City of YK encourages residents to strike for climate action
The City of Yellowknife says it “supports the global climate strike” set to take place on Friday, urging residents to take part in a planned walkout.
In a news release on Wednesday, the City wrote: “We encourage residents to participate and support in this global day of action.”
City staff, however, are being told they must use lieu time or annual leave to attend beyond their lunch break. The two-hour walkout runs from 11am till 1pm.
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City Hall will not be closed during the strike.
Organizers of the global action, which began on September 20 and continues until the end of Friday, say people in more than 150 countries “are stepping up to support young climate strikers and demand an end to the age of fossil fuels.”
Calling climate change a “real and imminent threat” to Yellowknife, the City said it is prioritizing work to combat the effects of climate change and is asking all federal election candidates in the NWT “to outline the actions they will take to help communities and residents reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.”
Details: Friday’s Global Climate Strike action in Yellowknife
More: School districts support students planning to walk out
The City said it is working to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions within the municipality – though those efforts have been hampered in recent years by a continent-wide recycling crisis, leading to much of the city’s recycling ending up in the dump.
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“I’d like to thank the students for organizing this event, for spurring the discussion, and for pushing for action,” Rebecca Alty, Yellowknife’s mayor, said in a statement.
“I look forward to hearing from residents, businesses, community groups, and all orders of government on what we can all do to work together to address climate change.”