MEDIA RELEASE March 25, 2014 For Immediate Release Celebrating Earth Day 2014 in Halton Hills HALTON HILLS, ON – Earth Day is fast approaching! Tuesday April 22nd, 2014, will mark the 44th, anniversary of Earth Day. To promote environmental awareness and celebrate Earth Day the Town of Halton Hills is hosting “Earth Week Celebration” which includes activities such as the: 22-Minute Makeover, Community Wide Clean-Up Day, Halton Hills Earth Day, and the Earth Day and Sustainability Fair. Councillor Fogal, Chair of the Litter Free Task Force Committee said, “The residents of Halton Hills take great pride in their community. We rely on hundreds of volunteers of all ages at our annual clean up events to ensure Halton Hills is clean and beautiful. Please come out and help clean up the community.” Celebrations will stretch from Tuesday April 22nd to Saturday April 26th and will include: Community Wide Clean-Up Day: Halton Hills is celebrating the 14th year of its annual spring cleaning. On April 26th, join neighbours and community groups to help clean-up the Town to scour the parks, ravines and roadsides of Halton Hills to pick up litter and assorted debris. If you see graffiti please report it to [email protected] to have it removed. Free posters are available on the Town’s website to advertise your clean-up event. Free gloves and garbage bags are available from the Robert C. Austin Operations Centre located at 11620 Trafalgar Road (Georgetown), and also at participating McDonald’s Halton Hills restaurants. Thank you to our sponsors: Superior Glove, Tim Hortons and McDonald’s Halton Hills Restaurants for your support. To participate with other residents and to help us keep track of all the areas in the town that are cleaned please e-mail [email protected] 22-Minute Makeover: Over the past 5 years, we have had 100% participation from area schools and a growing number of businesses participating in our municipality, and we are hoping to attract even more this year! On Tuesday April 22nd, take 22 minutes to clean up the community! Free posters to advertise your clean-up are available on the Town’s website. Free gloves and bags will be available from the Robert C. Austin Operations Centre at 11620 Trafalgar Road (Georgetown), and at participating McDonald’s Halton Hills restaurants. Please

-2-

register at [email protected] to help us keep track of all the areas in the town that are cleaned.

Tree Sale at the Robert C. Austin Operations Centre: Earth Day celebrations will take place on Saturday April 26th from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Robert C. Austin Operations Centre, 11620 Trafalgar Road, Georgetown. Trees are available for a fee of $5. Free compost and wood chips are available (please bring your own shovel) and free electronic recycling. BBQ breakfast and lunch will be available for a nominal fee. Refreshments and t-shirts are donated by Tim Hortons. Food donations for the Georgetown Bread Basket and the Acton Food Share are gratefully accepted. More details available at: www.haltonhills.ca/earthday Earth Day and Sustainability Fair: On Saturday April 26th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Earth Day and Sustainability Fair will take place at the Georgetown Market Place (280 Guelph St., Georgetown) featuring local organizations, TV personality and expert gardener Frank Ferragine (Frankie Flowers) will give a presentation on gardening, plants and trees. Books will be available to purchase. Other entertainment include: Mountsberg ‘Birds of Prey’, family activities and local environmental, cultural, social and economic groups. Food donations for local food banks are gratefully accepted. ‘Green Leadership Tours’ are available throughout the Town on April 26 th, 2014. Visit Halton Hills Library (Acton and Georgetown) to learn about the energy and water conservation features in these buildings. Willow Park in Norval is encouraging families to visit and enjoy the afternoon outside. Wastewise in Georgetown is offering tours of their new recycling facility. For more information about the ‘green leadership tours’ on April 26th and all the other Earth Day celebration events please visit: www.haltonhills.ca/earthday Speaking about the Town’s Earth Week Celebrations, Mayor Rick Bonnette said: “I encourage everyone to take advantage of the Earth Week Celebrations by cleaning up the town and planting trees to replace the ones damaged in the ice storm. I invite you to bring your family to the Georgetown Market Place to visit the Earth Day and Sustainability Fair where local groups are showcasing their important work in Halton Hills and there are free children’s activities. The actions we take today will create a more sustainable future with an even greater quality of life of Halton Hills residents.” For more detailed information about the Earth Week Celebrations please visit: www.haltonhills.ca/earthday

About the Town of Halton Hills The Town of Halton Hills, with a population of approximately 60,000, consists of two

-2-

urban centres, Georgetown and Acton, the Halton Hills Premier Gateway employment area, three hamlets – Glen Williams, Stewarttown and Norval – and several smaller settlements. Halton Hills has long been recognized for its natural beauty, active agricultural community, high quality of life and proximity to major centres, including Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto. The Town is the 2013 recipient of the National Municipal Environmental Award from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators and is ranked as one of the Top 5 small communities in Canada by a national magazine.

- 30 -

For further information contact: Jennifer Spence Sustainability Outreach Officer Office of Sustainability Planning, Development & Sustainability 905.873.2601 ext. 2290 [email protected]