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Volume 22 No. 12 Thursday, March 22, 2018 GEORGETOWN 905-877-0149 www.georgetownchrysler.ca Your Actonian connection for Great Savings! RAM • DODGE JEEP CHRYSLER C a l l P h i l Your Hometown Newspaper NEW News stand Price 40¢ + GST The 1998 - 2018 312 Guelph Street, Georgetown ON L7G 4B5 905-877-2296 The Town of Halton Hills continues to sup- port local initiatives that help address the health of pollinators such as birds, bees, bats, butterflies and moths. Without pollin- ators, much of the food we eat and the natural habi- tats we enjoy would not exist. Local community groups and organizations are encouraged to get in- volved and can apply to the Community Sustain- ability Investment Fund which offers small grants to support sustainable in- itiatives such as pollinator health. The deadline for applications is April 3. "Pollinators are critic- al to our environmental health," said Mayor Rick Bonnette. "Local organ- izations that are interested in supporting our local ecology are invited to apply to the Town's Com- munity Investment Fund." Information about the fund is available on the Town's website or by emailing sustainability@ haltonhills.ca. According to the Food and Agricultural Organiz- ation (FAO) of the United Nations, at least one-third of the world's agricultural crops depend on pollin- ators. Taking action now to protect pollinators en- hances food security and is a positive step for our environment and econ- omy. N a t i v e s p e c i e s o f annual and perennial wild- flowers, shrubs, trees and grasses that are beneficial to pollinator health--e.g. Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan, Serviceberry--are used on a regular basis in parks and open space re- storative plantings by the Town, in naturalized turf areas and in more formal planting beds. Fully nat- uralized areas within our parks/open space systems contain pollinator-friend- ly plants like milkweed and asters. The Town does not actively remove these plants. Undisturbed places with tall grasses, fallen trees or open water provide areas for nesting and overwintering of na- tive pollinators. Pest icides are only used by Public Works in instances where public health is at risk, such as the removal of poison ivy or hemlock. They have not been used as part of the maintenance of turf, ditches or garden areas for over 15 years, in com- pliance with the Ontario Pesticides Act. "We're fortunate to have so many practices in place to help promote pollinator health," said the Mayor. "As well, the Town has over 500 hec- tares of open space which provides a diverse natur- al habitat for pollinators. The Town's Office of Sus- tainability and Climate Change is doing some great work this upcoming year to help educate the public on the benefits of pollinator health and what they can do to help." The Town's Office of Sustainability and Cli- mate Change will be offering free native seed packets on Saturday April 28. Residents can pick up a seed packet at the Earth Day and Sustainability Fair at the Georgetown Market Place (280 Guelph Street, Georgetown) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at the Earth Day at Public Works event at the Rob- ert C. Austin Operations Centre (11620 Trafalgar Road, Georgetown) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Supplies are limited. Fore! The clarion call of golfers everywhere heralds The Friends of the Halton Hills Public Library's announcement of the return of its popular family event fundraiser, Caddystacks 3. People will be get- ting their game on at the Georgetown Branch on Saturday, April 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This day of active family fun for the community is the principal fundraiser for the Friends of the Halton Hills Public Library. Adults, teens and kids can tackle the course a r o u n d t h e l i b r a r y shelves as part of the Family Open. New for this year: a giant sale of gently loved children's books, toys, and DVDs. D o n a t i o n s m a y b e dropped off in the special box located in the main lobby of the Georgetown Branch. Mark Rowe, Cha i r of the Friends of the Halton Hills Public Li- brary, is excited to share this news once again. "Caddystacks has been a great success the past two years," stated Rowe. "People can enjoy a day of fun and feel good that the proceeds go towards literacy programming and adding new Library spaces for the whole community to enjoy." Speci f ica l ly, funds raised from Caddystacks 3 will be used to support the Acton Reading Deck, a serene outdoor read- ing and gathering place; and for the annual One Book, One Halton Hills program. F o r f u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e contact Chief Librarian Geoff Cannon at Geoff. cannon@haltonhills.ca. Friends of the Halton Hills Public Library announce Caddystacks 3 Town promotes health of pollinators MYTHS AND LEGENDS: Leprechauns, rainbows and pots of gold were only a few of many topics covered by storyteller Pauline Grondin as she shared tales of the Emerald Isle, its history, myths and legends at the Acton Town Hall on Sunday afternoon. - Les Schmidt photo