Ontario Science Centre names RBC as new environment partner

RBC Eco-Home on display from June 7 to 11

TORONTO, June 8 /CNW/ - RBC Foundation today announced a $50,000 donation to support the Ontario Science Centre's environmental programs and experiences. Through its Environment Partner designation, RBC will sponsor the Ontario Science Centre's workshops and programming during the entire year and be a lead supporter of Environment Month activities in April.

The Ontario Science Centre is Ontario's most visited cultural attraction welcoming over 1.26 million visitors last year, including 245,000 students and teachers who participated in curriculum-correlated programs that foster science literacy and encourage lifelong learning in young people.

"For more than 40 years, the Ontario Science Centre has challenged millions of visitors and inspired young people to become curious about the wonders of science," said Jennifer Tory, RBC regional president, Greater Toronto Region. "We are proud to support and celebrate the Science Centre's ongoing programs aimed at driving more interest in the environmental issues of our future."

RBC will also support the Science Centre's Earth Hour activities which draw more than 2,500 people to various evening events on the last Saturday in March. Past activities have included a Star Party featuring telescopes courtesy of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, displays by Engineers without Borders, live music and First Nations story telling.

"RBC's commitment to the environment and environmental awareness strongly supports our goals and objectives," said Lesley Lewis, CEO of the Ontario Science Centre. "This partnership will strengthen our programming, and will have a positive impact on all the visitors who participate in the Centre's environmental initiatives and experiences."

RBC also announced that its popular interactive Eco-Home exhibit will be onsite at the Science Centre from June 7 to 11. Millions of Canadians visited the RBC Eco-Home when it toured across Canada during the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. Through 20 different stations, the Eco-Home exhibit -- which itself is powered by solar panels and a wind turbine -- provides visitors with sustainable living solutions for their home that can be implemented today.

Today's announcements deepen a well-established relationship between RBC and the Science Centre. Four years ago, RBC became the Lead Supporter of the Super Mondays program, which provides approximately 2,500 students annually with the chance to participate in pilot programs and new experiments that help the Science Centre continue to provide industry leading science education. This year, a number of Super Mondays activities will be dedicated to environmental programming.

About RBC

RBC believes in building prosperity by contributing to the communities in which we live and work. We are now one of Canada's largest corporate donors, and we support a broad range of community initiatives, through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2009, RBC contributed more than $105 million to community causes worldwide. As a founding member of Imagine Canada, RBC is committed to donating at least one per cent of our average annual net income before taxes.

About the Ontario Science Centre

The Ontario Science Centre uses science as the lens to inspire and actively engage people in new ways of seeing, understanding and thinking about themselves and the world around them. The facility recently received Green Building certification for energy efficiency by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), and was named building of the year in the Public Assembly category. The Ontario Science Centre is an agency of the Government of Ontario. For more information, visit www.OntarioScienceCentre.ca or call the box office at 416-696-1000.

For further information: Jackie Braden, Senior Manager, Sponsorship Communications, [phone], [email protected]