Scores of concerned citizens crowded Ottawa City Hall on Sept. 21 to take part in a climate march organized by Fridays For Future, which tabbed six organizations as the biggest “climate culprits” of 2024.
Nearly 600 protesters marched around the city, repeating chants including “I say climate, you say action” and “Put our people over profit.”
The march was a call to arms for anyone concerned about the state of the planet.
According to Fridays For Future, the list of culprits included the City of Ottawa, the Royal Bank of Canada, the Canadian Gas Association, Premier Doug Ford’s Ontario government, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and Export Development Canada.
Kieran Wilkins, a postgraduate student who became involved with Fridays For Future after graduating from the University of Ottawa, said it’s important to engage with politics concerning the climate crisis.
“I don’t necessarily think that the responsibility should be all on the individual,” Wilkins said. “A lot of the time, we are fighting against a way bigger issue that we have no control over.”
Wilkins added that change can happen when society voices their concerns and stands together as a group.
“If you use a plastic bag [occasionally], that’s okay. Try to focus on the big picture,” Wilkins said, emphasizing the need to shift away from establishing individual blame in a society that is not sustainable.
“Is [Ottawa] working to ensure children like me will have a livable future?We had to be kept inside at school because of the smoke. Some of my friends who have asthma had a really hard time breathing,” Ruby said about the air quality in Ottawa following the Quebec wildfires in June.
Ruby said she was initially hesitant to speak at the protest, but decided to participate out of concern for her future.
“I was very scared, but I just thought about the cause and how much it meant to me, and I was like, ‘I can do this.’”
On top of a large youth turnout, preceding generations were also among the crowd. Paul Henry, 78, who is a Carleton alumnus, said he thought it was important to find people with similar interests in social activism.
“It’s nice to see young people here because it is an issue that affects the young and I’m a grandparent — I’m thinking about when my grandchildren are going to be my age,” Henry said. “What sort of planet will we be living on? That’s why I’m here.”
Indigenous rights discussions were also widespread on each stop during the march. A ceremonial Indigenous drum echoed periodically throughout the protest.
Portenier said the Canadian Gas Association is currently pushing through on an 800-kilometre pipeline without proper land agreements or environmental assessment.
“[They are] bulldozing Indigenous protests and legal challenges in their rush for profit, shame,” Portenier told the crowd.
Portenier said she attended the protest because she is tired of corporations’ excuses.
“Enough of being lied to, enough of the empty promises, and enough of corporations putting their profits above our livable future,” she said.
Gillian Graham, a Last Generation Canada representative and a uOttawa political science graduate, spoke to the crowd about demanding real action.
Graham made headlines in February after burning a stroller on Parliament Hill to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change on youth.
She called on Canadians to raise their voices for change, adding she’s had enough of the “half-baked” climate change solutions, and wanted to see more drastic change.
“We need to take genuine steps towards a livable future,” Graham said. “We need the government to stand here with us […] and we need to get rid of the corporations that are destroying our future.”
Featured Image by Syd Robbescheuten/The Charlatan.
