Manitobans urged to flick the switch for Earth Hour

The Manitoba government is calling on residents to go “lights out,” in recognition of Earth Hour on Saturday.

Earth Hour started in 2007 to raise awareness about climate change and energy-saving, the Manitoba government said. People participate by turning their lights off for one hour.

Earth Hour this year will be observed on March 23, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the province said.

“I encourage all Manitobans to take part in Earth Hour this evening to help raise awareness about our collective need to take action on climate change,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt.

“By taking this one small step and turning off the lights for just 60 minutes, it is a powerful symbol of what we can accomplish when we all work together,” she said, also encouraging people to spend an hour doing “something positive for the planet.”

The Manitoba legislative building will be turning off non-essential lights, the government said.