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Toronto celebrates World Environment Day!

World Environment Day

Toronto has been selected as the North American host city for World Environment Day 2011 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Commemorated each year on June 5, World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is Forests: Nature at Your Service, in support of the United Nations International Year of Forests.

Events to celebrate World Environment Day in Toronto will take place on June 6 and 7 at the Evergreen Brick Works. The two-day celebration will include the release of a United Nations report on forests, youth events and a consultation with leaders in the environmental community.

By selecting Toronto, UNEP is acknowledging the efforts of the people of Toronto in greening our city.  This is the first time that the North American World Environment Day celebrations will be held in Canada.

World Environment Day is considered one of the largest environmental events of its kind with thousands of events taking place in UNEP's six global regions including North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, West Asia, and Europe.

June 6 & 7 celebrations at Evergreen Brick Works

On June 6 and 7, to mark World Environment Day, a series of events will be coordinated by The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the City of Toronto, Evergreen Brick Works and representatives from local government, businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals across Toronto.

Event Details:  Monday, June 6

  • 9:00–10:00
    News Conference
    Evergreen Brick Works, BMO Atrium, 550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4W 3X8, Canada

    Highlights of the news conference will include:  

    • Key findings of UNEP’s new Global report on forests;

    • Key findings of new report on biodiversity in Canada by Sustainable Prosperity;  

    • Toronto  and North American winners of the 20th annual International Children’s Painting Competition on the Environment (ICPC) whose paintings capture the theme Life in the Forest.

    • Opening of the annual North American ICPC exhibition at Evergreen Brick Works

    The news conference will be moderated by Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, Head of Communications, UNEP RONA and attended by the following participants:

    • Honorable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Natural Resources; Province of Ontario

    • Lawson Oates, Director, Toronto Environment Office

    • Amy Fraenkel, Director, UNEP RONA

    • Geoff Cape, Executive Director, Evergreen Brick Works

    • Stewart Elgie, Chair, Sustainable Prosperity

    • Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut and environmental educator

    • Ernie Springolo, Division Head, Bayer MaterialScience Canada and Co-Chair, Bayer Canada’s Sustainability Council

  • 10:30 – 11:00
    Tree planting on the grounds of Evergreen Brick Works

  • 10:30– 14:30
    Student Interactive Workshop with Dr. Mae C. Jemison: Forests Matter to Youth, Too!  Venue: Evergreen Brick Works, Holcim Gallery

    This half-day interactive workshop, led by Dr. Jemison, will be attended by North Kipling Junior Middle School students and the five ICPC winning student artists who will identify key regional environmental issues/ concerns and offer potential solutions/recommendations for addressing them. Bayer scientist-volunteers and regional environmental NGO leaders will serve as expert-sources for students. The session will end with brief student presentations to an audience of students, expert resources, representatives from the Toronto and Ontario  governments, business and community leaders, and other dignitaries including Canada’s first female astronaut Dr. Roberta Bondar.

Events & Activities

Help Toronto celebrate! Find a World Environment Day event near you, or post your own event online in the city-wide events calendar.

Share your WED event with the world and post it on UNEP's Global Events Listing.

Contact Us

For more information about World Environment Day in Toronto, contact:

Toronto Environment Office
email: teo@toronto.ca
Web: Toronto Environment Office