A sign stands near the gazebo at the marina in Comox, while in front is a field of red flags.
The message states that 570 lives were lost due to climate change in late June and early July, specifically from conditions like the extreme heat wave.
This was part of the message from members of the Comox Youth Climate Council (CYCC), which organized the event early Saturday afternoon. They gathered at the park before marching with placards up to Comox Avenue, the site of a public market during the day.
“This is basically a lead-up for the International Climate Strike on Sept. 24,” says CYCC member William Hatch. “We hope to have many more people out then.”
Two years ago, countless young people, and some older ones, marched through Courtenay, along with many other cities to draw attention to the need to take action on climate change issues. The plan is now to hold another climate strike among students.
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The public events are just part of the mandate for the CYCC, which has also been working with local governments in recent months to bring in Green New Deal principles at the local level and have communities find ways to reduce their carbon footprint.
The CYCC started last October, Hatch says, when four members started meeting, a few times a week of late, at the marina in Comox to talk about doing more to bring attention to environmental issues. He estimates the group has now grown include about 50 volunteer members between the ages of 13 and 25.
There is more information online at https://comoxyouthclimatec.wixsite.com/cycc, or by checking out their social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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