Climate Strike In Orillia
By John Swartz
A small group gathered in front of City Hall Friday morning to lend their voices to a world-wide movement. Ellen Field, a professor in the masters of education program at Lakehead University organized the event on short notice.
“I’ve been watching. There have been many climate strikes and there’s been no youth in Orillia that have organized yet, I just thought, because I’m a mom, I’ll just go as a mom to support the climate strike movement all around the world,” said Field.
With less than 20 hours notice she managed to rally 20 people, not all students, to turn out.
“It’s March Break, so it’s hard to get kids out. I’m hoping to start the conversation so that young people’s voices will take that space,” said Field.
Of the students who did make it, Gia Spiropoulos, a masters student at Lakehead said it not a protest.
“We’re just supporting council and government, that they will make good decisions for policies. I think great things are happening within Canada, within Ontario, within the City of Orillia, they’re doing some really great things, so we are supporting those decisions and policies put in place,” said Spiropooulos.
“It’s taking that first step and hopefully this sparks more strikes.”
(Photo by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia) Lakehead University Students Cassidy Houghton, Ashley Morin and Gia Spiropoulos at Friday’s Climate Strike in Orillia.