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Two more sleeps until the People’s Climate March

One more sleep till an early morning departure tomorrow to New York, and I have to admit, I’m getting pretty excited.

The last couple of days have been filled with last minute details – over 400 other ‘bus captains’ are probably facing the same influx of emails and inquiries.

I’ll be leaving Ottawa tomorrow at 7am with 54 others ranging in age from 11 to 70 and reasons for attending, but united in finding the time and energy to participate in what is being billed as the largest climate march in history. 

The march is planned before heads of states meet to discuss climate change at a UN Climate Summit called by Ban Ki Moon.

Despite our offer to swing by 24 Sussex and give him a lift, Prime Minister Harper is still declining to attend (surprise, surprise). 

The Council of Canadians is supporting the bus from Ottawa to the march, but is participating in many other ways. In New York, I’ll be joined by Political Director Brent Patterson as well as board members Tracey Mitchel, Abdul Pirani and Steven Shrybman.

15 chapters will be helping to organize, and taking part in simultaneous events across Canada (see below for details).

I look forward to providing updates from the road and the streets of New York, and will do my best to bring forward some of the voices of people I’ll be meeting.

Here are my top three reasons for joining the People’s Climate March:

World leaders are far off course on climate change. This won’t change until masses of people force a change – mass mobilizations, local campaigns, NVDC, in votes and more.

To put the tar sands front and centre when the world turns its attention to the climate crisis. I will be joining the tar sands bloc to hammer home the point that we can have a livable planet or more tar sands. Not both. And this isn’t rhetoric, its scientific fact. 

For my child. For your niece. For your friend. For all of us. Climate change is arguably the biggest crisis humanity has faced. There are solutions. What gives me hope more than anything else is opportunities like this that bring people together, from Indigenous rights organizing, to defending labour, human and migrant rights, to environmentalists and farmers. To deepen our understanding of how our struggles are interconnected, and so is the path forward.

Follow me at:

Twitter: @CouncilofCDNs

Facebok Andrea Harden (Ottawa)

Blog: http://canadians.org/blogs/andrea-harden-donahue


 

Council of Canadians chapter participate in People’s Climate March (see People’s Climate March for all event details)


  •  Campbell River Chapter (BC), joining a rally at Campbell River’s Spirit Square at 1:00pm Sept. 21st


  • Powell River, (BC) will have a chapter represented on Sunday.


  • Edmonton chapter (AB) will be at the Edmonton rally.


  • Saskatoon chapter (SASK) members will be at the Saskatoon march. Some are also attending the Regina march. Chapter and Council of Canadians board member Tracey Mitchell will be at the New York march.


  • Regina chapter (SASK) in combination with the Peoples’s Social Forum are holding a rally on climate change at 12:00 on September 21 in front of the Saskatchewan Legislative Buildings.  Prior to this it is our hope to have Tracey Mitchell skype in from New York.


  • London chapter (ON) Climate Justice London, Leandnow and many others have organized a People’s Climate March on Sunday Sept 21, 1:30 pm at the Forks of the Thames, Riverside Dr. at the Jet d’Eau. The London Chapter of the Council of Canadians, Climate Justice London,  Leadnow, and many others will march the Line 9 Snake around downtown, ending at the Peace Garden where many will join the re-dedication of the Peace Plaque in the London Peace Garden for International Peace Day at 2:45 pm.


  • Peterborough chapter (ON): chapter is supporting a rally, 1:30-2:30, September 21, Millenium Park, Peterborough ON


  • South Niagara chapter (ON) will participate in a screening of Disruption in St. Catherines at the Mahtay Café, 241 St. Paul Street, on Sunday, Sept. 21, at 4:30 p.m.


  • Hamilton chapter (ON) is supporting the local event organized by 350Hamilton, a screening of Disruption and Discussion at 7:00pm Saturday Sept 20, 281 Cannon Street East at Victoria.


  •  York University chapter (ON) will be represented at the New York march.  


  • Guelph chapter (ON) is having  an event on Sept 21 in downtown Guelph: http://act.350.org/event/peoples_climate_attend/9260


  • Brant chapter (ON) have plans to attend the Mississauga rally.


  • Fredericton chapter (NB) will be participating in the climate rally in Fredericton.


  • Inverness County chapter (NS) participating in the Climate March in Mabou on Sunday September 21st. Meet at 1pm on Route 19 in Mabou Nova Scotia, near An Drochaid Museum / Shining Water’s Bakery/ The Marina area.


  • Halifax chapter (NS) will be at the Halifax event where Angela Giles, Atlantic regional organizer, will speak to TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline.


  • South Shore Chapter (NS) is co-organizing a march/rally on Saturday at noon with Fair Vote Lunenburg County and South Shore 350. Disruption The will be screened at the Lunenburg Doc Fest at 2pm.