A Venue Sense Of Green BACK

Green is definitely in for the event industry as planners and suppliers actively seek out ways to host eco-friendly gatherings. Event venues in particular are to be applauded for their environmental stewardship efforts.

Many facilities have not only developed green event criteria and active recycling programs, but have upgraded efficiency and quality of air, water and heating systems and implemented environmentally friendly features when renos or new expansions offer the chance.

Here’s a look at a few of Toronto’s event spaces leaving behind green footprints:

A green home away from home
The Fairmont Royal York was among the businesses to make headlines as the city unplugged for Earth Hour last month. The fact is the hotel has long been an environmental leader in the lodging industry and currently boasts a total waste diversion rating of over 60%. Winner of several green awards, and holder of a coveted Four Green Key rating from the Hotel Association of Canada, the Front Street landmark encourages sustainable tourism through guidelines set out in its Green Partnership and Eco-Meet programs.

Along with its many operational conservation practices, the hotel offers planners a shopping list of eco-friendly ideas, from paperless service during events to offsetting event emissions through the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates. The 4Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle and redistribute – also have a presence in the hotel’s kitchen, which is committed to offering healthy, organic and local food choices. The kitchen’s 4,000 sq. ft. rooftop herb garden feeds its use-local philosophy while helping cut out packaging and transport emissions. www.fairmont.com/royalyork

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Restaurant dishes up eco-friendly approach
Chef Jamie Kennedy, a culinary white knight in the local-organic food movement, extends his green vision even further with this month’s opening of Gilead Café, his new eatery at King and Parliament Streets. Set in Kennedy’s company kitchen head office, Mother Earth guided the renovation favouring pro-environment building material choices and innovative heating/cooling systems. This includes installation of energy-reducing components such as tubular skylights to augment the natural light spilling in the windows of the open-concept kitchen and café.

Chef Kennedy’s signature wall of jars of preserves, prominent in his Church Street wine bar, displays beautifully here too, showcasing nature’s delicious hues against a backdrop of soft olive green walls and dark cherrywood tables. The 28-seat café is open to the public for breakfast and lunch Monday to Sunday. Evenings are reserved for private bookings of 40 and under.  www.jamiekennedy.ca

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The makings of clean and green conventions
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is an award-winning pioneer of large-scale zero-waste events with a proven model for preventing, eliminating or recycling everything an event generates. A recent partnership with Bullfrog Power also extends 100% green electricity to event clients as well as power the centre's administration offices and electric signage.

Reinforcing the centre’s proactive eco-efforts are ongoing retrofits of air-handling and lighting systems that have reduced energy consumption by 40% to date, and installation of a unique system that uses lake water to cool the facility. A 7-acre rooftop park covering its South Building and the recycling of 2,000 lbs of food annually through donations to Second Harvest food bank are environmental givebacks to the city. www.mtccc.com

The recent addition of its 500,000 sq. ft. North Building super-sized the Toronto Congress Centre to Canada’s largest convention facility with over one million square feet and eco-friendly designs. A zero waste construction plan gave rise to the sleek new building with a massive, light-filled lobby area. Among its sustainable features are green roof technologies, an eco-efficient energy, water and air system infrastructure and audited recycling program. www.torontocongresscentre.com

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Planting seeds of green event possibilities
The Leadership in Environmental Education & Design (LEED) Silver certified Toronto Botanical Garden is as striking for its optimum green efficiencies as it is for its innovative architecture and horticultural design. A sloped green roof pavilion reduces stormwater runoff and solar heat gain, with water collected and fed into the garden’s irrigation system. New energy conservation technologies, from window systems and insulation to sensor lighting controlled by occupancy, reduce energy consumption at an annual rate of 30%.

All interior spaces receive natural light and enjoy a sightline to the outside. The TBG’s commitment to the environment also guides its operation and maintenance with an eco-friendly housekeeping program and knowledgeable staff schooled in hosting green events. Share some green with your event guests by including an educational session or tour. www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca

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Putting conservation centre stage
Roy Thomson Hall is the city’s first performing arts venue to receive a Go Green certification by the Building and Owners Managers Association (BOMA). The national program rewards commercial real estate for meeting criteria in environmental building management and operations practices along with showing an ongoing sustainable plan to enhance those efforts.

With an exterior aesthetic that prompts comparison with a domed glass biosphere, the music theatre plays up its abundant natural lighting by turning down the electrical wattage with installation of energy efficient lighting, motion-sensor triggers and auto faucets. The facility boasts a comprehensive recycling program and implemented an ongoing upgrade of its heating and air systems. In fact, the building’s hot water system is designed to discharge into the reflecting pool outside of the hall letting it cool into evaporation naturally. www.roythomson.com

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Modeling an environmental heritage site
With designs set to achieve a LEED Platinum certification, the Evergreen Brick Works is now closed to event bookings as redevelopment begins on the 40-acre nature and industrial heritage site on the shores of the Don River. The result – set to open in 2010 – will be a thriving environmental community with a diverse menu of unique green spaces and venues accommodating everything from farmers markets and nature tours to boardroom meetings and gala dinners.

At its heart are sustainable practices and technologies designed to reduce the Brick Work’s footprint with energy consumption balanced by onsite energy production, zero-waste guidelines including 100% composting, reusable stormwater systems, solar panel energy and more. All this, plus the beautiful surroundings of the Don River ravine…what a green bonus! www.evergreen.ca/rethinkspace/