Energy Builds for Province-Wide Conservation Challenge

Municipalities continue to sign up for Count Me In Challenge Day,
    August 14thTORONTO, June 26 /CNW/ - More and more municipal leaders across Ontario
are adding their communities to the list of those already committed to the
fight for bragging rights as Ontario's most conservation-conscious community.
    The number of communities vying for bragging rights in Ontario's Count Me
In! Community Challenge Day (August 14th) has more than doubled since the
competition was announced on June 3rd-now totalling 44 and climbing every day.
    "I'm extremely energized to see that municipalities across Ontario
continue to step forward and sign on for this challenge," said Woodstock's
Mayor Michael Harding, inspiration for Challenge Day which takes place on the
sixth anniversary of the infamous Black Out day of 2003.
    "Conserving electricity is a win-win-win situation for consumers, energy
providers and the environment and I hope that more municipal leaders across
the province will see the benefits and show their competitive spirit in the
coming weeks", he added.
    Ontarians are being asked to pledge a commitment and to create a
personalized conservation plan at www.countmeinontario.ca, from now until
Challenge Day. Ontarians who take the Count Me In! pledge will also have the
chance to win one of three grand prizes and are eligible for daily prizes from
now until Challenge Day.Participating municipalities can compete in two different categories:

    -   The highest percentage drop in electricity consumption on August 14
        between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., and

    -   The highest per capita participation in the Count Me In! pledge
        drive.Results of the provincewide challenge will be announced at the AMO Annual
Conference on August 19th in Ottawa.
    New this week to the www.countmeinontario website, Ontarians can now
track the progress of the Challenge Day using an interactive map feature on
the www.countmeinontario.ca homepage. The Count Me In! Community Challenge Day
map shows the location of Ontarians who have pledged as well plotting each
municipality participating in the Community Challenge Day and the number of
pledges in those communities. The map also features an ongoing ranking of
municipalities participating in the 'per capita' pledge drive.
    Municipalities which have made an early confirmation of their
participation in the challenge are:Arnprior                  Aylmer                  Belleville
    Aurora                    Barrie                  Brant
    Burlington                Kitchener               St. Thomas
    Caledon                   London                  St.Catharines
    Callander                 Markham                 Stratford
    Cambridge                 Meaford                 Sudbury
    Durham Region             Milton                  Tecumseh
    East Ferris               Niagara Region          Tillsonburg
    Elliot Lake               Norfolk                 Timmins
    Georgina                  Orangeville             Val Rita-Harty
    Goderich                  Owen Sound              Waterloo
    Guelph                    Penetanguishene         Waterloo Region
    Hamilton                  Peterborough            Whitchurch-Stouffville
    Ingersoll                 Richmond Hill           Woodstock
    Kenora                    SarniaThe City of Woodstock has played a leadership role among Ontario
municipalities over the past few years encouraging energy conservation with
its August 14 Blackout Day initiative. This year, Woodstock has been joined by
the Ontario Power Authority, the Independent Electricity System Operator, the
Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Electricity Distributors
Association to create the Count Me In! Community Challenge Day. Ontarians can
visit the website at www.countmeinontario.ca.

For further information: Mayor Michael Harding, City of Woodstock, (519)
539-2382 x 2100, [e-mail]; or Ontario Power Authority, (416)
969-6307