Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources

Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources (P.O.W.E.R.) was formed in 1987 and incorporated in 1989, and strives to play a major, protective environmental role within our community and beyond. P.O.W.E.R. is a membership driven, not-for-profit community organization that was originally formed by citizens of Halton Hills who were concerned about a plan to use the Acton quarry as a waste dump. The dump was stopped (and increased protection for the Niagara Escarpment was gained) but the fight to protect our water and environmental resources goes on...

Some of our Successes
P.O.W.E.R. members started

Wastewise, a 9,900 square foot warehouse and Community Resource Centre that offers waste reduction, reuse, repair, and recycling opportunities. WASTEWISE turns 20 years old in 2011!

We started Trees 2000, which continues today as Future Forests - an initiative that has provided the reforestation of tens of thousands of new trees. P.O.W.E.R. has provided environmental restoration and education for over 17,000 (and counting) students from Public, Catholic, and independent School Boards. P.O.W.E.R. has involved the majority of elementary and secondary schools in the Halton Hills area. Our student planters have ranged from Grade 3 to OAC

P.O.W.E.R. had representatives at The Earth Summit (1992), the World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002) and participates actively with the United Nation's Commission on Sustainable Development

P.O.W.E.R helped change the Niagara Escarpment Plan to ban garbage dumps

P.O.W.E.R. founded Sustainable Halton Hills and Sustainable Ontario

P.O.W.E.R. is taking a lead on BioDiversity and Convention on Biological Diversity efforts. We participated in Japan in 2010 for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and helped five Halton youth participate.