No Earth Hour blues in Barrie - Green Party provides a Super Drive and a Candlelit reception

Earth Hour approaches again, a time for us to be mindful of our energy use by turning the lights off for an hour on a Saturday evening. The big event at Barrie City Hall won’t be happening this year, but the Barrie Green Party will be hosting our fourth annual Earth Hour Super-Drive, collecting e-waste, clothing, and food.

This year’s e-waste collection has an exciting new twist: we’ll pay you by the pound for your e-waste! Bring in your old cell phones, electronics, electrical devices, or basically anything with a chip, a plug, or a battery, and we’ll weigh it and hand you cash. Of course, you’ll be welcome to donate your payment back to one of the three good causes we’re supporting with our Super-Drive; if we can fill the GreenGo Recycling truck, we’ll be doing a lot of good for the community!

This year’s clothing drive will again support the Barrie Free Clothing Centre, and their new operations, Off the Rack and the Reskill Institute. Operated by Living Green, Off the Rack sells used or surplus clothing at rock-bottom prices, while those in need can take full advantage of the free clothing room. Meanwhile, the Reskill institute helps pass along traditional knowledge to future generations in areas like mending and making clothing, preserving food, or other handy skills that seem to be getting lost in the 21^st century.

And of course we continue to collect food for the Grocery Assistance Program of the Elizabeth Fry Society, to provide for those facing hunger.

The Super-Drive takes place between 10 AM and noon on the morning of Saturday, March 23 in front of Off the Rack in the parking lot behind 110 Dunlop St. W., between Toronto and High Streets, around the corner from Meineke. We’ll have the mobile weigh scale all set up, waiting to give you money for your e-waste, so start gathering it up now and bring it on in. While you’re at it, don’t forget some canned food, and clear out your wardrobe of clothing you don’t need any more so it goes to someone who does!

Without a big downtown event, the evening’s activities will be more like they were for the first Earth Hours: a candlelit hour at home with family, friends, or neighbours. If you’d like to get out of the house that evening, you can join us at our own special candlelight reception; visit www.BarrieGreenParty.ca for details. We have several interesting guests already lined up for you to meet and would love for you to join us.

Whatever you do, be mindful of the Earth as Earth Hour takes place, and remember how it can provide for us if we look after it.

Published in the Barrie Examiner as "Event will 'drive' home the the point of Earth Hour"

Erich Jacoby-Hawkins is a director of Living Green and the Robert SchalkenbackFoundation.