April 28, 2004

Students 'change the global mindset' at Peel board's
Environmental Conference and Fair presented by Canon

More than 250 secondary school students will participate in the Peel District School Board's Changing the Global Mindset - Environmental Conference and Fair on April 30. The event - presented by Canon Canada Inc. - is an opportunity for students to gain valuable information about the environment. The conference and fair will feature presentations by Geoff Green, director of Students on Ice Expeditions, and Gillian Daly, a Canon National Parks Science Scholar.

"The Environmental Conference and Fair is a tremendous learning opportunity for students," says Janet McDougald, chair of the board and MC for the event. "This past December, the board held an environmental conference for teachers, which highlighted the importance of action for environmental change. Recently, leadership workshops were organized for students, teaching them to inform their peers about the importance of taking care of the environment. This event is an excellent way to continue our focus on the environment and motivate students to take action."

In addition to the main presentations, the students will participate in an interactive workshop led by The Otesha Project, a grassroots organization that highlights alternatives to our consumer society and the ways to make a positive impact. To improve the environment in their school, community or world, 15 teams have selected an environmental ambassador to present their action plan at the event. The teams were also encouraged to create a display to showcase their work. The event will feature 15 displays.

Schools were encouraged to register a team of 10 students for the event. School teams with the most effective action plan will have the opportunity to win the Canon Cup and a digital camera, scanner and Bubble Jet® printer for their school. Stan Skorayko, Vice President of Corporate Communications, Canon Canada Inc., will present the Canon Cup to the winning team.

"We are extremely proud to support the Peel District School Board's Environmental Conference and Fair as it clearly supports our corporate philosophy of kyosei – living and working together for the common good, in action," says Skorayko. "We believe events like this one are important because they motivate students to get involved and make informed decisions, which will ultimately affect the health of the planet for generations to come."

The school presentations and displays will be judged by a team of Peel board resource teachers and trustees. The students had the opportunity to review the Canon Cup judging criteria before developing their plans and displays.

The Environmental Conference and Fair will be held at the HJA Brown Education Centre, 5650 Hurontario St., Mississauga from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Presentations by Geoff Green and Gillian Daly will begin at 9:15 a.m. The awards presentation will begin at 3:30 p.m.

Peel District School Board serves 135,000 students in kindergarten to the end of secondary school. Operating 207 schools in the municipalities of Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga with an annual budget of $912 million, the Peel board is the largest employer in Peel. For more information, visit the board's website at www.peelschools.org.

About Canon Canada Inc.
Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canon Canada Inc. employs 1,600 people at its offices nation-wide, servicing the Canadian market from coast to coast. Innovation and cutting-edge technology have been essential ingredients in Canon's success. Canon's leadership in imaging, optical and document management technology and solutions is based in large part on the thousands of patents the company has secured throughout its history. Currently, Canon Inc. is among the top three patent recipients in the United States over the past 12 years. Canon supports programs that help preserve and protect the environment and instituted the Clean Earth Campaign in 1990, which assists various environmental and recycling initiatives. The campaign has also supported leading environmental organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy of Canada, the World Wildlife Fund of Canada and the Canon Envirothon.

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Media contact: Janet McDougald, Chair, Peel District School Board, 905-890-1010, ext. 2020
Wayne Doyle, Manager, Media and Public Relations, Canon Canada Inc.
905-565-4598

Reference: Caroline Cloutier, Special Projects Manager, 905-890-1010, ext. 2098

Note to media: Background information is available on the Peel board website at
www.peelschools.org, Look for the "Student Leadership for Global Development" icon.