The Quebec Winter Carnival cares about the environment and our community. Through a range of initiatives and in partnership with Énergir, the Carnival strives to be a leader in sustainable development and commits to minimizing its environmental impact while offering an experience that’s inclusive and accessible to all. In the areas of buying locally, active transportation, recycling and diversity, here are the initiatives we’ve launched for the short, medium and long term.
At the office
Sustainable development has become a main concern for businesses and communities the world over. We are conscious of our impact on the environment and are constantly looking for ways to minimize our ecological footprint.
Thus we have taken several measures to reduce our power consumption and to encourage more sustainable lifestyles. One example: we have posted signs under our light switches reminding people to turn them off if no one is using the space. It’s a simple initiative, but it has already had a big impact and we have seen a significant reduction in our energy usage.
We also encourage travel by bicycle. Bike parking is available to employees, who are very happy to have it. Not only is cycling a pleasant physical activity, it’s also an environmentally friendly means of transportation that reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. And it helps people stay in shape and reduce stress!
We have also taken steps to reduce waste in our offices. We have replaced personal trash bins with communal ones in common areas like the cafeteria. This has encouraged employees to think about their trash production and adopt more sustainable behaviours.
We encourage telework to reduce our environmental footprint. When we work from home, we reduce energy consumption, paper use and greenhouse gas emissions due to commuting.
We also support local recycling initiatives, such as placing Consignaction bins to collect refundable containers on Carnival sites and donating them to Valoristes Québec. This encourages people to reuse and recycle trash rather than throw it out, which helps lessen our environmental impact.
Active and group mobility
The Quebec Winter Carnival cares about the environment and its visitors’ mobility. To make travel easier during the event, we have put in place a number of options to encourage active and public transportation.
First, we work in partnership with the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC), which offers special services during the festivities, including designated Carnival stops. People can get around easily via public transit while enjoying the comfort of heated buses.
We also encourage active transportation methods like walking and winter biking. For those who cycle to the Carnival, we offer parking spots for winter bikes. We also provide an introduction to winter biking, in collaboration with Tuque et Bicycle Expériences.
And, lastly, the Carnival sites are situated close together, encouraging people to walk from one to the other and discover the activities on offer along the way.
Through these actions, we want to offer sustainable mobility options to Carnival visitors while limiting the event’s environmental impact.
Recycling
During events, eco-responsibility is an important concern in the area of sustainable development. It is therefore critical to take actions to encourage recycling and reduce waste. Here are some of the measures we take:
– A sorting system for recyclables like paper, cardboard, glass and metal. We also encourage donations of refundable bottles to organizations that collect them.
– Replacement of single-use plastic during events with sustainable and reusable alternatives, such as eco-cups and glasses made of ice, and prohibiting straws. This also reduces the amount of waste generated during the event.
– Use and reuse of our partners’ materials rather than redesigning them continuously, including light-up letters, advertising beach flags and corrugated plastic signs. By working with partners like Benja, Videotron, Laurier and Énergir, we can encourage the use of durable and reusable materials to reduce our environmental impact.
Promotion and awareness-raising
Énergir, our valued partner for food waste reclamation, invites Carnival-goers to compost their food waste during presentations. In 2024, food waste will be sent to Québec City’s biomethanization plant.
Since 2023, we have deployed a green squad on our sites to raise people’s awareness of the environmental actions available and to survey Carnival-goers about the GHG emissions of their transportation (road or air). And the Carnival has committed to offsetting the GHG emissions it produces through the educational carbon credits of the organization’s Carbone Scol’ERE grant.
Our Carnival, the world’s largest winter carnival, is now organized in compliance with the Bureau de normalisation du Québec’s standards on responsible event management and has Level 2 certification. We are also proud to have been classified by the Sustainable Events Council of the Réseau des femmes en environnement, for our commitment to eco-responsibility during the Carnival.
To reach this goal, we partnered with Énergir to implement a variety of initiatives, including:
- Establishing a “Green squad” to raise awareness
- Recycling food waste, sent to the City of Quebec’s biomethanization plant
- Informing Carnival-goers of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Offering multiple means of transportation to get to the event site, particularly RTC buses, Via Rail Canada trains, ridesharing, walking and an introduction to fat biking with Tuque et Bicycle Expériences.
- Deploying Consignaction bins to collect refundable containers on Carnival sites and donate cans to Valoristes Québec
Buying local
We are committed to giving preference to local products, for procurement, production, suppliers and branded products.
We also care about the Carnival workshops having a “Made in Quebec” label because this encourages the purchase of quality local products and contributes to the provincial economy.
We are also actively reducing our environmental footprint by encouraging the recycling of our decor elements and implementing upcycling measures to repurpose our materials. We are proud to say that our Carnival dome is made entirely in Quebec, allowing us to support the local economy and reduce our environmental impact.
Diversity and inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are essential values for the Quebec Winter Carnival, and we undertake to offer an environment that’s inclusive to every participant, regardless of age, gender, origin or ability. Here are a few of the steps we take to make our event more accessible:
We have set up a family space in a heated trailer, where parents can nurse their baby, change diapers, warm up a baby bottle and take care of their children in a comfortable environment that offers colouring materials and toys.
The site is also universally accessible, with ramps, accessible toilets and parking reserved for people with reduced mobility. We also offer attendants free entry.
People with reduced mobility also have access to our shows and are invited to use the specially reserved areas if desired. We make sure these areas are well located to be easily accessible and offer an unobstructed view of the activities.
The Quebec Winter Carnival is an inclusive, diverse event that celebrates all art forms, including drag. We are proud to foster a culture of respect and tolerance for people of every gender identity and sexual orientation.
Furthermore, we are determined to celebrate and honour the rich culture of the First Nations and to give them a prominent position in our event. We work closely with Indigenous communities to make sure their voices are heard and their history celebrated.
