Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel will turn off its lights and light up more than a thousand candles in support of the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF), Earth Hour. Guests will have the opportunity to partake in this global initiative by participating in the hotel’s “green” inspired activities when the lights go out for 60 minutes beginning at 8:30 p.m on Saturday, March 27th, 2010.

The Fairmont Royal York’s neon rooftop sign will go dark, signaling the hotel’s “Green Team” to power down the exterior, awning and canopy lights in unison with millions of Earth Hour participants worldwide. Inside the hotel, the team of over 30 eco-cautious colleagues will light the lobby with candelabras and hundreds of tea lights to be placed throughout the hotel for Earth Hour.

On Saturday, March 27, The Fairmont Royal York’s Library Bar will welcome guests to a unique candlelight service and bring back the popular Earth Hour inspired drink menu featuring: the Polar Cap, a cool vodka drink in a highball glass; the Organic Globe, an icewine martini; and the Carbon Footprint, a mindful drink featuring local honey, apples and single malt in a rock glass.

The hotel’s health club invites guests to experience relaxation in a different light. Unwind in the hotel’s whirlpool or take a swim in the pool, illuminated by the glow of surrounding candles. The special candlelight swim is offered exclusively to hotel guests from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27, 2010.

Guests are also encouraged to participate in the environmental activities by turning the lights out in their rooms by way of a book mark accompanying their key cards and at the evening “turn down.”

Earth Hour is a global event created by the WWF to help raise awareness and assemble millions of people to take action on climate change. In 2008, The Fairmont Royal York was the first hotel in Toronto to register its Earth Hour participation. The event will mark the unification of The Fairmont Royal York hotel with an expected 30 million people worldwide in over 4000 cities.

One of Toronto’s most remote collections of herb and flower beds are ready to be viewed by afternoon teetotallers.

Afternoon tea at EPIC Restaurant can once again be followed by a complimentary tour (weather permitting) of the hotel’s rooftop “herban” oasis at 2 PM and 4 PM each Saturday and Sunday.  Tea & Rooftop Garden Tours are offered at The Fairmont Royal York Hotel beginning Saturday, May 23, 2009 until September 6, 2009.

The herb garden and its neighbouring bee hives, situated 200 feet above ground and 14 stories high is normally closed to the public. This growing season marks its third year of public access to the garden, since its inception in 1997.

With a magnificent view of the CN Tower and the lakefront, the garden is starkly beautiful in contrast to its neighbouring office towers. The herb garden is the only one of its kind in Toronto and serves as an extension of the hotel’s environmental program. This unique garden provides the herbs and honey needed to flavour the dishes served in the hotel’s EPIC Restaurant.

Before the 30-minute rooftop tour, guests can enjoy a pot of tea and a variety of sweet and savory treats.

The teas available at EPIC are produced by The Metropolitan Tea Company Ltd., which is North America’s first member of the Ethical Tea Sourcing Partnership.

Metropolitan visits growers regularly to ensure employee well-being and environmental standards, practices highly respected by Fairmont. Teas available include the Kenmare Ceylon, Maple and Egyptian Chamomile. The tea menu is priced at $27.00 (exclusive of tax and gratuities) and features toasted crumpets with Grand Marnier butter; traditional finger sandwiches, including scones with Devonshire cream and jam; and a selection of pastries and English tea cakes.

Four afternoon garden tours are available each weekend. The meeting point for the half-hour herb garden tour is inside EPIC Restaurant at 2 PM and 4 PM, following the 12:30 p.m. tea service. The complimentary rooftop tours are reached by elevator and by climbing four flights of stairs. Tea and complimentary garden tours may be reserved by contacting EPIC Restaurant at (416) 860-6949 or by email at festive@fairmont.com

TasteTO.com talks sustainable seafood after visiting The Fairmont Royal York’s OceanWise event.

Melanie Coates, Chair of the Green Team at The Fairmont Royal York, made a stop at 98.1 CHFI to chat with Mike Cooper and Erin Davis about Earth Hour. Listen to the interview or download to your desktop.

[podcast]http://radioroyalyork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/earth_hour_royal_york.mp3[/podcast]

Right click and download the MP3: Melanie Coates Chats with Mike Cooper and Erin Davis

Sustainable seafood purchasing practices are now fully implemented across all 56 hotels in the Fairmont chain. In February 2008, The Fairmont Palliser in Calgary was certified by Vancouver’s Ocean Wise program, which aims to eliminate the consumption of endangered fish options.  Here in Toronto, The Fairmont Royal York followed suit with its Ocean Wise certification, in September of 2008.  Sustainable seafood options are now available with the Ocean Wise icon at two Fairmont restaurants in Central Canada: The Fairmont Palliser’s Rimrock restaurant and The Fairmont Royal York’s EPIC restaurant.

From coast to coast, the combined efforts of The Fairmont Palliser’s Executive Chef Greg Van Poppel, originally from B.C.’s Pacific Coast, and The Fairmont Royal York’s Executive Chef David Garcelon, of New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy, are influencing regional purchasing practices, environmental impact and the impact on consumers’ health. “Every seafood item on The Fairmont Palliser’s Rimrock restaurant menu is Ocean Wise certified, from the tuna to the shrimp,” says Chef Van Poppel.

Chef Van Poppel has switched from Ahi Tuna to B.C. Albacore and from Artic sea scallops to diver-harvested sea scallops from Mexico’s Baja.  Chef Garcelon has collaborated with EPIC restaurant chef, Ryan Gustafson to remove endangered fish options, such as Orange Roughey and Shark, from EPIC restaurant’s dining menu.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ commitment to ocean sustainability means working with reputable suppliers who purchase fish that are resilient to fishing pressure and harvested in ways that limit damage to marine or aquatic habitats.  Specifically, Fairmont has identified two seafood choices that are most at risk – and has eliminated them from its food service operations. They include: Chilean Sea Bass and Bluefin Tuna.  In addition, by promoting awareness and sustainable alternatives among its guests, Fairmont will play a role in influencing and shaping the tastes and preferences of guests who care about the future of the planet.

Stay tuned for our April podcast, when we talk to Chef Ryan Gustafson from EPIC Restaurant and Mike McDermid of Ocean Wise.