Whitchurch-Stouffville
October 09, 2008 12:04 PM
Lemonville United hosts coffee house to discuss 'wasteful phenomenon'
By: Jim Mason, Staff Writer
First it was the 100-Mile Diet challenge.
Now, a rural Whitchurch-Stouffville congregation is tackling plastic water bottles.
Lemonville United Church is inviting the community to the Lemonville Community Centre Friday, Oct. 17.
During an evening of music and readings, you can learn how a church in Waterloo convinced the local school board to ban bottled water from its vending machines. The local municipality engaged the church’s help in promoting the consumption of safe, tap water.
Admission is free.
“It’s a common sight on garbage day: blue boxes filled to overflowing with small, plastic water bottles,” said Marsha Cox, a member of Lemonville United who is co-ordinating its environmental project A.W.E. (air, water, earth.) “We may feel good about recycling our waste, but the truth is, the damage caused by bottled water is already done, long before the bottle reaches the curb.”
Starting at 7:30, the evening will include water-themed music from a band, featuring songs from Gene Kelly to Van Morrison, readings, refreshments, and a presentation by Jill Cameron, a member of The Water Project at Westminster United in Waterloo.
Lemonville United challenged the community to eat local food as part of its 100-mile Diet “earth” challenge in 2007. This year, the challenge is to clean up our water-act.
“Bottled water is such an unnecessary and wasteful phenomenon in our culture,” Ms Cox said. “At its worst, the plastic bottles can be harmful to our health.”
She hopes the coffee house evening will kick-start consumers to think carefully about the choices they make.
“At least this way we can talk about these issues with our neighbours, and maybe find a better way to handle things,” she said.
A second, free coffee house is planned for Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m., focusing on watershed issues, and featuring guests from a Lake Simcoe conservation group, Ladies of the Lake.
Lemonville Community Centre is at 13453 McCowan Rd, between Bethesda and Bloomington roads.
For more information, call 905-642-1909, or go to
www.lemonvilleunited.ca