UTRCA hosts London-Middlesex Children鈥檚 Water Festival听
This May, the 糖心直播 (UTRCA) hosted the London-Middlesex Children鈥檚 Water Festival. Over the four days of the festival, students in grades two through five听came to Fanshawe Conservation Area for a fun and educational field trip to learn about the importance of water in their daily lives.听听
This year, we had record registration, with requests for over 11,000 students to attend the festival!听Because of this enthusiastic response, we were able to accept more students than we ever have, welcoming 1,000 a听day with 4,069 students over the entire festival. The festival relies on volunteer support from the听community and, with record numbers of students in attendance, we had 200 volunteers on each day of听the festival! We were very fortunate to have students from the Thames Valley District School Boards鈥檚 grade 10 H3ELP program听volunteering each day of the festival.听听
This year, students were able to choose from 54 different activity stations, all based on one (or more!) of听five themes: Water Attitude, Conservation, Science, Protection, and Technology. Activities ranged in听content, from learning about water flow in bathroom fixtures to aquatic creatures in our watershed to听how water is used around the world.听
On Thursday, May 11, we extended the invitation to the public, hosting a free family night at the Water听Festival. Over 3,800 people were in attendance participating in activities such as water festival stations,听canoeing, wetland origami, boat painting, community art, story walk, drumming, seed planting, bird听feeder building, book readings, Police marine unit vehicle displays, live reptile and birds of prey shows,听face painting and more!听
The Children鈥檚 Water Festivals are fully fundraised each year and rely on both generous volunteer and financial support from the community. Thank you to all our volunteers and sponsors for helping ensure the 2023 festival was a success!听
Great Lake Sponsors听
City of London, London District Catholic School Board, Thames Valley District School Board, and Upper Thames River Conservation Area.听
Watershed Sponsors听
Drumbo Tent Company Limited, Lake Huron and Elgin Area Primary Water Supply System, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc., Oxford Children鈥檚 Water Festival, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.听
River Sponsors听
GM Cami Assembly, Huron Tractor, Kettle Creek Conservation Authority, LMac Community CPR, London Children鈥檚 Museum, Marshall鈥檚 Pasta Mill, Middlesex-London Health Unit, Ontario Clean Water Agency, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Oxford Coalition for Social Justice, Unifor Local 88, and YMCA of Southwestern Ontario.听
For more information about the Children鈥檚 Water Festival, visit the or contact Linda Smith, Community Partnership Specialist and Water Festival Coordinator.听