Star power and sustainability are part of the Canadian E-Fest coming to Vancouver next summer

“The Canadian E-Fest will be an exciting, dynamic and innovative sports and entertainment event that advances the promotion of electric mobility and the fight against climate change in Canada and around the world,” said Alberto Longo of Formula E .

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What do activist Erin Brockovich, actor Jason Priestley, and Olympians Charmaine Crooks and Alexandre Bilodeau have in common?

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All four will participate in the inaugural Canadian E-Fest in Vancouver during Canada Day weekend next summer (June 30-July 2). Brockovich will be the keynote speaker during a two-day conference and the remaining three will be pilots in a celebrity race with Solo electric vehicles designed and produced by Vancouver-based Electra Meccanica.

The details were revealed at a press conference hosted by the OSS Group, promoter of the E-Fest, on Wednesday in Vancouver, and hosted by Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe. The event is expected to generate $ 80 million in economic value and create approximately 3,000 jobs.

“I am a very proud Canadian and very proud to help promote and defend motorsports in Canada,” said Hinchcliffe, who will serve as the official ambassador for the E-Fest. “We have Formula One in Montreal, IndyCar in Toronto, and now here today we can officially announce that Formula E is coming to Vancouver.”

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The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race, dubbed the E-Prix together with the celebrity race, is one of the four “pillars” of the E-Fest event. The others are: E-Live, which presents two concerts that will soon be named after internationally known recording artists E-Volve; the two-day conference focused on sustainability and the environment; and E-Sports, a racing tournament with virtual players from across Canada competing for a $ 50,000 prize pool and competing on a virtual representation of the Vancouver track.

The track, a 2.21-kilometer loop, uses parts of the old Vancouver Molson Indy track in False Creek. In honor of the False Creek Residents Association, whom promoters consulted in the early days of race planning, the main straight is called the City Gate Straight, while the names of other straights and corners will be selected from polls. to Vancouverites closest to the race. weekend.

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“The Canadian E-Fest will be an exciting, dynamic and innovative sports and entertainment event that advances the promotion of electric mobility and the fight against climate change in Canada and around the world,” said Alberto Longo, co-founder and director of the championship. Formula E, who traveled from Europe together with other FIA and Formula E officials to attend the press conference.

The event will have its own official water supplier. BevCanna’s TRACE waters will be sold in 100% recyclable aluminum cans, and TRACE will also act as the official recycling supplier for the E-Fest.

As much as sustainability and clean energy are at the center of the E-Fest weekend, the multi-million dollar bottom line is a major factor in the event’s appeal to city officials.

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“The real driving force for me to push for Vancouver to be the Canadian host city of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in 2022 was economic recovery,” said Vancouver City Councilor Sarah Kirby-Yung. “Stimulus events like this are important to our city and the most affected tourism sector, as well as providing hope and fun for residents.”

Destination Vancouver CEO Royce Chwin echoed that sentiment, noting that “we have a lot of work to do collectively as we rebuild our visitor economy that supports the many tourism-related businesses.”

Tickets for the 2022 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Vancouver are expected to go on sale in the next two weeks.

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Reference-vancouversun.com

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