Dive into the World of Water on August 11th at Scarborough Civic Centre Branch

World Water Day happens every year on March 22nd. But, in the heat of August, now seems like the perfect time to celebrate water!

When was the last time you thanked water?

Canada is lucky to have over 20% of the world's freshwater. Toronto is even more lucky to be on Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes. For centuries, the rivers and creeks that end at Lake Ontario have acted as highways to connect people and ecosystems. Today, we still gather along beach lines, hike along ravine trails, and fish and swim in the lake. Lake Ontario is even where we get our drinking water from! But, since European settlement and the industrial revolution, our rivers and lakes have been getting sicker and sicker.

Recent efforts to protect our ravines, rivers and lakes has helped clean our water ways, but there is still a lot we can do. Many people still don't know about how important these resources are to our well-being in the city. Just think about recent flooding in the city or toxic algae blooms in popular ponds! All this is linked to how we view water.

You may be asking yourself, "what do I have to thank water for"? Well, let's take a closer look at all that water does for us:

We are made up of 70% water, without it we die.
Plants need water to live too. Without plants, we would have no food, polluted air and dirty water to drink.
Water is home to a lot of animals, like fish and mosquito-eating dragonflies.
We use water to bathe ourselves so that we can stay clean and healthy.
Rain cools down hot summer days.
Splash pads, pools and beaches wouldn't be as fun without water!

We can be advocates for the health and protection of our water, but first, we need to understand how important our water is.

Come out to Scarborough Civic Centre Branch on August 11th 11:00am for Living Water. Learn more about the water that shapes our city, get a chance to explore water and some of the creatures that live there, and discover different ways that you can care more for water in your every day life.

Can’t wait to learn more? Check out these great books about water: