NEWS RELEASE
COLLINGWOOD CLIMATE ACTION TEAM AND OTHERS
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A virtual All-Candidates’ Debate on the Environment will take place for the federal riding of Simcoe-Grey on September 8, 2021 starting at 7 p.m.
This is one of 100 Debates on the Environment, being held across Canada co-ordinated by GreenPAC, a non-partisan non-profit organization that works to build environmental leadership in politics.
The Collingwood Climate Action Team, the Wasaga Beach Climate Action Team, New Tecumseth Climate Action and the Climate Action Now Network in the Town of the Blue Mountains are working together to organize this event.
Given the constraints imposed by the tight timeline for the election and with early voting beginning on Sept. 10, this date will allow Simcoe-Grey constituents to view both the local debate on the environment and the televised federal leaders’ English language debate the next day on September 9. Following the format for the national debate, only the local candidates from the four main political parties are invited to participate (Conservatives, Greens, Liberals and the New Democratic Party). A non-partisan moderator will ask questions which the candidates will be sent in advance, as well as some questions which participants can submit when registering for the event.
Climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released in early August. Canada is experiencing droughts, forest fires, heatwaves, snow loss and other extreme weather making the environment a top voting issue. This is a debate about all the reasons why the environment must be front and centre in any government’s plan for post-pandemic economic recovery, national healing and reconciliation.
The debate will be held via Zoom, from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept 8, 2021. Registration is available now through EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/debate-on-the-environment-tickets-168798459737
Ruth Plant, the Coordinator for the Simcoe-Grey Debate on the Environment, stated: “The Collingwood Climate Action Team is pleased to sponsor this event with partners from other environmental groups in the riding. There was a capacity crowd at the in-person debate on the environment during the 2019 election due to the interest in meeting the candidates and hearing their views on climate change issues. While doing this via Zoom may pose some challenges, we look forward to making this available to people throughout the riding. It will be one of the only opportunities to hear the candidates during this election.”
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