The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, SK): SaskPower pulls plug on party
| 
Theresa Sokyrka was moments away from boarding a plane at a Toronto airport last Wednesday when she got a call saying the party she was slotted to perform at on behalf of Project Porchlight in Saskatoon was cancelled by SaskPower.
"I was already through the security gates by that time," the Saskatchewan-born singer and Canadian Idol runner-up said. "It was a pretty rude awakening."
Project Porchlight is an international non-profit group that distributes free energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs in order to raise environmental awareness.
After a successful campaign that delivered more than 200,000 bulbs to homes
across Saskatchewan this fall, Project Porchlight had planned a series of events to honour the 1,100 volunteers who donated their time to the venture.
Wrap parties had already been hosted in Prince Albert and Regina, but SaskPower -- Project's Porchlight local sponsor -- left hundreds of volunteers in the dark when it abruptly pulled the plug on a similar event scheduled for last Saturday at TCU Place.
"SaskPower did not feel it was appropriate to host a high-profile event in light
of the fact that the company recently applied for a rate increase," said spokesperson Larry Christie.
Last week, the Crown corporation asked the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel for a 13 per cent increase in utility rates to cover the rising cost of providing power to the province.
The increase -- which could take effect next May -- is expected to cost the average residential consumer about $10 a month.
"We really appreciate our volunteers and it's disappointing that we won't be
able to honour them," said Sydney Smith, volunteer and outreach co-ordinator for Project Porchlight in Saskatoon.
SaskPower still appreciates the efforts of volunteers, Christie said, noting an increase in the use of compact fluorescent bulbs could save the province $6 million in the next six years.
Andrew Pope, communications director for One Change, the non-profit
organization behind Project Porchlight, was upbeat following the cancellation,
although he found it odd SaskPower chose to axe an event it had already paid
for. He said the cost of the party -- including Sokyrka's performance -- was built into the $1.44 million SaskPower contributed toward advertising and operational expenses.
"We took it in stride," Pope said. "Generally when a sponsor asks us to do
something, we oblige."
Volunteers are an important part of One Change and Pope says the organization is already looking at other ways to thank those who lent a hand in Saskatoon.
Pope says the grassroots activism and penchant for volunteering in Saskatchewan makes it a perfect fit for One Change and he hopes to launch
other campaigns here in the future.
As for Sokyrka, she was paid by Project Porchlight as per her contract and
decided to get on the plane anyway to spend time with family and friends in
Saskatoon.
The singer says she would gladly work with One Change again on a
"pro-bono" basis.
"It's wonderful," she said of the organization. "They're educating people on how easy it is to make one little change."
Pope says he'd be thrilled to work with the singer on any future projects in the province.
"She's known in Saskatchewan, she's known in Saskatoon, so if we bring
another campaign in there it only makes sense that we'd look for someone
with her profile," he said.
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
