In celebration of World Food Day, Canadian monuments will light the skies blue
14 October 2022, Washington, DC - From east to west, Canada will celebrate World Food Day 2022 with major monuments lit blue in Niagara Falls, Toronto, and Edmonton on October 16.
World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Québec City, Canada in 1945.
Beyond celebrating its anniversary, each year FAO organizes collective actions across 150 countries and in more than 50 languages, making World Food Day one of the most celebrated UN days of the year worldwide. Hundreds of events and outreach activities bring together a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, farmers, and youth.
Among the most recognizable events, each year is the lighting of iconic landmarks and monuments blue to raise awareness and spread the message of World Food Day. From Rio de Janeiro to Kigali to Geneva to Toronto, in 2022 eleven cities are showing their support for World Food Day. In Canada, four landmarks and monuments will participate:
- Niagara Falls
- CN Tower
- 3D Toronto sign
- High Level Bridge of Edmonton
For World Food Day 2022, FAO is launching a resounding call to Leave NO ONE behind, through Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life. In the context of profound food security challenges as a result of conflicts, economic crises, the climate emergency, environmental degradation, and the knock-on effects of COVID-19, FAO is calling for global solidarity to transform agrifood systems in a bid to foster inclusive economic growth, address inequalities, increase resilience, and achieve sustainable development.
Today, as many as 828 million people suffer from hunger, and 3.1 billion people - almost 40 percent of the world’s population – cannot afford a healthy diet. The climate emergency, conflicts, rising prices, environmental degradation, and the knock-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are all impacting food access and security. We need to build a sustainable world where everyone, everywhere has regular access to enough nutritious food.
Lighting ceremony details
The Niagara Falls Illumination Board will be illuminating the famous Niagara Falls blue at 10:00 pm local time and will last for approximately 15 minutes for in-person viewing in Niagara Falls Park, Ontario, Canada. A live stream of the illumination will also be here.
The 3D Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square will be lit blue throughout the whole day on October 16.
The CN Tower is lighting up the Toronto skyline blue, starting at sunset and running throughout the hour. The light show will be captured online.
The High-Level Bridge of Edmonton will be lit blue from 6 o'clock in the morning until sunrise and from 10 minutes before sunset until midnight.
Additional Resources
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