By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Fun and Science Unite; Council Approves “Green” Carnival to Visit Next Spring

Jul 17, 2016 | 10:38 AM

LETHBRIDGE – The world’s first green carnival got the go-ahead from Lethbridge City Council to make a stop here next spring.

Sustainival is a non-profit organization developed in Edmonton, with the mandate of providing an interactive learning environment for families. It started out with just four rides, powered by waste vegetable oil and wind.

While it’s still small compared to other fairs, Sustainival is the largest festival currently running in Fort McMurray. Founder, Joey Hundert, and his team now average 60+ requests per year to travel to locations all across Canada and the United States.

All of the 45 attractions coming to Lethbridge run on a combination of biodiesel, wind and solar power. The carnival has already hashed out an agreement with McCain to provide the oil necessary to run the rides.

Hundert has even built the fair around Alberta’s curriculum to give teachers the rare opportunity to put science concepts in motion. During the opening Friday of Sustainival, the grounds are opened up for a Field Trip Day where teachers can bring their students to learn with fun resources.

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“People learn best when they’re having fun! For some reason, when they’re having fun and learning something, it embeds deeper… So when we quiz people years later, they remember stuff that you wouldn’t expect them to,” noted Hundert.

“More importantly, children set the direction for the parents when it comes to the environment… We’re sneakily getting at everybody through their kids.”

Council granted $125,000 from their Environment Committee’s unexpended funds, but the rest will come from community contributions . Economic Development Lethbridge will be helping the Sustainival team acquire those funds, and Hundert says he should know if there’s enough money within the next three months.

Though dates have not been set as of yet, Sustainival should be coming to Lethbridge sometime in Spring 2017.