Yukon family named Canada’s ‘slimmest’ energy household

As winners,  the Kitchen-Kuiack family from Marsh Lake, Yukon Territory will drive home in a brand new 2012 Toyota Prius v hybrid and reign as Canada’s slimmest energy household.

“We are just so honoured and grateful to be given first place in this challenge,” says Marguerite Kuiack, mother of the Kitchen-Kuiack family. “My husband and I are so proud of our children, Simone and Marika. They put their heart and soul into this. We’ve developed some great habits and we’re going to keep them up as ambassadors representing the north.”

“Heartiest congratulations to Marguerite, Simone, Marika and Brian for their remarkable leadership-by-example in energy reduction that offered lessons for us all,” says André Préfontaine, President and Publisher, Canadian Geographic. “The families in the Energy Diet Challenge showed Canadians that conscious effort and attention to energy usage can really pay dividends. As a result of dedication and ingenuity, their achievements will have a long-lasting impact on them and their communities.”  

For three months, the families followed an energy reduction program with weekly challenges, such as ditching the clothes dryer, harnessing the sun with a solar oven and pursuing energy-free entertainment such as the Nanaimo, BC-based Belbin family’s “One Hour No Power” initiative. They tracked their progress on the energydiet.canadiangeographic.ca website through videos, blogs and social media, all the while recruiting followers, gaining votes and encouraging Canadian families to join them on their diets.

“The Energy Diet Challenge is about demonstrating to Canadians that reducing energy consumption through simple lifestyle changes— in our homes and on the road—can yield significant savings,” says Ashley Nixon, Shell’s Strategic Relations Manager. “For example, our Energy Diet Challenge families reduced their vehicle fuel consumption by between 10 and 50 per cent, which equates to considerable cost savings and important air emissions reductions.”

The families’ success was measured on: public voting; overall energy, fuel and water use reductions; their ability to make innovative lifestyle changes and their public outreach efforts. Each household made substantial improvements in three months resulting in 21-50 per cent overall energy reductions, including water reductions between 30 and 57 per cent and vehicle fuel savings between 10 and 50 per cent.

In addition, the Gagnon-Morneau family from Varennes, QC, helped push through a no-idling by-law in their community as part of the Energy Diet Challenge.

Family rankings from the Household Energy Diet Challenge:

Kitchen-Kuiacks (Whitehorse, Y.T.): first place
Belbins (Nanaimo, B.C.): second place
Gagnon-Morneaus (Varennes, Que.): third place
The Doyle-Beggs (Saint-Bruno, Que.): fourth place
The Khiorays (Calgary, Alta.): fifth place
Mawbys (Osgoode, Ont.): sixth place

Special recognition is well earned by the Doyle-Beggs who reduced their overall energy, fuel and water consumption by over 50 percent in three months, the Gagnon-Morneaus, who implemented a “no-idling” by-law in their hometown and the Belbins, who started an evening activity called, “One Hour, No Power” which involves spending one hour of quality time together every night with no power or technology.

The Energy Diet Challenge was created by Shell Canada and Canadian Geographic to encourage Canadians to use energy more efficiently in their homes and make smarter mobility choices. In 2012, the Classroom Energy Diet Challenge will continue across Canada giving students a chance to compete against other classes and win new technology or equipment to support learning.  For more information visit: www.canadiangeographic.ca/cedc - opens in new windowIn partnership with Tree Canada, Shell Canada will be offsetting the carbon emissions generated by travel for the families and organizers during the Energy Diet Challenge by planting 76 hybrid poplar trees to sequester 26 tonnes of CO2 emissions over 31 years.

Shell: For journalists and media enquiries only, reporters and editors may contact Shell Media Relations at media-desk@shell.com or 1-877-850-5023. Please provide both your e-mail and phone number as some queries will only be answered via e-mail.

Canadian Geographic: Please contact Jessica Harding at harding@canadiangeographic.ca or 1 613 745 4629 ext 130.

Notes: Each household has information sheets and professional photography. This can be downloaded at: http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/edc - opens in new window, user name: media, password: edcmedia.