EcoCaledon auctioning off creative rain barrels

April 30, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
It’s back for another year.
Students from various Caledon schools have been putting their creativity into a large selection of decorative rain barrels, and they dominated the scene outside the Council Chambers at Town Hall Tuesday.
John MacRae, vice-president for education of EcoCaledon, said this is the fifth year of the program, which has the goals of promoting the use of rain barrels and water conservation, while educating the public about reusing rain water. He also said the artists have been using the upcoming Pan Am Games as a theme.
The barrels are being auctioned off, and the collection will be on display at Town Hall and branches of the Caledon Public Library, along with various retailers like Chic a Boom, Davis Feed and Farm Supply, Foodland, Home Depot, Zehrs and Trailside Bistro and Café, as well as online.
MacRae said the program is being expanded this year, thanks to grant Trillium grant funding to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and ecoCaledon. There are also plans for in-school water conservation workshops.
There are a number of sponsors of the program, including the Town, TRCA, Peel Region, Caledon Public Library, Coca-cola, The Hoe Depot, and Greer’s Auto Collision, who MacRae said contributed by sealing the barrels.
Some of the barrels were the work of community artists from Mayfield Secondary School, but several of the local elementary schools contributed creations, such as Allan Drive Middle School, Belfountain Public School, Caledon East Public School, St. Cornelius Elementary School, Holy Family Elementary School, Palgrave Public School, St. Nicholas Elementary School, SouthFields Village Public School and St. John the Baptist Elementary School.
Some of the students involved with the project told councillors of the experience. Four girls from Caledon East School spoke of the benefits, also mentioning they were promoting local triathlete Andrew Yorke, who attended the school and will be competing at the Games. Mayfield students Xin Yang Liu and Samantha Frost worked on a barrel last year and again this year. “I felt that we had a purpose,” Frost declared.
“Every year’ it’s getting better,” Mayor Allan Thompson observed. “Congratulations on your creativity.”
MacRae said the auction was to start yesterday (Wednesday), and closes Caledon Day (June 13).
Bids can be made at www.trca.on.ca/rainbarrelcontest

Caledon councillors welcomed many creative local students and their teachers, along with the rain barrels they decorated to town Hall Tuesday.
Photo by Bill Rea