KJ Mullins-Toronto: A local condo is extending Earth Hour at their residence from the traditional March 31 date to days in July and November.

Palace Place is calling for their residents to turn out their lights for an Earth Hour three times this year. Katherine Gow, manager of 1 Palace Place, said that this year’s Earth Hour was a huge successful with the north side of the residence taking part 100 percent.

Next weekend Palace Place will have another hour of darkness and then ago in November to help raise awareness of energy consumption for their residents.

“There were small patches of light on the south side of the building but on the north side it was totally dark in March,” Gow said during a phone interview. That one hour without lights brought a visible reduction in energy consumption.

While next Saturday’s Earth Hour at Palace Place will not come with formal celebrations there will likely be small informal events taking place.

“While we don’t ever want to experience another blackout like the one in 2003 we saw positives from that event. Many residents took the time to have BBQs with their neighbours that hadn’t happened before,” Gow said, “Next Saturday’s event will hopefully have the same effect.”