KELOWNA, B.C. – Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna–Lake Country, on behalf of Canada’s Environment Minister, the Honourable Jim Prentice, today announced funding from the EcoAction Community Funding Program for a new environmental project in Kelowna, British Columbia. A total of $28,486 in federal funding will support local action to reduce water consumption.
 
“During this important International Year of Biodiversity (IYB), I am pleased that the federal government is able to support worthwhile projects such as the Xeriscape gardening project in the Okanagan which will enhance public awareness on gardening and water usage,” said MP Cannan.  “This type of project directly addresses environmental issues such as water conservation which is championed during IYB.”
 
“We are proud to support community groups in the Okanagan as well as across British Columbia willing to take concrete action through on-the-ground environmental projects that will achieve a more sustainable Canada.  The Government of Canada is committed to addressing the environmental priorities of all Canadians,” said Minister Prentice.”  Your actions, large or small, will help to protect the abundance and variety of life that is part of our natural heritage.”
Xeriscaping is landscaping or gardening in ways that reduce the need for supplemental irrigation and can help reduce outdoor water use by 25 to 100 percent. It is useful for areas that do have easy access to water. The Okanagan Xeriscape Association’s (OXA) project will help raise awareness of this alternative form of gardening through a demonstration garden located in Kelowna.

“Xeriscaping is gardening with your natural environmental conditions rather than fighting against them,” said Gwen Steele, President of OXA.  “With the support of Environment Canada’s EcoAction Community Funding Program, we will provide training in Xeriscaping to local residents, garden clubs and businesses interested in decreasing water use.”
 
The EcoAction Community Funding Program is an Environment Canada initiative that supports projects that rehabilitate, protect or enhance the natural environment, and builds the capacity of communities and individuals in support of a more sustainable Canada.  The project announced today will assist a locally-based, non-profit organization in initiating actions that could result in reduced water consumption.
 
More information about the EcoAction Community Funding Program is available on Environment Canada’s website at the following address: www.ec.gc.ca/ecoaction.