Regional Council proclaimed the following events on behalf of the Public Works Department:

March 22, 2010 was proclaimed “World Water Day”. World Water Day was created to raise the profile of water quality. In the Region of Peel, World Water Day promotes the Water Smart Peel program; one of the program goal’s is to reduce individual water consumption by 10 per cent by 2015.

April 16 to 22, 2010 was proclaimed “Earth Week”. Earth Week educates residents on how to practice the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) and composting to divert waste. Throughout the month of April a number of Green Day events will be held at shopping malls and grocery stores promoting composting and the Region of Peel Organics Program.

May 2 to 8, 2010 was proclaimed “Compost Awareness Week”. The purpose of this event is to increase participation in backyard and worm composting and raise awareness about the Region of Peel goal of diverting 70 per cent of our waste from landfills by 2016.

May 2 to 8, 2010 was proclaimed “Drinking Water Awareness Week”. The Region of Peel will be promoting source water protection, water conservation and various environmental programs and initiatives. The Water Smart Peel program will be promoting the importance of managing water resources through tours and in-class presentations.

May 9 to 22, 2010 was proclaimed “Public Works Week”. The main objectives of Public Works Week is to integrate employees; encourage them to engage in professional and personal development and to assist them in understanding the value of a “career” in Public Works.

May 27 to June 2, 2010 was proclaimed “Children’s Water Awareness Week”. During this week the 15th Annual Peel Children’s Water Festival will take place at Heart Lake Conservation Area in Brampton. Family Fun Day will be on Saturday, May 29, 2010. More than 500 secondary students will have the opportunity to volunteer and develop interpersonal leadership skills.

October 18 to 24, 2010 was proclaimed “Waste Reduction Week”. The focus of this week is to educate residents about different ways to manage their waste, including tours of the Community Recycling Centres for school and community groups.

For more information on any of the events please visit the Public Works Department’s webpage at http://www.peelregion.ca/pw/.

Regional Council endorsed the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) start-up funding for a new Low-Income Dental Program for youth and ongoing operational funding to the end of the fiscal year 2012/13. The Region of Peel will be entering into funding agreements with community partners for the implementation of the Low-Income Dental Program.

For more information on the Low-Income Dental Program for youth please visit www.peelregion.ca/health/freedental/.