4,000 children attend four-day Halton Children's Water Festival

The fifth annual Halton Children’s Water Festival is being held from September 28 to October 1, 2010 with 4,000 Halton students from grades two to five registered to participate. The four-day festival is taking place outdoors at the picturesque Kelso Conservation Area in Milton. It kicked off today with a VIP gathering of Halton elected officials, representatives from the partner organizations and event sponsors. The Halton Children’s Water Festival continues to educate children about one of the world’s most precious resources, water.

2010 Children’s Water Festival honorary co-chairs, Brian Penman, Conservation Halton Chairman and Gary Carr, Halton Regional Chair celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Children’s Water Festival.

“It is our hope that by teaching children to conserve and protect natural resources like water, they will in turn educate their families and this education will continue long after the festival ends,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “This event would not be possible without the event partners, volunteers and staff whose time and effort make this day fun and educational for Halton students.”

Students at the Festival will experience a unique opportunity to learn about water in a fun and interactive way while covering Ontario curriculum requirements. The festival features nearly 60 activity centres that incorporate four main water related themes:

• Water Science and Technology
• Water Conservation and Protection
• Water Health and Safety
• Water and Society.

“With the nearly 17,000 children that have participated in the Halton Children’s Water Festival over the last five years, this clearly demonstrates the demand for high quality environmental education in our community,” said Conservation Halton Chairman Brian Penman. “The Festival’s success is due to the partner organizations’ commitment, tremendous support from individuals and businesses in the community, and last but not least, the enthusiastic participation of the volunteers, teachers and students.”

The Festival is co-hosted by Conservation Halton and Halton Region in partnership with, the Halton District School Board, the Halton Catholic District School Board, the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville, in order to create a successful and financially sustainable water festival in Halton. Milton Town Councillor and Conservation Halton Chairman Brian Penman and Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr serve as the Festival’s honorary co-chairs.

The Festival is a community partnership dependent on over 150 volunteers each day to help with various activities. Halton high school students and community volunteers are once again generously offering their time and gaining experience in community outreach, public speaking, teaching and time management.

The Festival relies on in-kind and monetary support from organizations in the Halton community in order to make the festival easily accessible for Halton’s students. This year, 19 organizations in Halton have sponsored the festival in four of five supporter categories. Categories include Lake Level ($5,000-$9,999), River Level ($1,000-$4,999), Stream Level ($500-$999) and Watershed Level ($100-$499). Click for more information on Festival supporters.

The Festival is offered to Halton schools at a cost of just $4 per child, which includes a full day at the Festival as well as transportation to and from the event. The Halton Children’s Water Festival is an investment that ensures children will learn the value of this critical resource and through their learning, ensure a continuation of a reliable water supply for years to come. For more information on the Halton Children’s Water Festival, please visit www.hcwf.ca.

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