Green Neighbour
  • Home
  • Activism
  • Green Living
    • Going Solar
    • Challenge
  • YouTube
  • Podcast
  • Social Media
  • Climate Dashboard

Canada is Still on Fire: Newmarket Day of Action

8/19/2021

 
Picture
The Newmarket Day of Action is part of the national 350.org Day of Action on September 8th, 2021, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. (NOTE: This is the day of the French Federal Leaders’ debate, and the day before the English Federal Leaders’ debate.) 
Picture
Picture
A Vanishing Point Demonstration

The vision for this climate action is to have regional activists, local residents, and students from the immediate area demonstrating - with climate signs in hand - from the sidewalks along Yonge Street... from one city limit to the other.
If all goes as planned, this could be the longest demonstration in Canada on the September 8th Day of Action. 
Picture
The demonstration route would span 5.3 km from the northern town limit to the southern town limit. The route is divided into ten sections, with five sections on each side of Yonge Street.
Picture
Newmarket northern town limit, at Yonge Street and Aspenwood Drive.

Picture
Newmarket southern town limit on Yonge Street, just north of St. John's Sideroad. (We ask that participants demonstrate only from the sidewalks, and avoid demonstrating from the shoulder of the road.)


While it would be wonderful to have thousands of demonstrators out, we can realistically hope for perhaps a few hundred people. Ergo, we won't likely have demonstrators standing shoulder to shoulder, so to speak. Rather, we hope to have demonstrators standing just close enough so that each demonstrator would be in plain view of the demonstrators on each side of them.

The route is just over 5 km long. Thus, if we have 25 demonstrators, then we would have a demonstrator  positioned on the sidewalk along Yonge Street approximately every 200 metres. 50 demonstrators would give us a demonstrator every 100 metres, and 100 demonstrators would give us a demonstrator on each side of the street, every 100 metres, and so on. Of course, if we stagger our placements along each side of the road, then 100 demonstrators could provide a demonstrator every 50 metres.


If you would like to participate in this climate action, feel free to sign up using the Newmarket Day of Action Sign-up form.
To be clear, you do not need to sign up in order to participate: all are welcome, including last-minute walk-ons. Registering will just help us know where participants will be situated on Yonge.
SIGN UP
Where to go?
You are welcome to just take your position at your designated spot on Yonge Street as of 12:00 PM.

However, if you would like to touch base with the organizers and other participants before the demonstration, we will be available at the Quaker Meeting House property before the event (around 11:00 AM) and after the event (just after 2:00 PM).

The Quaker Meeting House is located at a lovely but inconspicuous spot right in the centre of town. The address is 17030 Yonge Street. There is parking available here for anyone who might be driving from out of town.
Concluding the Demonstration

For those who are demonstrating within walking distance of these grounds, we will form a climate march after the demonstration as we walk back to the Quaker Meeting Hall at 2:00 PM. We will then meet there to share some thoughts on how the action went, and to discuss next steps for future climate action. 

Got questions? We've got answers!
Email the organizers with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. 
Email

Getting Ready to Demonstrate for Climate

Step 1: Make your sign


The first step in any demonstration is making your sign. It's always a good idea to use something that you might have around the house already, like an old cardboard box. Otherwise, dollar stores sell foam core material that is light, yet sturdy enough to hold their shape in the wind. If you take good care of your sign, it should be able to last for years and be used in dozens of demonstrations. ​​
Picture
You can choose to attach your sign to a handle, or not.
Greta Thunberg's iconic demonstration sign has been used in hundreds of demonstrations throughout dozens of countries. It even traveled with her across the Atlantic ocean!
Where will your sign go? 
Step 2: Tell your friends!

It's always a little safer - and a lot more fun - to demonstrate with friends. So go ahead and spread the word, and see if you can get a group of friends to join you for this climate demonstration. You can even share or post the Newmarket Day of Action e-flyer and poster. (See the promotional file attached below.)


Steps 3: Share details of the upcoming action on social media.

