Environmental advocates in Thunder Bay, Ont., share climate change concerns this election
'Look to the people who are doing the work,' says Canada Research Chair at Lakehead University
While national data shows climate change is not top of mind for voters this election, environmental advocates in Thunder Bay, Ont., say they'd like to see it bumped up the priority list.
In the 2021 Vote Compass survey, 24 per cent of people named the environment as their most important issue. This year, the environment was eighth on the list, at about five per cent, with relations between Canada and the U.S. topping the list of concerns amid the ongoing trade war.
CBC's Superior Morning hosted a climate change panel to hear from those interested in making climate change more of an election issue.
"It is something that we need to be putting a lot more energy into and a lot more actual practical work into," said Charles Levkoe, Canada Research Chair in Equitable and Sustainable Food Systems at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont.
"Considering climate change is not just a bit of an existential crisis for humanity, but it's going to have real material implications for everyone from Indigenous people to farmers to workers all across the country."
Plans and priorities at the local level
At the local level, the City of Thunder Bay declared a climate emergency in 2020. The following year, council approved the city's net-zero strategy, which outlines a plan for how to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
It is something that we need to be putting a lot more energy into and a lot more actual practical work into.- Charles Levkoe, Canada Rresearch Chair in Equitable and Sustainable Food Systems, Lakehead University
"We're really hearing a lot about ensuring that we're looking at our infrastructure for the city, adapting to climate change, following up on our municipal climate adaptation strategy," said Keira Essex, chair of the city's EarthCare Advisory Committee.
In a city known for its outdoor trails and the natural beauty of Lake Superior, Essex said environmental issues may be more apparent for residents in Thunder Bay than elsewhere.
While many people view climate change as a monumental challenge outside of the scope of small communities, she said, "we can make such a difference on a local level."
"We have a lot of Indigenous nations and relatives in our communities whose lands are at risk because of climate change, and we all have a role in protecting those lands," Essex said.
As far as specific issues go, Graham Saunders, president of Environment North, has long been expressing concerns about the proposed deep geological repository for Canada's nuclear waste.
The area around Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation in northwestern Ontario has been identified as the preferred location for the project by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO).
Saunders said he would rather see investments in technology like solar panels than in the nuclear industry.
Saunders said the importance of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 isn't up for debate. Instead, the candidates are focused on championing different ways of getting there.
"We could, especially in Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario, effectively do our part to get to net carbon by 2050," he said.
Connecting the dots between issues
For Levkoe, whose research focuses on food systems, he'd like to see a greater focus on the intersections between food and climate.
While the federal government introduced the Food Policy for Canada in 2019, Levkoe said it's become "a bit dormant."
"Some of the issues that I've been thinking about are around finding ways for the national government, the new government, to connect a lot of issues like biodiversity, emissions reductions, Indigenous rights, food securities through a climate plan that really centres food," he said.
Essex, 22, said she hopes the next federal government recognizes the urgency of addressing these interconnected issues.
"I'm graduating this semester, I'm getting married next year. I'm hoping to have kids in a few years," she said. "I think for a lot of young people, young people in general, young people looking to start families, there's so much fear about what their future looks like and uncertainty about how they're going to make those decisions."
She also said it's important to recognize how different groups are distinctly impacted by climate issues.
"How are our systems built to address these problems? Who [do] those systems privilege?" she asked. "Really identifying how we can get better representation and involvement from people that will be more affected and that have a variety of backgrounds."
While all three panelists said they haven't heard much from the federal candidates that has inspired them on the climate change front, they each spoke of the importance of community-driven solutions.
"I think we really need to look to the people who are doing the work, who have the ideas … about how to move forward," said Levkoe.
"It's not going to, unfortunately, I think come from the politicians. It's going to come from the people."
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