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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, March 22, 2013 | 4 Unplugging for 60 minutes can impact our ecological footprint Continued from page 1 impact on this earth," said Mayor Rob Burton. "Unplug for 60 minutes during Earth Hour and make a difference in reducing our ecological footprint." Starting at 8:30 p.m., lights and non-essential electrical equipment at municipal facilities will be turned off for one hour. Both levels of government say this will not compromise public safety or interfere with essential services. The Town will turn off lighting in its facilities and parking lots, at the three war memorials in Oakville (George's Square Cenotaph and Memorial, Trafalgar Memorial and Bronte Memorial), marquee signage where possible at Town Hall, central operations, southeast depot, the municipal greenhouse, community centres, libraries, pools, arenas and The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. The Town is also hoping to encourage resident participation by offering some prizes. Residents are asked to take a picture of themselves showing how they participated in Earth Hour 2013 and to tweet it to @townofoakville or to the Town of Oakville Facebook page for a chance to win a basket filled with energy saving products. The Region is already committed to minimizing its impact on climate change. It has implemented a number of initiatives. These include: · Increasing waste diversion and minimizing the impact of solid waste on the environment · Promoting water efficiency and conservation · Implementing the Halton Regional Official Plan, which aims to manage change and the effects on the social, cultural, economic and natural environment of Halton · Conserving natural heritage features · Integrating sustainability practices in the internal operations of the Region and reducing energy consumption in all Regional facilities and fleet Along with the Town and Regional initiatives, the Halton District School Board is encouraging all its schools to participate. The board is asking school staff to turn off lights before people head home on Friday and to turn off as many electrical devices as possible for the last hour of school on Friday. Teachers are also encouraged to teach students about the environment on Friday. People who wish to participate in Earth Hour in a community setting have a chance to do so at an Earth Hour concert, hosted by St. Jude's Anglican Church, 160 Williams St. The concert begins at 8:15 p.m. and the electrical lights will go down at 8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15, or $10 for students and seniors and are available at the door or by calling 905-8443972 or visiting www.oakvilleconcerts.com. People who wish to participate in the Earth Hour movement are asked to sign up at www.wwf. ca/events/earthhour.