For the fourth year in a row, BC Hydro Power Smart will soon present its most delicious initiative, the Candlelight Conservation Dinner. The evening of October 25th will see some 100 restaurants from across the province turning their dining rooms into romantic havens through the use of old fashioned candles. The night demonstrates a simple way that we can be smart with our energy usage by not only showing those hosting the suppers that ambiance thrives without electricity, but also reminding the people doing the supping that they can achieve the same magical atmospherics at home.

Each participating restaurant will be extending an exclusive discount or special offer on the evening. To wit, Wild Rice will be knocking off 15%; The French Table will be serving free desserts at the end of every meal; both C and Raincity Grill will be passing around their signature “stick” and “spoon” amuse bouche; and so on. And to be frank, we’re really not all that concerned with what chef Lee Parsons of Bacchus does on the night, just so long as we get to see his sumptuous dining room bathed completely in candlelight! You can see the full list of participating Vancouver restaurants and their special offers here, but don’t forget that this is a province-wide initiative. There are participating restaurants and community partners in Vancouver, Victoria, Vancouver’s Island’s West Shore communities, Prince George, Comox Valley, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Powell River, Quesnel, and Vernon. Even the Four Seasons up in Whistler is on board (the hotel’s restaurant, Sidecut, is offering 2 for 1 entrees for the night and serving every guest a glass of bubbles and a freshly shucked oyster on the house).

We hope to see you out and about on the 25th, when we’ll be keeping track of developments and sharing your photos of candlelit rooms on Twitter with the hashtag #pscandlelight