Social media is a powerful way to inform other interested individuals about climate actions. The more people who get involved in a climate action, the louder and clearer the message becomes. Sadly, if only a few people show up to an action, then we essentially communicate the opposite message from the one we intended. Effectively, we say, well... it looks like nobody really cares about the climate, or the future of life on Earth... so just keep doing whatever you've been doing. However, if hundreds or thousands of demonstrators raise the alarm, then that helps to inform others about the seriousness of climate change, and it helps to pressure government to take meaningful action on climate. 


Step 4: Learn about climate change.

Climate change is real. It's here. It's bad, and it's only going to get worse... but we can still make an incredible difference to the future of this planet, and all the things that live on it, if we take immediate and bold action. There's a lot at stake, and your effectiveness as a climate activist is greatly amplified if you learn about what's happening to the Earth's climate, why it's happening, and what can be done about it.

350.org has a plethora of climate resources to help people learn about climate change, so that individuals can not only come to understand the seriousness of the situation, but also help to convey the urgency of the climate crisis to others. There are of course countless sources of information, but another resource that makes climate change easier to understand is Dr. Katharine Hayhoe's Global Weirding video series. 



Steps 5: Capture and share the action on social media.

On the day of the strike, be sure to capture images and video of the strike, and use these images and video as you share your thoughts about the importance of climate action with your followers. Be sure to tag politicians, as well as anyone who hopes to become an elected official - in any political party and at any level of government - within your social media posts. 

​
Promotional Material

Below you will find two downloadable PDF files. If you live in the northern part of the GTA, and you’re looking for a quick way to take action on #ClimateChange, you could make a huge impact by just sharing, printing, and posting these promotional materials.

Poster / e-flyer: This is a full-colour,  11" x 17" document that can serve as both an e-flyer and a printed poster. The hyperlinks on the PDF flyer are live and clickable, and the QR code works in both digital and printed formats. 

Our hope is that this document will serve both as an e-flyer that can be shared by email, and as a poster that can be printed and displayed in public spaces.

Door / Windshield Flyer: This is a full-colour, 8.5" x 11" document that contains three smaller flyers that are perfect for placing into the doors of apartments or homes, or under the windshield wipers of cars. 

Please feel free to download and use these document to spread the word about this important climate action. 

Press Release: The press release below can be distributed to any reporters or media outlets.

Current Media Coverage: 
  • Climate change demonstration planned in Newmarket Sep. 8, spanning a stretch of 5.3 km


newmarket_day_of_action_e-flyer_and_poster.pdf
File Size: 1062 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

newmarket_day_of_action_door_and_windshield_flyers.pdf
File Size: 1381 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

newmarket_day_of_action_press_release_august_30_2021.pdf
File Size: 54 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Newmarket Day of Action in the Media

​The Newmarket Day of Action is wrapped. It was quite successful: the weather was great, we had a fine turnout of residents, students, activists, and event a few politicians. Thanks so much to everyone who came out to support this tremendously important action. 

​Here are a number of news stories covering the Newmarket Day of Action:
  • Climate change demonstration planned in Newmarket Sep. 8, spanning a stretch of 5.3 km
  • Demonstrators to line Yonge in Newmarket for Day of Action on climate change
  • 100 residents rally for climate action along Yonge Street in Newmarket
  • Gallery: Newmarket's Day of Action: Residents take a stand against climate change (13 photos)
 
Finally, here's a fun little video capturing some of the action from the day.


Comments are closed.

    Green Neighbour

    When it comes to the environment, we are all neighbours.

    Archives

    November 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    August 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2017
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All
    Activism
    Carbon Tax
    Climate Change
    Climate Denial
    Electric Vehicles
    Plastic
    Politics
    Pollution
    Tesla
    Vegan Lifestyle

    RSS Feed

When it comes to the environment, we are all neighbours.
  • Home
  • Activism
  • Green Living
    • Going Solar
    • Challenge
  • YouTube
  • Podcast
  • Social Media
  • Climate Dashboard