Green Toronto Award Recognizes GIS Provider's Focus on Sustainability and Environmental Leadership

TORONTO — May 03, 2010 — ESRI Canada, which provides enterprise geographic information system (GIS) solutions, today announced it has received the 2010 Green Toronto Award for its green roof project. The Green Toronto Awards are given by the City of Toronto to organizations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to making Toronto a cleaner, greener and more liveable city. The award was presented by Mayor David Miller and Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone at the Green Toronto Awards ceremony held in Toronto on April 23.

"When we elected to move forward with our green roof project in 2009, we were in the midst of one of the worst economic crises in recent history," said Alex Miller, President, ESRI Canada. "When a company is facing that kind of uncertainty, it seems counter-intuitive to target spending on environmental initiatives. And yet, that's exactly what we did. We firmly believe that being aware of environmental problems is no longer good enough: substantive action is essential to reducing the global environmental impact. Our green roof is a testament to ESRI Canada's commitment to the environment and we thank the City of Toronto for recognizing our efforts."

ESRI Canada transformed a large paved terrace in the ninth floor of its rented office at 12 Concorde Place into a lush rooftop garden in 2009. Inspired by a study showing that green roofs reduce the urban heat effect, the company partnered with its landlord, Crown Property Management, to create a green roof that provides valuable environmental, economic and social benefits.

In addition to improving air quality and reducing energy consumption, the garden provides an additional 7,500 square feet of useable space enjoyed by staff, visitors and the surrounding community. The green roof retains up to 75% of summer precipitation, significantly reducing stormwater runoff and sewer overflow. It provides visitors and staff with a visually stimulating environment and lush outdoor space for corporate gatherings and informal lunch breaks. More significantly, the green roof helps the company promote environmental stewardship and demonstrate how organizations can integrate green initiatives into their business.

"ESRI Canada is a shining example of what is possible when we lead by example, and do the right thing for our city, and for our environment," said Mayor David Miller, City of Toronto. "Their leadership is helping Toronto be recognized internationally as one of the greenest cities in North America."

The green roof was chosen by a panel of distinguished judges from the public and private sectors and selected based on its effectiveness, innovation, creativity, originality, leadership and promotion of environmental stewardship. As part of the prize, the City will donate $5,000 on behalf of ESRI Canada to Planet in Focus, a Canadian non-profit organization that produces an annual film and video festival showcasing outstanding works focused on environmental themes by local and international filmmakers.

In 2009, ESRI Canada's green roof also received an honourable mention at Canada's prestigious Design Exchange Awards for its innovative, sustainable design. (See also: ESRI Canada's Green Roof Wins 2009 Design Exchange Award)

About ESRI Canada

Founded in 1984, ESRI Canada provides enterprise geographic information system (GIS) solutions that empower businesses, governments, and educational institutions to make timely, informed and mission critical decisions by leveraging the power of geography. The company distributes the world's leading GIS software from ESRI, Telvent Miner & Miner, Azteca Systems, and other technology partners. Headquartered in Toronto, the company serves over 10,000 customers from 16 regional offices across Canada. Information about ESRI Canada can be found at http://www.esricanada.com/.



Contact:

Joy Chan
PR Specialist
ESRI Canada
Tel.:+1 (416) 386-6488
E-mail: Email Contact
Web: http://www.esricanada.com/