Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Continues to Lead the Way in Sustainable Solutions
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment (Gateway) is not only one of the largest and most diversified gaming and entertainment companies in Canada, they are also a leader in energy conservation in the hospitality sector.
Since 2014, Gateway has been implementing energy-saving initiatives throughout their network. From the installation of 2 cooling towers at the company’s Burnaby flagship building, Grand Villa Casino; to the implementation of single-stream recycling and composting. Gateway continues to find “green” initiatives to reduce their environmental impact.
While the energy management team at Gateway is starting off the New Year with optimistic vigor and strong momentum; it is also a good opportunity to look back on the accomplishments made in 2016. Grand Villa Casino in Burnaby has implemented many energy conservation upgrades and continues to do so with no signs of slowing down and no shortage of improvements on the horizon.
In 2016, a lighting retrofit was completed in the four-story south parkade building with smart sensor controls throughout the parking lot and stairways. Parking stalls are all lit with low wattage T8 fluorescent lamps while the metal halides along the driveway paths have been replaced with LEDs. Fixtures in all five stairwells were also upgraded to bi-level dimming LED tube lamps that lower the light output when built-in sensors detect that the space is vacant. They only adjust to 100% brightness when it is triggered by motion and/or sound! This reduces operating hours of the lights to lower utility and maintenance costs by using less energy and extending the lifespan of all fixtures.
Another major project recently completed is the modernization of the three guest elevators at the Grand Villa Casino’s Delta Burnaby Hotel. These underwent a major esthetic upgrade for a brighter and livelier space. The sleek and modern interior includes custom made monitors to display the latest news and promotions being offered throughout the facility. The cabs all have new LED downlights as well as decorative LED strips that display fun colour themes.
Behind the scenes, the elevators were mechanically upgraded so that all now have gearless motors. This allows the elevators to move faster throughout the 22 floor building while still providing occupants with safe and comfortable travel. On top of that, regenerative drives were installed to convert kinetic energy into electricity that gets transferred back into the grid. This means all guests are contributing to the on-site generation of electrical power every time they ride the elevators down. Throughout the province, this groundbreaking technology has only been implemented at two other buildings in British Columbia and that really puts Burnaby on the map as a front-runner for innovation and efficiency beyond the hospitality and entertainment field.
Collaborations with BC Hydro made these projects happen, and the utility company will continue tracking energy performance of the elevators for accurate comparative results. Gateway will be sharing these figures on their website http://www.gatewaycasinos.com/sustainability.html once finalized.
The Delta Burnaby Hotel, a Level 4 Green Key rated hotel, also offers Green STAY options. This allows guests to actively participate in the reduction of water and energy consumption by choosing to decline laundry and housekeeping services. Upon check-out, they are offered a selection of rewards: Marriott points, meal vouchers, or plant a tree under their name. Delta’s partnership with the Carbon Farmer has successfully planted nearly 3,000 trees since 2014.
In addition to these large retrofit projects, the Grand Villa Casino has also streamlined the collection and pick-up of organics waste to meet the increased activities of the kitchens that serve 7 busy restaurants. Last year alone, they diverted over 66 tons of mixed food from the landfill. That saved 262 tons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, equivalent to offsetting the carbon impact of approximately 25 homes’ annual energy use (EPA greenhouse gas calculator).
Gateway looks forward to continuing to build their portfolio and sharing stories of their environmental activities. Please visit http://www.gatewaycasinos.com/sustainability.html or reach out to them at reducemyimpact@gatewaycasinos.com
About Gateway Casinos & Entertainment
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited (Gateway) is one of the largest and most diversified gaming companies in Canada. Operating in Western Canada, Gateway has over 4,000 employees and operates 18 gaming properties with 222 tables and over 6,700 slot machines. With business partners, Gateway operates 43 restaurants and 1,000 hotel rooms. Gateway is undertaking an exciting redevelopment strategy to dramatically improve the customer experience and attract new gaming customers. This includes the development of proprietary food and beverage offerings like Match Eatery & Public House and Atlas Steak + Fish. In 2017, Gateway will celebrate 25 years in the business of gaming and entertainment in Canada. Further information is available at www.gatewaycasinos.com.
