Gord Downie and Waterkeeper bring "Heart of A Lake" to Whitby, Port Hope, Kingston

(Toronto) Lake Ontario Waterkeeper is pleased to announce that Whitby, Port Hope, and Kingston have been selected to host three unforgettable evenings of music, poetry, and stories of courage from September 18-21.

Heart of a Lake is presented by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and features an extraordinary solo performance by Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip. The traveling show, which blends activism with art, is a unique celebration of Lake Ontario.

“Heart of a Lake was inspired by ordinary people's struggles to win back what they've lost: Clean water. Access to their harbours. The respect of government and industry,” says Downie, who was dubbed a Trustee for Lake Ontario in 2005.

Heart of a Lake honours the contributions of volunteers working to win back waterfronts in the three communities. It will also educate audiences about environmental rights, threats to clean water, and tools for preserving democratic decision-making.

“This is our way of saying thank-you to the people struggling to make their communities better places to live,” says Waterkeeper Mark Mattson. “It's also an opportunity to talk about the connection between clean water and a healthy civil society.”

Tickets for Heart of a Lake go on sale this Friday, September 1. Members of the environmental, university, and business communities will be in attendance.

Waterkeeper's Heart of a Lake Tour Dates:

Whitby: Monday September 18th, 8pm: The Courthouse Theatre, Centennial Building, 416 Centre Street South, Whitby. Tickets $20. Available online at www.maplemusic.com or by phone at 416.861.1237.

Port Hope: Tuesday September 19th, 8pm: The Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street, Port Hope. Tickets $25, fees extra. Available at the theatre box office, online at www.capitoltheatre.com or by phone at 905-885-1071.

Kingston: Thursday, September 21st, 8pm: Sydenham Street United Church, 82 Sydenham Street, Kingston. Tickets $18, fees extra. Available online at www.maplemusic.com and www.grandtheatre-kingston.com, at the Grand Theatre Box office, the John Deutsch University Centre and The Grad Club, and by phone at 613.530.2050.

Lake Ontario Waterkeeper has been working to ensure clean water and access to justice since 2001. In Durham, the group is working to bring back the Oshawa Harbour and neighbouring beaches. In Port Hope, it is helping to address past, present, and future contamination from the nuclear industry. In Kingston, Mattson spearheaded the Belle Park landfill prosecution and helped focus attention on the city's sewage problems. Waterkeeper and Gord Downie are now working with residents to ensure clean air and water in nearby Bath.

More information: www.waterkeeper.ca

-30-

Contact:

Mark Mattson, President & Waterkeeper Office: (416) 861-1237 Cell: (416) 666-8961