October 1 marked National Seniors Day. Although it is not a well-known holiday, approximately ten million Canadians are over the age of sixty—that is over one quarter the total population of the country. With the climate crisis becoming one of the world’s most pressing issues, seniors across the nation utilized National Seniors Day as an opportunity for climate action. With events planned from coast to coast, there were a multitude of opportunities for older Canadians to get involved in the climate action movement.
Seniors for Climate is a non-profit, community-driven project aimed at networking and increasing awareness of environmental impacts on climate change across Canada. The project was initiated in mid-May with a webinar launch that drew in over 500 registrants and 350 participants. Since the launch of their campaign, Seniors for Climate has spread the word for October 1 across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X (Twitter). The organization has also created a website with an interactive map that shows all locations and cities that took action, as well as specific details about the organized events.
In New Brunswick, there were five Seniors for Climate events, in Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John, St. Andrews, and even right here at Bill Johnstone Memorial Park in Sackville. The event in Sackville included a picnic and discussion about green burial options to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In Fredericton, there was a presentation on health risks of climate change, a case study in heat pumps, and a protest at the New Brunswick Legislature regarding carbon dioxide emissions and heat pump accessibility.
There were also four events that took place in Nova Scotia, two in PEI, and one in Newfoundland. Quebec was the only province that did not partake in any Seniors for Climate events. Despite their remoteless in relation to the rest of Canada, there were gatherings organized in Yellowknife and Whitehorse. Ontario hosted the most events at 34 across the province, with British Columbia second, hosting 16.
One particularly unique event took place in Vancouver. The “Climate Crawl” was centered around the intersections of visual arts, activism, and climate change. A number of short films were shown, as well as an art show, along with the opportunity to get involved with a letter-writing campaign to provincial politicians.
Although Seniors for Climate was only founded a few months ago, the project has made tremendous strides with 76 total gatherings on October 1. Seniors for Climate is an excellent example of the collective power of seniors to combat a global issue within their home communities. With the mindset of action now because “later is too late,” Canadian seniors want to pave the way for future generations to be well-informed and active in reducing climate change and raising awareness.
