THUNDER BAY – Seniors for Climate Action Now (SCAN) took over National Seniors Day on Tuesday at Friendship Gardens. Roughly 50 people, mostly seniors, came out to draw attention to the issue of climate change.
Local organizer Walter Epp symbolically handed over a sustainable planet to students from the Westgate CVI environmental team.
“We're down 3-0 in the third period, but we're Canadians and we're going to find a way to win,” he said.
Epp is a co-organizer of the SCAN event in Thunder Bay. He said SCAN is a very strong national organization run by seniors.
“There is a very strong organization backing us up with committed, talented people that have walked us through the organizational process and have given us advice about how to organize . . . in support of the youth movement for sustainability.”
Epp said it was great to see the turnout on Tuesday, including the students.
Aleksia Dromisky-Perron, Grade 12 student from Westgate CVI, is a member of the school’s environmental team. “It feels like a big task. But being here today and seeing all the seniors who care so much about creating an earth that we are fit to inherit, comforts us," she said. “It brings us so much comfort to know that there are people who are wanting to handle the planet in a sustainable state."
Dromisky-Perron said, we came here to talk to everybody and let them know that in schools, there are groups of people who are actively working towards learning more about the environment and healing it, encouraging people to try and involve them.
“Encourage their kids, grandkids or great-grandkids to also engage with the earth and to learn about the processes and the effects we have on earth,” she said.
She encouraged students interested in environmental teams to talk with science teachers. "That's what we did. What I found is most science teachers, especially physics teachers, are extremely passionate about our earth and passing on knowledge to younger generations.”
MPP Lise Vaugeois spoke at the rally. She said she was pleased with the turnout as well as the message.
“We had a lot of seniors come out, but we also had students come out.
“Really, the goal was to show students that we are here, that we are prepared to be active and speak up and we're also there to support them. That they also have voices and they have the right and the skill to speak up and act on behalf of their generation.”
Vaugeois said we're witnessing extreme weather and climate change.
“I'm a member of a provincial parliament and frankly, there's a lot of climate change denial."
What is done politically is very important, Vaugeois said.
“People need to get out and vote.
“They need to think hard about who they're going to send to act on their behalf in governments and they need to be sending people who are committed to addressing climate change,” she said.
The local rally was one of more than 70 events held on Tuesday across Canada to raise awareness about the climate emergency.
