Chants and cheers rang out through Bell Park Thursday afternoon as close to 1,000 people gathered at the Fridays for Future climate rally.
Sudbury joined in solidarity with communities across the globe that have been stepping up for climate action, with an estimated 4 million people taking part in what is believed to be the largest climate protest in world history.
Canada is among the leaders in the push to protect the future of the planet, and according to Laurentian biology student Adam Kirkwood who co-hosted Thursday's rally, Canada is the fifth most active country in the world when it comes to climate rallies.
Among the young leaders who spoke at the rally was Sophia Mathur, who started holding her own Fridays for Future climate strikes last year, following in the footsteps of Greta Thunberg.
Mathur was in New York last week to meet Thunberg and took part in the climate strike march.
"A few ignorant politicians have recently criticized Greta Thunberg, and maybe you feel intimidated or criticized for your activism, but remember what Greta said, 'when haters go after you, it means they have nowhere left to go and you know you are winning'," said Mathur, whose comments were met with raucous cheers from the crowd.
"The experts say we are in a climate emergency; people, animals and ecosystems will suffer and are suffering due to climate change. This is not a blockbuster movie where a superhero is going to arrive and save the day. We must be the superheros as a collective and demand governments to take real science-based actions right now."
Joining Mathur on stage at the rally was Dr. Gary Boda, co-chair of the Canadian Association for the Physicians of the Environment (CAPE). Dr. Boda offered up some tips to the youth in attendance on how they could be more climate-friendly in their day-to-day lives.
"The good news is that we can improve our health, while at the same time averting the climate catastrophe; so what can you do to improve your health and improve and help heal the planet?" said Boda.
"Red meat creates a lot of greenhouse gases; one simple task, how about going home and having a conversation with your family and suggesting one meatless meal per week? How many people take a bus to school? Again, have the conversation, are you close enough to walk? Are you close enough to ride a bike when the weather is nice? That exercise is going to make you feel so much better, it's been shown that you'll be so much healthier and you'll be making a big difference on greenhouse gas emissions."
Timing for the Sudbury climate rally coincided nicely with a decision made by the Rainbow District School Board, who recently declared a climate change emergency and committed to transitioning all of their schools to eco-schools within three years.
Sophia Mathur has been a Rainbow Board student for years, moving from RL Beattie Public School to Lo-Ellen Park Secondary. While she wasn't able to attend the meeting where the board declared the climate change emergency, it brought a smile to her face to know that her school is part of the group that will lead the charge in the fight against climate change here in Sudbury.
"It makes me really happy and hopeful and hopefully more schools will be able to join with us in our rallies in the future," said Mathur.
Sophia was joined at the front of the march by RL Beattie student, Arik Kabaroff-Scott, 10, who co-hosted the rally alongside Adam Kirkwood.
"Eco schools are schools that take action with stuff for the environment things like tree planting and composting and recycling and things like that," said Kabaroff-Scott.
Mathur, much like her idol Greta Thunberg, remained steadfast when questioned about naysayers and those who may be critical of the climate change movement.
"I don't really care about the haters, whatever people say they just want to deny it and they don't want change and don't understand how important it is to act on this issue," said Mathur. "All the adults who are here to support us here today I'm very thankful for them, and now we need climate action because this is very serious and we're running out of time."
If Greta Thunberg is Mathur's idol, her mentor is certainly her mother, Cathy Orlando, an outspoken activist and Citizens' Climate Lobby member in Greater Sudbury. Orlando attended the rally on Thursday and was wearing a pair of hats, as both a supporter and a proud mom.
"We both believe in the city of Sudbury and it's been amazing to be part of the climate movement in a city that gets it," said Orlando. "You look at the support here today, it's just tremendous."
While she didn't downplay the impressive growth in the movement that started with Sophia striking with a small group of her peers and has evolved into a rally attended by close to 1,000 people, Orlando says that this is the only way that people will start to take notice.
"It has to get this big and it has to get bigger, this is the only way things will get done, with communities coming together and people uniting around the science," said Orlando, who says she's voting on Sophia's behalf this election and is urging other parents to do the same.
"I think that the kids need to go home and talk to their parents and I know there's a movement in Europe where children are actually casting the votes for their parents and I'd recommend that, let your kids cast your ballot for you, it's their future. I'm going to let Sophia cast my ballot."
