There was more than just smoke in the air Wednesday afternoon in Kingston., Ont. There were also the voices of climate activists outside city hall demanding action from all levels of government.
According to local activist Phyllis Waugh, a national day of action was happening in at least thirty cities across the country, all in response to the climate crisis.
“The official wildfire season starts this Saturday coming up. But here we are, we’ve already had more fires this year than any year in Canada’s history.”
She says the event is intended to raise awareness of the severity of the situation while making their demands, like emergency-level action on the climate crisis, known.
But the event also served to remind activists like Abbie Miolee that they are not alone.
“It was really empowering to see other people out in the community holding up posters and just saying what they believe should be happening and the changes that need to be made”
She says it was events like this one that inspired her to fight for change and she encourages others to do the same.
“Together the power of love will amplify what we believe in and we can make the world a better safer and healthier place.”
These activists say they will continue to make their voices heard, hoping they can inspire others to join them in the calls for change.