In honor of Earth Day, here's a look at new Toronto restaurants, corporate event venues, hotels, conference centers, and private rooms that factor the environment into their design or operations. Many of these new and renovated Toronto venues have LEED certification from the U.S. Green Buildings Council or another certification group. They can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, conferences, meetings, weddings, business dinners, teambuilding activities, cocktail parties, and more.
Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale opened in March in the former Delta Meadowvale Hotel and Conference Centre. The 374-room hotel, which has a 4 Green Key Eco-Rating from the Hotel Association of Canada, offers more than 40,000 square feet of event space including two ballrooms, 40 meeting rooms, and a 6,000-square-foot patio that holds about 630 people for receptions. Many of the event spaces offer natural lighting. One notable green feature is a new Aqua Recycler unit in the laundry area that allows the hotel to recover 74 percent of what was formerly waste water.
Steam Whistle Brewing, a craft brewery with event space located in the historic John Street Roundhouse, has an extensive sustainability program. Working with Bullfrog Power, the brewery uses renewable power from wind and low-impact hydro generators and efficient steam heating for brewing and climate control. For events, staff will send leftover food to local nonprofits and compost organic waste. The result, combined with other recycling and reuse initiatives, is that the venue diverts about 95 percent of its operational waste from landfills. A program launched in 2014 encourages its staff to commute using bike paths and public transit and provides them with showers, towel service, and covered bike racks. Its event spaces include the Hall, a 4,000-square-foot space that holds 500 for receptions; the smaller Gallery, which holds 250 for receptions and has a 60-foot bar and a surround-sound system; and the intimate Mezzanine Room, which holds 60 for receptions.
Built in a century-Âold former streetcar repair facility, the LEED Gold-certified Artscape Wychwood Barns has updated its event space with new string lights, lanterns, banners, drapes, and other decor. To maintain its certification, the venue maintains water-conserving plumbing fixtures, a geoÂthermal heating system, a composting system, and a stormwater harvesting program, among other efforts. The venue offers 12,000 square feet of event space.
The Centre for Green Cities at Evergreen Brick Works, a LEED Platinum-certified building, was built on a brownfield heritage site. The five-story building, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, features green elements such as solar panels, a green roof, and lighting sensors to conserve energy. The building has four meeting rooms that range in size from 500 to 1,100 square feet and can accommodate meetings of as many a 70 people. Other spaces for events include the BMO Atrium, which holds 225 guests for receptions or seats 150, and the Welcome Centre, which holds 300 for receptions or seats 80.
Touted as Canada’s largest festival grounds, Burl's Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, sits on 700 acres of forested land. The grounds contain two natural amphitheaters, retrofitted barns for V.I.P. areas or retail, and a farmer's market. Its commitment to environmental sustainability include a tree-planting program, which has a goal of planting 1,000 trees throughout the grounds. Partnering with Clean Vibes, which has managed waste for 165 large-scale events, the venue offers mobile recycling units during events. The entire site holds 60,000 people.
Daniels Spectrum, the LEED Platinum-certified cultural community hub in Regent Park, updated its interior furnishings in its Artscape Lounge earlier this year. The lounge is among the 15,000 square feet of event space available in the building, which includes indoor and outdoor options. The building, opened in 2012, has several sustainable design elements including a green roof, a high-efficiency HVAC system, and a stormwater treatment system.
Touted as one of Toronto’s first green event spaces, the Richmond is fueled by Bullfrog Power, which provides energy from clean, emission-free sources and also has made a commitment to using 100 percent recycled paper products, pressure-assisted toilets, low-emission paint, and nontoxic cleaning products. It also features eco-friendly bamboo flooring. The 1,600-square-foot contemporary gallery in the fashion district seats 75 or holds 150 for receptions.
Originally built in 1926 on the Canadian National Exhibition grounds, the Liberty Grand has a commitment to both historical restoration and environmental sustainability. Working with Exhibition Place, the venue has green practices such as generating renewable resource energy and diverting waste recycling and composting programs. It also has installed 200 LED lighting fixtures. One long-term initiative set a goal of reducing the carbon footprint of the event space by 80 percent by using photovoltaic, wind, and hydrogen power generation plants. The venue has 100,000 square feet of event space including three ballrooms. The largest space, the Governors Room, holds 1,500 people for receptions or seats 800 for banquets. Architectural details include crystal chandeliers, 27-foot ceilings, iron-laced balconies, and arched windows.
Element Vaughan Southwest, an eco-conscious brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts, opened in September 2013. The 152-room hotel just outside of Toronto was the first of the brand to open outside of the United States. The hotel has 3,500 square feet of meeting space with modular furnishings, a flexible layout, and audiovisual equipment. The space holds 150 people for events.
