Ottawa, ON, Canada – It isn’t easy being green, but North America’s largest dragon boat festival has attained EcoLogo certification for the second consecutive year to help preserve Mooney’s Bay Park. Spectators, visitors and paddlers can take advantage of many green initiatives onsite during the 18th edition of the Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival (THODBF) on June 17 to 19, 2011.
“The Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival deserves congratulations for demonstrating their environmental leadership with EcoLogo certification for a second year in a row,” says Dr. Angela Griffiths, Executive Director of the EcoLogo Program. “This festival has taken significant steps to ensure those involved, from paddlers to event participants, are treading lighter on the park and the surrounding environment.”
EcoLogo provides assurance that an event bearing its certification mark meets stringent standards of environmental leadership. Last year, the THODBF became the first festival in the world to attain EcoLogo certification under its standards for Events. The festival has once again met the Program’s strict criteria in a variety of categories including material, waste, energy, and transportation and it will undergo an on-site audit to ensure compliance.
THODBF’s greening initiatives include providing recycling stations for festival-goers, the RBC Blue Water Project Hydration Station, which allows people to re-fill personal water bottles, the Ottawa Citizen secured bike parking area, and shuttle services from Downtown to Mooney’s Bay Park provided by OC Transpo, among others.
“The festival is proud to have attained EcoLogo Certification for a second year,” said John Brooman, Executive Director, “The staff and board members remain committed to being a leader in greening initiatives in the festival industry. We take pride in putting on an event that minimizes the impact on our natural setting at Mooney’s Bay Park.” The Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival takes place at Mooney’s Bay Park from June 17 to 19, 2011. Admission for the weekend is free and includes family friendly entertainment with live music, Tim Hortons Children’s Area, BMX Shows, exhibitors and vendors.