News Release

Earth Day 2011
Special Events and Free Admission to the Biosphère

MONTRÉAL, Que. -- April 14, 2011 -- In celebration of Earth Day on Friday, April 22, the Biosphère is hosting a public screening of the documentary Earth Keepers, followed by a talk with Mikael Rioux, the main character in the film, and Sylvie Van Brabant, the director. Admission to the museum will also be free, providing the perfect opportunity to visit (or revisit) ONE | Outfits from a New Era, an exhibition featuring 16 outfits fashioned from trash.

Earth Keepers proposes specific solutions to environmental problems. In the film, set to slam poetry, Mikael Rioux, an activitist and the founder of Quebec’s first environmental festival, introduces and draws inspiration from the journeys of seven visionaries, including Christian de Laet, Ashok Khosla and John Todd.

Earth Keepers will be shown in French at 1:30 p.m. and in English at 2:30 p.m. The two screenings will be followed by a talk with Mikael Rioux and Sylvie Van Brabant. The film was produced by Productions du Rapide-Blanc in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada and in collaboration with Radio-Canada.

ONE | Outfits from a New Era

The exhibition ONE | Outfits from a New Era stands out through the bold way in which it combines art and the environment by featuring 16 outfits made from refuse that highlight as many environmental issues. Accompanied by lively art videos and soundtracks from Canada’s new music scene, these unique creations show construction materials, batteries, salmon skina, bullets and other waste in a completely different light. There are also waste items provided by public figures such as Robert Lepage, Margie Gillis and Guy A. Lepage.

Also featured are the Ecoological Solar House, the Planet Bucky and Water Wonders! exhibitions, and the animated activity Wanted: Pollinators, which shows the role of bees and other pollinators in maintaining biodiversity.

These events are presented as part of Earth Day at the museums. The Biosphère, Environment Museum, is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Go to ec.gc.ca/biosphere for full information on events and activities.

As an environment museum, Environment Canada’s Biosphère is mandated to encourage everyone to take action on environmental issues. In addition to presenting exhibits and special events, the Biosphère develops educational and awareness-raising products for a diverse clientele across Canada and is a recognized clearinghouse for environmental information.

For more information, please contact:

Media Relations
Environment Canada
819-934-8008

Environment Canada’s Twitter page: http://twitter.com/environmentca

The Biosphère’s Twitter page: http://twitter.com/biospheremtl

Environment Canada’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/environmentcan

The Biosphère’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Biosphere/173004244677