Spark

We know you do your part to show our planet some love by carrying reusable shopping bags, choosing products with less packaging, or opting for fair trade, locally made goods. Here at St. Vital Centre, we’re also trying to do our part to preserve, conserve and protect the environment.

You may not know it, but we’re one of Manitoba’s greenest buildings and the greenest retail centre in the province. While that reality likely won’t cross your mind mid-splurge, we’d guess it’s pretty nice to know that behind the scenes there are a ton of thoughtful choices being made. And while our eco-friendly initiatives are nothing new, our major renovation in 2012 was the perfect chance to up the ante even more.

In celebration of Earth Day 2014 (coming up April 22), we thought we’d give you a rundown of some of the planet-friendly changes we made during our renovation, and the impact it’s had around the Centre:
• Our water bill is down more than $12,000 from last year, due in part to the low-flow fixtures we installed in all our public washrooms.
• We let the sun shine in, adding skylights that not only brighten your day but also reduce the need for electric lights, bringing down our power consumption.
• During construction, we diverted 75% of demolition material from landfills to road construction projects. We also donated light bulbs, planters, tables, chairs and other furniture – in all about $26,000 worth - to local charities.

Our fabulous tenants are also holding their own with tons of green initiatives:
• Inside Aldo, a drawstring transforms shoe boxes into instant shopping bags – no plastic required.
• Booster Juice serves its smoothies in reusable cups.
• At Pearle Vision, gently used glasses are donated to vision initiatives in needy countries.
• Six empty glass or plastic MAC makeup containers can be exchanged for a free lipstick, lip gloss or eye shadow of your choice at MAC.
• Lush trades a free facemask for five of their empty black pots.

So while we love an excuse to celebrate, turns out it’s even more fun to make every day Earth Day. Get involved, and you’ll help the environment, feel good and maybe get a freebie while you’re at it.