A new campaign called, "Let Your Green Show" invites residents to, "do something, get something and turn your neighbourhood green." Starting July 1, through to October 31, the City of Mississauga and the Region of Peel are rewarding residents for taking action on the environment.

"What's really outstanding about this campaign is how easy it is for residents to get involved," says George Carlson, Councillor Ward 11 and chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee. "The focus for the first phase is to encourage people in Mississauga to discover local food and to promote the value of tree planting. Later phases will focus on using less water and giving your car a break."

The "grow local, eat local" focus of the first phase comes from Mississauga's Living Green Master Plan and the Region of Peel's Climate Change Strategy. "Locally grown fruit and vegetables don't need to travel as far to get to your plate," explains Brenda Osborne, manager of Environment with the City of Mississauga. "And planting trees and shrubs are an important part of counteracting the impact of climate change. They help to reduce local air pollution, keep temperatures cooler on hot days and can even provide energy savings when planted in strategic locations around your home."

Both the Living Green Master Plan and the Peel Climate Change Strategy call for increased public awareness about the actions the public can take to help the environment. "Let Your Green Show is about encouraging people to do something different and about rewarding people for taking action," added Carlson.

How to Participate and "Let Your Green Show"

To participate, people are asked to register at www.letyourgreenshow.ca. When registering, they are given a choice of grow local, eat local actions to take. Actions include:
• Visiting a participating Grown in Peel farm, greenhouse or nursery;
• Visiting a farmers' market in Mississauga; or
• Planting your own tree, shrub, or vegetable garden.

Participants then choose their reward, which the campaign calls, "getting some greenback." Rewards include:
• $5 off a purchase from a Mississauga Farmers' market;
• $5 off a minimum purchase of $15 from a Grown in Peel farm, greenhouse or nursery;
• $5 off the purchase price of a rain barrel from the Region of Peel; or
• One hour organic vegetable garden consultation from EcoSource.

Once a person registers and an action and greenback are selected, a coupon is sent by email to that individual. The website matches the participants' postal code to the correct Mississauga ward and records the action on an interactive map, also located on the website. The ward that achieves the greatest participation at the close of the first phase of the campaign in October will be awarded the, "Greenest Ward Award." Only one greenback is given per household, with participants being encouraged to return to the site to track additional actions. All actions are counted toward determining the ward with the greatest participation.

The Let Your Green Show campaign was developed through a partnership between the City of Mississauga and the Region of Peel to promote environmental action identified in their respective environmental strategies. The Living Green Master Plan complements the Peel Climate Change strategy by identifying actions that will help to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change at the local level. As a municipality in the Region of Peel, the City of Mississauga's Council has accepted and endorsed the Peel Climate Change Strategy.

As Canada's sixth largest city, Mississauga is home to 738,000 residents and 55,000 businesses, including 63 Fortune 500 companies with Canadian head offices or major divisional head offices. A diverse, progressive and award-winning municipality located on the shores of Lake Ontario in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga is "Leading Today for Tomorrow" by focussing on delivering services, implementing its Strategic Plan, delivering value for money and maintaining infrastructure.

                                                           - 30 -