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12 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 4, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Living Oakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN By Andrew Fruch SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Phone: 905-845-3824, ext. 248 Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: angela@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2007 Weekend was lucky seven for eco festival With the environment on the front line of public thought, this past weekend was the perfect opportunity to learn about it by attending the seventh annual Halton Eco Festival. The event was organized by the Oakville Community Centre For Peace, Ecology And Human Rights (OCCPEHR). "It's an environmental fair for the whole family," said Paul Dankowich, one of the organizers. "It keeps getting bigger attendance wise and all that. I'm proud people are still paying attention to the environment." The two-day event, Saturday and Sunday at the Glen Abbey Recreation Centre was a chance for people of all ages to learn about the environment through workshops and exhibits. Admission was $12 at the door for a weekend pass. A discount on admission was given with the donation of clothing, which was being collected the range of products and services," said Stephen White, a first-time attendee at the festival. "I think it has something for everyone and all the presenters seem very obviously concerned and interested in the environment and willing to spend the time to answer questions and speak with people, which is great." There were a total of 49 exhibitors and they were as diverse as the environment itself. One group was the Coalition on the Niagara Escarpment (CONE), an advocacy group dedicated to preserving the Niagara escarpment. "The Niagara Escarpment is natural area going through the middle of Halton Region that needs to stay protected," said Jean Hilborn, CONE president. "The protection of green spaces is vital for our habitat. If the lakes and the creeks that originate in the escarpment are not protected, then our water resources downstream are not protected. " The escarpment was also the topic of one of the documentaries being screened. Escarpment Blues, a film by Andy Keen, documents Sarah Harmer's campaign to halt destruction of the Niagara Escarpment. The other film at the eco festival was titled The Faithful Witness: The Journey of the White Pine in Southern Ontario, a documentary by ecologist Paul O'Hara. "This is fantastic," said Terence Young, Conservative candidate for Oakville in the next federal election. "I think it's a historical moment that all Canadians now, in about the last couple of years, have realized, the public at large has realized, we have to act to reduce greenhouses gases for example and pollution." This was the first year that Young had a display at the festival. Attendees were encouraged to plant a tree and learn about the conservative environmental agenda. Number seven appears to be the lucky number for the eco festival as organizers, such as Dankowich, feel it could turn out to be the best year yet. ASHLEY HUTCHESON / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER LEARNING ADVENTURE: At the seventh annual Halton Eco Festival at Glen Abbey Recreation Centre Jeannie Crowe visits the Simbotic water purifier vendor to find out more. by the Canadian Diabetes Association. Attendees had plenty to see and do, whether it was learning about socially-responsible investing in one of the 16 workshops or watching one of two documentaries being screened. "I'm impressed with the range of groups attending here, and We're so committed to getting everything right, we even changed our name. A division of Union Energy You've known us as Union Energy. Now we've changed our name to Reliance Home Comfort in order to give you a clearer sense of who we are, what we do, and what we can do for you. We're still the same great company you've counted on for years. And we've still got all the right products, people and services. Now, we've got a name that's just right too. TM Visit us at reliancehomecomfort.com or call 1-866-Reliance (1-866-735-4262). Water Heaters | High-Efficiency Furnaces | Air Conditioners | Comfort Protection Plans | Heating and Cooling Consultation | Air Quality | Financing | Home Security Systems For a free no obligation in-home estimate call 1-866-735-4262 The right call. Guaranteed.