Youth bring global climate strike to City Hall (3 photos)

Three people showed up at the steps of the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre as part of a youth climate strike Friday in a show of solidarity with similar demonstrations taking place around the world Sept. 25. 

Organizer Temeara Barrett says that the ‘shoe protest’ - held with pairs of shoes lining the steps of City Hall in lieu of actual protesters - is intended to send a message to The City of Sault Ste. Marie about its Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan. 

“It’s serving as a reminder to the municipal government, and provincial and federal governments, that we are watching and we will be holding them accountable for their promises for emission reduction,” Barrett told SooToday. 

A community emissions inventory completed by the municipality earlier this year suggests that natural gas-fueled industrial facilities account for 69 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions locally. 

“We just want to remind that even us, as youth, we’re watching to make sure that they have an action plan, and that they will follow through with that,” Barrett said. 

The City of Sault Ste. Marie signed a resolution in 2019 to join Partners for Climate Protection (PCP), a program aimed at guiding municipalities towards the development of a climate action plan.

According to the City’s website, the draft form of the Sault’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan was completed in September, and is being reviewed internally by the municipality.