Toronto Hydro Bird Safety Migration Alert (Forwarded)

Toronto Hydro Corporation
Toronto, Canada

For further information:

Tanya Bruckmueller, Toronto Hydro
(416) 542-2621

March 8, 2006

Media Advisory -- Toronto Hydro Bird Safety Migration Alert

Toronto Hydro urges businesses and office towers to turn off nighttime
lights to reduce fatal collisions during spring migration.

TORONTO -- As spring approaches, warmer temperatures will encourage birds
to make their journey north now that winter is coming to an end. Toronto
Hydro is appealing to business owners, downtown condominium corporations
and office tower building managers to turn off unnecessary nighttime
lights. There will be a concentrated movement of birds through the City of
Toronto beginning the next few weeks and continuing through migration
season.

Birds that migrate at night are strongly attracted to sources of
artificial light and have an increased risk of becoming hurt or killed.

Millions of migratory birds fly through the City of Toronto each spring
and fall. Thousands of those birds die every year as a result of
collisions with lighted buildings. Volunteers from the Fatal Light
Awareness Program (FLAP) collect these needlessly injured or killed birds
every morning at dawn.

Turning off lights at night from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. will help businesses
conserve energy, save money and help protect migrant bird species that may
be hurt or killed by lit Toronto buildings.

If lights need to remain on, customers should consider the following
alternatives:

* Install motion-sensitive lighting.
* Use desk lamps/task lights or lower lighting levels.
* Where safe, turn off or reduce perimeter lighting especially on the tops
of buildings.
* Close blinds and curtains.

Today FLAP will be displaying the Fall 2005 birds at the Royal Ontario
Museum from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Approximately 2,000 birds killed during fall
migration will be laid out.

Toronto Hydro has partnered with FLAP and the City of Toronto to increase
awareness of this issue. In February of this year, the City of Toronto
became the first in the world to implement a Migratory Bird Protection
Policy. All new buildings will need to ensure that the needs of birds are
incorporated into the site planning process with respect to lighting,
floodlighting and glass, as well as other bird-friendly design features.

Visit The Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) at
http://www.flap.org