Annual solar-powered display dazzles with a grant from Enbridge
In a town with a 45-day winter festival, featuring 175 Christmas light displays, the holidays are always bright. But starting this year, with support from Enbridge, the holiday season in the picturesque little community of Amherstburg, Ont., is even more dazzling.
For the past eight years, Amherstburg has transformed its historic downtown on the shores of the Detroit River into a living Christmas card. From Nov. 15 through Dec. 30, the town hosts its River Lights Winter Festival, an event that fosters community spirit and tourism in the community. Festival highlights include elaborate solar-powered light displays, a life-sized gingerbread house, carriage rides, carolers and fireworks.
This holiday season, a commitment from Enbridge’s Green Power division of $15,000 per year for three years meant organizers of the volunteer-run extravaganza were able to channel efforts typically expended on fundraising – and make the event even more festive than usual.
“Enbridge’s sponsorship allowed us to really take the programming to the next level,” says Anne Rota, manager of tourism and culture for the Town of Amherstburg. “It’s truly, truly a magical event,” adds Rota.
A commitment from Enbridge’s Green Power division, of $15,000 per year for three years, has helped to make this southwestern Ontario community's annual Christmas festival, which features solar-powered light displays, even more dazzling than usual.
Last year, approximately 25,000 people attended the festival, and that popularity helped earn the six-week event a spot among the Top 100 Festivals in Ontario, as designated by Festivals and Events Ontario. “The River Lights Winter Festival has become a destination,” says Rota.
The magnetism of Amherstburg’s festival, and its potential to enhance quality of life for the entire community, factored significantly into Enbridge’s sponsorship decision, says Enbridge’s Cynthia Lockrey, a senior community relations advisor for Green Energy, Power Transmission and Emerging Technology in Ontario.
“We’re really happy to partner with Tourism Amherstburg because they provide high-quality events free to the community,” says Lockrey.
The festival also mirrors the ethos behind Enbridge’s Amherstburg II Solar Project, a 15-megawatt solar farm near the community, and our nearly $4-billion investment in clean energy across North America.
More than 90 per cent of the lights used in the 175 Christmas displays are solar-sensored LED lights, which means the strands recharge in the daylight so they can shine at night without drawing energy from the grid. Organizers say the festival lights use just $7 to $12 in conventional energy each month.
“We really like that this is a solar-powered Christmas light festival,” says Lockrey. “This is a high-energy festival where solar power is bringing energy to really positive activities for people of all ages.”
Adds Rota: “We’re ecstatic that we’re able to light up the dull winter months using solar power, and create that energy for our residents and visitors. It’s truly a beautiful holiday experience, and Enbridge provided that for our community this year.”
