Featuring the words of the speakers at the Toronto area “March to End Fossil Fuels.”

For the Climate Justice Neighbourhood Mapping project.

We interviewed Ed from Gateway Bikehub, a community project in Thorncliffe Park. Gateway Bikehub started as a solid waste diversion program, but evolved into a social hub where residents can learn how to fix, ride, and maintain bikes. This helps them get around the area in a climate-friendly way.

Bruno is a member of the York South-Weston (YSW) Tenants’ Union, a group of tenants and tenant associations in York-South Weston which helps to protect tenant rights.

The tenants’ union includes the following neighbourhoods: Pelmo Park, Weston, Rustic, Maple Leaf, Amesbury, Keelesdale, Silverthorn, Clearview Heights, Upper Junction, Stockyards, Harwood, Rockcliffe-Smythe, Roselands, and Mount Dennis.

Bruno sat down with us to talk about what the YSW Tenants’ Union does and how its actions relate to climate justice work.

Part Four: Pipelines, False Solutions, Indigenous Rights

(Finale to the story about the November 12th COP 27 Global Climate Justice rally in Toronto.)

Next the marchers stopped at the offices of CDEV, the crown corporation that bought the sinking Titanic of a pipeline, TMX. In fact, in a report from Climate Change Performance Index that came out during COP, Canada ranked #58 lowest of 63. One of the main reasons cited is the high level of oil and gas production. All the while Canada poses as a climate leader! 

A just transition does not include continued Indigenous rights violations and false solutions like blue hydrogen (fossil fuel production with methane and massive storage of carbon). It means reducing emissions now, directly, and putting those investment dollars into renewables and public programs that protect communities as we transition.

Part 3: Fossil Fuels, Just Transition

(The story of the November 12th COP 27 Global Day of Climate Justice action in Toronto continued.)

Marching on, with supportive honks from passing traffic propelling us, we came to a stop at Avenue and Bloor. As How-Sen, the narrator of the event livestream put it, “we’re actually going east and west across Bloor Street, stopping at various symbolic places, linking issues that have historically been thought of as separate…and bringing together people from multiple communities….building up this diverse community, building up power.”

Part One: Introduction, Impacts & Fair Shares

On Saturday November 12th, a few of us gathered early at Matt Cohen Park, Spadina and Bloor, on Dish with one Spoon and Treaty 13 territory, to prepare for the "At COP 27: The
World Calls out for Climate Justice” event. Folks worked on setting up a live video feed, unfurled and admired the beautiful hand painted banner, wheeled in the sound system, handed out megaphones and checked in with presenters. One by one and in small groups, others arrived until we had a sizable crowd and the first speaker breezed in, right on cue! 

At the same time, on the ground in Egypt at COP 27, where governments from across the world met to decide what steps to take in response to our disintegrating climate, severe human rights violations made it dangerous for civil society to monitor and protest the actions of a corrupt government.

In October, TO350 wrote a letter to Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau and Hon. Sean Fraser, in support of Migrant Rights Network's demands - permanent residence status for all. 

Subsequently, there were #Status for All! Without Delay actions at MP's offices.

You can keep up-to-date and find out how to support ongoing at https://migrantrights.ca/. 

See the letter below.

Youth lead on climate justice. Literally. This summer, Fridays for Future Toronto members (FFFTO) forgo outings with friends, days at the beach and countless other things, to coordinate the adults they’ve called to the organizing table. They are anxious about the climate crisis and determined to do something about it!

The votes are in … except they’re not. But Ontario’s party platforms are here, and we’ve funnelled them through a climate justice filter to make it easier for you to assess them. 

With the provincial election coming up on June 2, we’re posing one question: What does the ideal climate action candidate look like for Toronto?

Forget partisanship. Forget smear campaigns. Forget voting for a candidate because their climate platform is marginally better than another. 

And forget needless bureaucratic gatekeeping — climate justice advocacy is simple when it’s specific, direct, and actionable.