Almost 4,000 students participated in the 2011 Halton Children's Water Festival

The sixth annual Halton Children’s Water Festival was held from September 27 to 30, 2011 with almost 4,000 Halton students from grades two to five participating. The four-day festival took place outdoors at the picturesque Kelso Conservation Area in Milton and continued to educate children about one of the world’s most precious resources, water.

“Educating our youth through the Halton Children’s Water Festival so that they in turn educate their families and friends is a critical step towards increasing awareness about the importance of the environment,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “This Festival would not be possible without all of the community partners, sponsors, volunteers and staff whose time and effort continue to make this event a tremendous learning opportunity for Halton students.”

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

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

“The Halton Children’s Water Festival has had excellent leadership over the past six years and during this time it has matured to accommodate more students and offer more activities and learning opportunities, while keeping the cost for students down. This growth would not be possible without municipal and corporate support, and without committed volunteers,“ said John Vice, Chair of Conservation Halton. “Support from all our municipal partners as well as the Halton District School Board and the Halton Catholic District School Board is invaluable to the Festival’s success. The cornerstone of this support is the commitment to outdoor education and science outreach shown by Halton Region and Conservation Halton.”

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. Conservation Halton Chairman John Vice and Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr serve as the Festival’s honorary co-chairs.

The Festival is a community partnership dependent on close to 750 volunteers to help with various activities. Halton high school students and community volunteers once again generously offered their time while gaining valuable 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, 22 organizations in Halton sponsored the Festival in four of five supporter categories. Categories included Lake Level ($5,000-$9,999), River Level ($1,000-$4,999), Stream Level ($500-$999) and Wetlands Level ($100-$499). For more information on Festival supporters visit www.hcwf.ca/supporterslist.htm.

The Festival is offered each year 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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