Communities across Canada demand Justin Trudeau end fossil fuel expansion and pass a sweeping just transition
Toronto, ON – On July 29th, more than 40 rallies are planned across Canada to draw attention to extreme climate change impacts and to call for increased climate ambition from Justin Trudeau and the federal government.
“Right now, most of Canada is either on fire, covered in smoke, flooding or dealing with the impacts of extreme heat, with rural and Indigenous communities being hardest hit,” Amara Possian, Canada Campaigns Director with 350.org explained. “This is what a climate emergency looks like and it’s time for our government to act like it.”
The Canada On Fire Day of Action connects the dots between extreme heat, wildfires and flooding, delivering symbols of climate impacts to the offices of Members of Parliament from coast to coast. Organizers in the Okanagan region, surrounded by wildfires, will rally in Penticton and Kamloops. On the west coast, rallies are planned at MP offices across the lower mainland, including outside of Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson’s office and Burnaby North Seymour MP Terry Beech’s office. Organizers in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec expect to gather under smoky skies that have hung over most cities since mid-July.
“Justin Trudeau needs to stop fossil fuel expansion and pass a Just Transition Act that works for people, not fossil fuel billionaires,” said Carter Gorzitza, a volunteer organizer in Edmonton. “We can’t afford to keep ignoring the biggest gap in Canada’s climate plan – tackling soaring oil and gas emissions.”
At the action, Members of Parliament are being asked to sign a pledge committing them to place a moratorium on fossil fuel expansion and support a just transition for workers and communities. This comes as many politicians, pundits and members of the public expect a federal election to be called in the coming weeks.
“Climate change needs to be at the top of the agenda this election. It’s been two years since Justin Trudeau promised a Just Transition Act and even longer since his government declared a climate emergency in Canada,” Possian added. “We can’t afford to keep waiting for real action.”
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Contact: Cam Fenton, [email protected], 604-369-2155