Local electric utility participating September 26-27 in Doors Open Vaughan 2009
VAUGHAN, ON – Members of the public will get an opportunity to tour one of the most energyefficient and sustainable office buildings in Canada on the weekend of September 26-27 as PowerStream, the electricity distribution company which serves more than 315,000 customers in the GTA and Central Ontario, participates in Doors Open Vaughan 2009.

The PowerStream head office, located at 161 Cityview Boulevard in the Highway 400 and Major Mackenzie Drive area, will be one of 17 City of Vaughan landmarks that will be opening their doors on those two days so residents can learn more about the municipality through visits to featured locations, which have been specially selected because of their historical, cultural, architectural or environmental significance.

Opened in February 2008 and easily visible from Highway 400, largely due to a wind turbine and array of solar panels located adjacent to the building, PowerStream’s head office facility was the first ‘office building’ in York Region to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification from the Canada Green Building Council. It features many energyefficient and sustainable characteristics including high-efficiency heating, cooling and plumbing systems, as well as a bordering storm drainage pond which is used for landscape watering.

“Doors Open Vaughan 2009 will give us an opportunity to give the public, and more importantly our customers, a first-hand look on how committed PowerStream is when it comes to energyefficiency and taking action that will help to protect the environment,” Peter Meffe, PowerStream Board Chair and City of Vaughan Councillor said. “Even though our head office facility is now more than a year old, the building continues to serve as an example of our leadership in implementing conservation and sustainability initiatives.”
“Members of the public who find the time to tour our head office building will also get a chance to see our state-of-the art System Control Centre,” Meffe added.

The approximate one hour tours will begin at 10:00 a.m. each day with a new tour beginning every 30 minutes. The final tour on each day will begin at 3:00 p.m. For more information, please contact PowerStream’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Elizabeth Kay, at 905-417-6900, ext. 25018 or elizabeth.kay@powerstream.ca .