We need to change the direction that Canada is headed, but right now, Prime Minister Trudeau does not have a plan in line with the basic scientific, moral and economic need to stop the expansion of the tar sands. Together, we can change this.
Two weeks after the election, and just a few weeks before the Paris climate talks kick off, we’re going to show up at the Prime Minister’s residence in Ottawa to welcome Prime Minister Trudeau to work. Want to know more? Click here to find out.
For four days, we’ll march on the Prime Minister Trudeau’s residence, sit-in and deliver welcome gifts. The gifts will come from all across Canada and come in many forms, from reports detailing how Canada can get off of fossil fuels, to thousands of messages describing why a clean energy future is in all of our best interest. Here’s the central message and plan for each day:
November 5th – Making the case for freezing tar sands expansion is clear
Gifts: scientific reports, broken treaties with First Nations and other evidence that confirms tar sands expansion must freeze.
November 6th – Showing the Magnitude of People Power
Gifts: millions of signatures from petitions to stop tar sands and pipelines from the past 10 years, with students and youth leading the day.
November 7th – Demonstrating that we are part of a growing cross-country movement
Gifts: crowd-sourced water samples from bodies of water put at risk by existing and proposed tar sands pipelines across the country — click here to learn more about this gift.
November 8th – Solutions/The Way Forwards
Gifts: A set of solar panels for the Prime Minister to install on 24 Sussex (especially in light of the recently announced renovations), and a framed poster from the launch of the Leap Manifesto, along with a copy of the manifesto which outlines a plan for a Canada based on caring for the planet and each other.
It will all come together to create a kind of “climate welcoming committee.” We’ll take bold action to demand the government freeze tar sands expansion and come up with a plan to build a just, clean energy economy in Canada. We’ll be risking arrest with our trespass to demonstrate that we don’t have time to wait any longer for politicians to take action, that here and now is our moment of truth on climate.
We will do it in a dignified fashion, because our demands are not radical, but rather show freezing tar sands expansion is a smart, reasonable first step to getting Canada back on track on climate, on respecting Indigenous and treaty rights and on creating the space for a vibrant and just clean energy economy. That means we want to show up like we’re showing up to an interview for a green job or a meeting – because this is serious business.
For the past ten years, this country has become an international pariah on climate change, but it’s time for people in Canada to stop apologizing for our government and take bold action.