario was down 2.7 percent or 423 megawatts (MW) as a result of Earth Hour.

This drop is slightly higher than the peak energy needs of a city the size of Burlington.

The IESO is responsible for managing Ontario's bulk electricity system and operating the wholesale market.

For more information, please visit www.ieso.ca.

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