Sudbury's Fridays for Future youth were joined by dozens of Sudburians, including local politicians from all levels of government on Nov. 29 in the courtyard outside of Tom Davies Square.
The group of youth — numbering upwards of 50 people — were celebrating their successes over the past year, led by Sophia Mathur, who recently marked the one year anniversary of her first climate strike.
Sudbury's Fridays for Future group is supported by more than 100 scientists at Laurentian University, the Sudbury and District Labour Council and the local chapter of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.
Nov. 29 also marked the fourth global Fridays for Future strike and the sixth national strike for Canada.
Sudbury MPP Jamie West addressed the crowd outside of Tom Davies Square on Friday, taking the opportunity to praise Mathur's efforts over the past year and how she has helped start a movement in the city.
"Two weeks ago was the one-year anniversary of the first time (Sophia) went on strike and to those of you who remember, it was more or less her alone in the snow," said West.
"Look at the gathering we have here today, look at the number of people who believe in this and listen to it, and I want to congratulate Sophia and her friends for the work she's done, the leadership she's showing, leadership that should've come from the province and federally that she brought to our city."
West presented Mathur with a certificate of recognition for her year of activism and community organizing.
The message from both the youth who spoke and the politicians was clear on Friday, the movement has to keep pushing and continue to hold governments accountable for taking an active role in stemming the tide of the climate crisis.
Cambrian College student Jared Franket is a regular attendee of Fridays for Future climate rallies in Greater Sudbury, and spoke passionately about Sudbury's role in making positive change to protect the climate.
"Acid rain fell, it blackened our earth while it bleached our trees and blighted our lakes, but through the will of our people and the actions of our leaders, we brought back the trees, we brought back the lakes and though the black rocks remain, we brought back life," said Franket.
"I was given a future because past Sudburians did what was once thought unattainable. Now, we're faced with a new problem, a climate crisis, and Sudburians must again do the impossible. I know that together we can make it happen because Sudburians don't make half promises, we didn't re-green half the city, we didn't fix some of the lakes and if we can turn black slag into grass, we can become carbon neutral by 2050."
One of the city's current leaders, Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre echoed Franket's sentiments, speaking of the importance of not only Sudburians working together, but all levels of government from all parties.
"I really hope that one day this will be a non-partisan topic, it's how we work together in order to reach those solutions," said Lefebvre.
"I believe with what we're seeing today and the support and pressure that we're putting on politicians, we are going to get there, we're going to get there because of what we're hearing today and it makes no sense to argue whether climate change is real or not — it's not the if, it's the how and that's why whenever I can be here and talk to environmentalists and people who have solutions on this topic I'm all ears."
Mathur is one of seven young people who are suing the Ontario government for weakening its climate targets. Their case argues that Ontario’s 2030 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels is inadequate, unconstitutional, and must be struck down.
"Sophia was at Queen's Park this week to bring the Ford government to court; some of the action of this government, I can only say that I'm ashamed, but I was super proud to see that someone from Sudbury who was part of this group," said Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas.
"Any step in this direction will bring us toward the finish line and that finish line is a healthy planet for us, for the children behind us and their great grandchildren after them."
