VICTORIA — This weekend hundreds of youth will gather in Victoria, Coast Salish Territories to build the movement and momentum towards solving the climate crisis. Powershift BC will bring together youth from B.C., Alberta, the Yukon and beyond for three days of workshops, training sessions, skill sharing and strategizing to kick off the next phase of campaigns on tar sands, fracking, pipelines, divestment and more in B.C.
“PowerShift is about bringing youth to stand together to organize for and build the future we need,” said Cameron Fenton, Director of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition (CYCC). “It’s about shifting power back where it belongs, in the hands of the generation who will pay the price for climate change, and about stopping B.C. from becoming a gateway to climate disaster.”
“While the B.C. government is not taking a firm enough position to protect the land and communities from extreme energy projects, it is inspiring to see so many young people come together to learn how they will do it themselves,” says Council of Canadians Energy Campaigner, Maryam Adrangi.
PowerShift is happening while the Canadian government gears up for a “pipeline push” in B.C., at the same time as Kinder Morgan is expected to file the application for its Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, and as the National Energy Board is expected to announce its decision on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project. This comes shortly after the B.C. premier announced a plan to increase fossil fuel exports through liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other development in the province.
“The fossil fuel industry, whether it be oil, coal or gas, has been charging in the exact opposite direction from a liveable climate for some time now,” said Eoin Madden, Climate Campaigner at the Wilderness Committee. “Youth in Canada are switched on, engaged and mobilizing because of that disrespect. They want the power over their future back.”
PowerShift BC is meant to be a catalyst for the youth climate movement in B.C. The weekend will include issue-based workshops, skills-based organizing training, strategy sessions and more opportunities for youth to share their stories and develop plans to take back to their communities, campuses and high schools. There will be live performances from high-profile musicians and presentations by seasoned climate justice advocates, including keynotes from Maude Barlow and David Suzuki.
PowerShift is a project of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, and PowerShift BC is organized in partnership with the Wilderness Committee, Sierra Club BC, Leadnow, Forest Ethics Advocacy, Sustainable SFU, the University of Victoria Student Society, Council of Canadians, and others.
For additional details, schedule and specific workshop/panel locations, visit http://www.wearepowershift.ca/
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