I HEART NS WATER Taking World Water Day to New Depths!

by Sierra Club Atlantic

Dartmouth, NS – I HEART NS WATER Festival planned for March 22nd, 1- 3 pm at the Lake Banook Canoe Club, Dartmouth, NS will draw water lovers of all ages from near and far, according to organizers.

“We are thrilled to see such a great response from local volunteers and organizations,” stated Gretchen Fitzgerald of Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter. “Although it’s really not surprising, since fresh, clean water is essential to our lives and our quality of life.”

“The Council of Canadians has been pushing for the Canadian government to recognize and uphold the right of everyone to safe, clean drinking water, recognized by the United Nations as a human right in 2010,” added Angela Giles, Atlantic Regional Organizer, Council of Canadians. “With the threat of pipelines and fracking, as well as cuts to Environment Canada, it is more important than ever that we work to protect this precious resource.”

“Fracking took place in our county in 2007, and we have been left holding the bag for millions litres of toxic fracking fluid,’ according to Jocelyn Burr, of the East Hants Fracking Opposition Group. “We know that fracking waste ponds leaked this winter and we know they contain toxins. What we don’t know is how they will be safely cleaned up and ensure our watershed is protected.”

“We teach our kids in school that we are three quarters water. But as we grow, we begin to take water for granted and even use water for disposing of our waste and pollution,” states Heidi Verheul, a volunteer and environmental educator with Sierra Club Atlantic, “The fun activities we have planned for I HEART NS WATER will help people re-connect to the vital importance of water. We are even encouraging folks to get truly immersed and take a polar dip!”

The event will include local musician Callum Moscovitch (https://myspace.com/callummoscovitch), games, educational activities, a skit performed by Adventure Earth’s Mindshift youth theatre troop, and – yes! – a polar dip from the Lion’s Club Beach on Lake Banook. Bring you family, friends, and a nice warm towel!  You may even see a penguin or two ….

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For more information, please contact:

Gretchen Fitzgerald, Director, Sierra Club Atlantic, (902) 444-3113 (o); (902) 444-7096 (cell); Twitter @GreenMission;gretchenf@sierraclub.ca

Angela Giles, Atlantic Regional Organizer, Council of Canadians,

(902) 422.7811 (o); (902) 478.5727 (cell); Twitter: @angiles; agiles@canadians.org  (Interviews available in French and English)

Jocelyn Burr, East Hants Fracking Opposition Group, (902) 261-2946; gvgm2013@gmail.com

Heidi Verheul, Environmental Educator, Sierra Club Atlantic, (902)-660-5078; heidiv@sierraclub.ca