Welcome to The Westin Calgary

The Westin Calgary has partnered with a program called La Tablée des Chefs, making it the first hotel in Alberta to provide surplus food to local shelters in the Calgary community. The Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre where the surplus food from the hotel will be redistributed is one of the largest shelters in Canada, feeding over 3,000 meals a day. As a part of the program our culinary team will redistribute excess food from meetings, conventions and restaurant service. The surplus food is frozen throughout the week and every Friday delivered to the Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre to freeze and re-heat as needed. On average The Westin Calgary provides 400 portions of surplus food per week which can be used by shelters. Over the past two and a half years over 22,000 portions were procided by The Westin Calgary in the La Tablée des Chefs program.

For more information, please visit: http://broker.cheftable.org.

The Westin Calgary hosts the Annual QR77/Westin Hotel Calgary Children’s Foundation Pledge Day in the lobby. The Calgary Children’s Foundation is an organization that supports a variety of local children’s charities with children who are physically, mentally and/or financially disadvantaged. They donate to mostly small, grass-roots groups who have limited dollars for fundraisers, communications, etc. They put the money directly into the hands of the people who are working to improve the lives of Calgary’s children. On November 15, 2012 Westin Calgary Children’s Foundation was presented with the Outstanding Philanthropic Group Generosity of Spirit Award.

For more information, please visit www.newstalk770.com/calgary-childrens-foundation-2.

Each year The Westin Calgary associates participate in the The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting the Alberta Cancer Foundation in a unique, two-day cycling event. The money raised for the Alberta Cancer Foundation through The Ride will directly support patients and families at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton and 15 cancer centres throughout Alberta. The Alberta Cancer Foundation provides funding to a team of top doctors and scientists whose search for new discoveries and improved patient outcomes will have a real impact in your community, across Canada, and around the world.

For more information, please visit www.conquercancer.ca/Alberta

The Westin Calgary actively supports and participates in raising money every year for The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - Canada’s leading community-driven breast cancer charity. The Westin Calgary cash donation aids the Foundation in their mission of creating a future without breast cancer. Donated dollars are allocated to grants for breast cancer research, health promotion and awareness programs. The 5K or 1K walk/run in October, kicks off which is breast cancer awareness month.

For more information, please visit www.runforthecure.com.

Every two months, Westin Calgary associates actively volunteer with Brown Bagging to combat increasing numbers of students attending Calgary schools without a lunch. Together, in partnerships with the Calgary Board of Eduction and the Calgary Seperate School District, we delivered 1,500+ lunches each day to over 60 schools in 2011.

For more information, please visit www.brownbaggingit.org.

The Westin Calgary blood donors are dedicated Partners For Life. In 2012, 63 units of blood has helped Canadian hospital patients in need. One heart surgery patient can need 5 units of blood and in 2012 The Westin Calgary contribution could have helped save 12 patients undergoing heart surgery.

For more information, please visit www.blood.ca.

The Westin Calgary has teamed up with the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank to gather and distribute emergency food to those in our community and contribute to the public awareness that led to food insecurity of individuals and families.

For more information, please visit www.calgaryfoodbank.com.

The Westin Calgary recently partnered up with Inn from the Cold to help homeless families and those in need to help rebuild their lives. Inn from the Cold is Calgary’s original and largest family shelter providing two temporary emergency shelter programs.

For more information, please visit www.innfromthecold.org.

Awarded 4-Green Keys from Hotel Association of Canada.

A 4-Green Key rating is awarded to a hotel that has "shown national industry leadership and commitment to protecting the environment through wide ranging policies and practices. The Hotel has mature programs in place that involve management, employees, guests, and the public, and which have shown substantial and measurable results."

• Energy efficient lighting systems using CFL technology throughout property wherever applicable
• All new equipment is energy star rated
• In-Room "Make A Green Choice" program rewards guests for choosing to conserve water, energy and chemicals in their guestroom
• Guest linen and towel reuse program
• Pressure wash surfaces on a need-only basis
• Linen-free banquet buffet-stations
• Sourcing of local product whenever available

• Comprehensive recycling program throughout building
• Recycling receptacles provided in every guest room, meeting room and all back-of-house areas and offices
• Composting of organic kitchen food waste
• Styrofoam free facility
• Recycling of kitchen grease and oils
• Water Bubblers and filtered tap-water is provided to staff in lieu of bottled water
• Paperless check-in
• Sustainable food and beverage choices on our dining menus
• All office paper is made from 30% post-consumer content
• Green office supplies
• Donation of partially used bathroom amenities to "Calgary Drop-In Center" (homeless shelter)
• Donation of old linen and terrycloth products to local and international charities benefitting communities in need
• Liquidation of old furniture for hotel associate purchase or donation to local charities
• Sustainable food purchasing guidelines including Seafood Watch

Westin "Clutter-Free" meetings reduces:

• Waste of note-pads, pens and other meeting utensils
• Use of bottled water
• Bulk-offering of condiments on food-stations whenever applicable and compliant with health-code

• 100% smoke free facility
• Eco-friendly cleaning products used in guestrooms and stewarding
• Low VOC paints, primers and basecoats
• All carpet abides by GRI Green Label policies
• Green Seal certified laundry cleaning detergents
• Live plants in public areas

• Participation in Energard, a utility benchmarking program
• Participation in Starwood's annual Carbon Disclosure Project survey
• Raising Awareness Through Engagement:
• Guest communication through in-room collateral promoting "Make A Green Choice"
• Monthly Green Team Meetings
• Green Meetings Program

The Westin participates in various volunteer events throughout the year, giving back to the community:

• Raising funds for cancer research
• Calgary parks and river cleanup
• Calgary food-bank
• Brown Bagging for Kids providing lunches for Calgary's less fortunate school children