Despite the less than stellar leadership of Canada’s federal government we are seeing a new reinvigorated climate movement taking shape in the country. Major actions are planned for the beginning of the month of July which is part of the grassroots climate movement that is emerging in Canada. Starting with indigenous communities in rural Alberta and culminating in nation wide protest, Canadians are getting serious about their desire for climate action.
On July 4th and 5th Canadians will mobilize to show their commitment to combating climate change. It starts with a national day of action on July 4 and is followed by a March in the financial hub of Canada on July 5.
On July 4th there will be a national action in support of jobs, justice and the climate. It will involve communities across the country that will say no to tar sands pipelines and yes to clean energy. The July 4th action will be the largest protest ever staged against the tar sands pipeline. This national action will involve communities across the country that will say no to tar sands pipelines and yes to clean energy.
The expansion of the tar sands is fundamentally at odds with efforts to minimize the impacts of climate change. A number of major actions are being planned from coast to coast many of which are along the routes of the Energy East, Kinder Morgan, Line 9, and Northern Gateway pipelines. This coalition of labor, community and environmental is an escalation of an already robust movement opposing the tar sands and in support of Canada’s water, land, climate and people.
To see a list of planned actions click here.
As described by 350.org this historic action has three key components:
1. Youth and students will confront political leaders including MPs and party leaders who have sided with the fossil fuel industry rather than those who support climate action.
2. Nationwide community resistance premised on the victory in Cacouna, Quebec that stopped a key TransCanada export facility and delayed Energy East for two years.
3. The solidarity march through Toronto’s financial district on July 5, will include workers, First Nations, and others who will come together to in what is being described as a march for Jobs, Justice and the Climate. This march takes place on the eve of the Pan-American Climate Summit. The July 5th March will have thousands of marchers who will take to the streets. This march is destined to be the most diverse climate march in Canadian history. Hundreds of groups comprised of thousands of people will be in the streets of Toronto’s financial district calling for action from political leaderships.
For more information about the march click here.
Noami Klein is among those who will be present for the march. As Klein explained, “Now is the time to send a clear message to our political leaders that we reject the false choices pitting the economy against the planet.”
Bill McKibben who will also be present at the July 5th march recently said, “It saddens me to see that for the last few years, Canada has been a huge obstacle in the global battle against climate change — it’s the country tearing up treaties and rejecting targets. This has been a shock for those of us living on the rest of the planet. We had gotten used to admiring Canada as a global leader dedicated to solving the planet’s problems.”
The growing climate movement in Canada is critical as we head into a federal election and crucial climate negotiations in Paris at the end of the year. This forthcoming events early in July send a powerful message to Canada’s political leaders, “If politicians refuse to lead us. We will lead them.”
