Power Shift Canada Blog

By Cameron Fenton

I’ve always had a fondness for trains, I think it has something to do with my Grandfather. He used to be a conductor on the old CN line, driving freight and people on steel rails across this country. There is photo of him that hangs in my grandmother’s den – he is decked out in the full conductors garb of old, leaning out of the window of an old engine that I always remember when I step onto a train.

Earlier this week I left the banks of the St. Lawrence with thousands of kilometers ahead of me, the better part of a nation to cross. I fell asleep last night with the sun setting on the Canadian shield somewhere just north of Lake Superior, a lone moose raising its head to watch the train snake along past the birch forest. I am constantly in awe of the sheer beauty of this landscape, having crossed it at least twice before, once as roadie for friends more musically gifted than I and once under the auspice of the dreaded family vacation.

Two days into this trip I pulled out of Winnipeg. Rolling across South-Western Manitoba, I realized that something was wrong. Looking out my window I saw a vast river, out of which sprouted barns, grain silos and the tops of poplar trees. The course of the river was crossed by short fences, the type used to stake the boundaries of a cattle paddock.

This river was not supposed to be there. Read the rest of this entry »

By Gabrielle Arkett

“Oh, your generation will fix  all the problems of the world today. Youth are the future.”  I hear this a lot from parents, political leaders, policy makers, heads of charitable organizations

However, I have to wonder if anyone, especially politicians, really believes this. Does anyone really think that youth have the power to fix the world’s problems? Judging by the focus of many political campaigns in the last election, well no. Most election propaganda was aimed at boomers and at seniors, not at the youth of this country. And with only a 37% youth voter turnout in the 2008 election, why should youth issues have been a priority for politicians? This might reflect the fact that many youth don’t view traditional voting as an effective way to create change, or it might indicate some severe and systemic apathy, which is hugely problematic.

When a population is apathetic about an issue, it means that their elected leaders will be apathetic about it as well, as politicians are nothing but representatives of the people- or are supposed to be. Political apathy about an issue then leads to public apathy, as people get frustrated when their leaders do nothing to fix the problem. It’s a vicious cycle, and it needs to be stopped. Read the rest of this entry »

Imagine hundreds of youth from the Pacific to the Atlantic and up to the Arctic Circle trained, prepped and ready to take action for their future and our climate. Pretty great huh?

Well, we imagined it earlier this year, and this summer we are making it a reality. Throughout July and August the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition will be holding Power Summer camps in communities across Canada. At each camp we will provide training in all the skills you need to become the change that our generation needs to see in the world. From creative non-violent action training, to popular education tools and training (we’ll even teach you to give a Climate Justice 101 workshop!) and including training in various organizing skills you need to build up and win campaigns in your community, these camps are a whole lot of action packed into a few days.

The schedule for the summer is: Read the rest of this entry »

Power Summer is coming. We’re just over a month away from launching the largest cross country education and training program in the CYCC’s history and we need your help. Right now we are $6000 short of our fundraising goal for this project. That’s only 60 people giving $100, a donation that will go towards training 200 plus youth to become the change we need to see across Canada and around the world.

Can’t give $100? No worries, every dollar counts and it adds up fast. If you and four friends each give $20, that’s a quick $100, and it’s less than the cost of a pizza each (or a cup of coffee a day in June…to use an old cliche).

And….if you donate $50 or more before the end of June you’ll be entered to win a MEC Gift Card!

These camps are a combination of the successes of PowerShift conferences across the world, with the inspiration of events like Freedom Summer and Mountain Justice Summer. The camp curriculum is designed to teach youth organizing, strategy and educational skills, and with plans to hold camps in every geographical region of Canada, we wil train and empower youth from the Atlantic to the Pacific and all the way up to the Arctic Circle. Read the rest of this entry »