Citizens for Climate: Uniting Voices for a Healthy Manitoba

Presenters have generously shared slides from their presentations at the links below:

Heather Fast – Environmental Rights for Manitoba

Dr. Tamara Miller and Dr. Christine Polimeni – Health Impacts of Climate Change

Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL) Canada has hosted similar events in other provinces. Here is an example of such an event that is in its 6th year.

Citizens for Climate: Uniting Voices for a Healthy Manitoba

Wednesday, April 3, 2024
6:30pm meeting time
All Saints Anglican Church
521 Broadway, Winnipeg, MB R3C 1B9

Thursday, April 4, 2024
8:00 am to 9:30 am
MB Legislature, Golden Boy Room,
450 Broadway, Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8

Registration
Opens February 23 and closes at noon Thursday, March 28, 2024 as we are required to give MB Legislature all names in advance. We recommend registering at least 1 week in advance of the event. Register here or use button above.

Registration fees
$15 for the in person breakfast at The MB Legislature and the previous evening planning meeting.

Donations welcome
Our deepest gratitude to our donors. We fundraise well in advance of all our events to make sure everyone can afford to come. A similar event of this nature hosted by our cohort in Ontario collected $500 and cost $1500 or about $50 per person.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 – Training
All Saints Anglican Church, 521 Broadway
*park across the street in Canada Life lot
6:00 pm begin gathering
6:30 pm preparing for the lobbying event. Light snacks (bring own if food aversions/allergies), lobby training, laser talks, motivational interviewing and the lobby schedule.

Thursday, April 4, 2024 – the breakfast and day at the Legislature
8:00 am to 9:30 am (soft start)
Golden Boy Room
Welcome from our co-host: MLA Mike Moroz
Land Acknowledgment
Youth Guest and Conference Facilitator:  Elijah Kanhai
Guest Speakers: Dr. Tamara Miller and Dr. Christine Polimeni: CAPE Manitoba, Heather Fast: Manitoba Eco-Network
En-ROADS climate ambassadors will be on-hand at tables to explore the policy simulator with you: Esther Fyk, John Hayles
Plan for the time it will take to get through Manitoba Legislature security and don’t forget your photo I.D.

COVID and Influenza precautions for in-person participants
– We will be watching the Health Unit recommendations closely and accordingly
– The venues are relatively large to the expected number of people
– Masking will be celebrated.
– Sanitizing hands before eating will be celebrated too.
– It is highly recommended that you keep you COVID vaccinations up-to-date.
– Please do not attend if you test positive for COVID and/or are symptomatic.

To learn more about lobbying, join an MI expert on Sunday, March 24 at 6pm. Register here.

We will hold a pre-lobbying event 7 pm on Sunday, March 17, and two “Ask-Us-Anything” calls 7 pm on Sunday, March 24 and Tuesday, April 2. Link to the Zoom room.

Our requests of our parliamentarians 

1. Fulfill Manitoba’s role in the Pan Canadian Framework in order to help Canada: 
   • Reduce the harmful physical and mental health effects from climate change which include increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease, injuries and premature deaths and post-disaster trauma from extreme weather events, and the spread of Lyme and other infectious diseases.
   • Promote psychosocial wellbeing, protect human rights and support vulnerable people.
2. In light of recent reports from Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, Office of the Auditor General, and International Institute for Sustainable Development, consider signing the BOGA Declaration, as a way to communicate that Manitoba intends to take a whole-of-government approach to mitigating climate change impacts and making a just energy transition.

Nos demandes à nos parlementaires

1. Remplir le rôle du Manitoba dans le Cadre pancanadien afin d’aider le Canada :
   • Réduire les effets néfastes du changement climatique sur la santé physique et mentale, notamment l’augmentation des maladies respiratoires et cardiovasculaires, des blessures, des décès prématurés et des traumatismes post-catastrophe dus à des événements météorologiques extrêmes, ainsi que la propagation de la maladie de Lyme et d’autres maladies infectieuses ; et
   • Promouvoir le bien-être psychosocial, protéger les droits de l’homme et soutenir les personnes vulnérables.
2. À la lumière des récents rapports de Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, du Bureau du vérificateur général et de l’Institut international du développement durable, envisager de signer la Déclaration BOGA, comme moyen de communiquer que le Manitoba a l’intention d’adopter une approche pangouvernementale pour atténuer les impacts du changement climatique et réaliser une transition énergétique juste.

Manitoba Conference Booklet

You don’t have to be an expert to lobby. Your power is that you are a constituent. You are concerned about the climate crisis. You are doing exactly what you should be doing. You will not be lobbying alone. You will be trained.

To help you we have made a conference booklet with Laser Talks. A Laser Talk is a structured way to communicate a message succinctly and powerfully – highly focused, targeted, and effective like a laser. They are evidence-based and include sources. You need not memorize the contents of the Laser Talks. They are not meant to be monologues either. They are there for reference. Printed copies will be made available at the training sessions on the Wednesday night. It is OK to bring them with you when you lobby for reference.

With recent national and provincial news related to our Asks, here are more resources for use during, or more likely after, this event:

Manitoba Budget 2024, with this from page 54: “$10-million to support plans to meet Manitoba’s emissions reduction commitments under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, part of the Low Carbon Economy Fund Bilateral Agreement with the federal government.”

An Open Letter from Economists on Canadian Carbon Pricing, with this intro:

“As economists from across Canada, we are concerned about the significant threats from climate change. We encourage governments to use economically sensible policies to reduce emissions at a low cost, address Canadians’ affordability concerns, maintain business competitiveness, and support Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Canada’s carbon-pricing policies do all those things.

There is plenty of discussion about carbon pricing in Canada today. Healthy public debate is good, but it should be based on sound evidence and facts. Let’s examine some of the claims made by critics of carbon pricing and compare them with what the evidence shows.”

See 1-page handout prepared by Peter Miller summarizing the Open Letter From Economists.

CCL Canada Stands Firm in Support of Carbon Pricing: Here’s Why

Seven Lucky LASER Talks booklet

Vous êtes cordialement invités à assister à un petit-déjeuner co-animé par MLA MIke Moroz, CCL Canada, CAPE, MEJC, FOK and CANE.

Citoyens Pour le Climat: Unir les Voix pour un Manitoba en Sante
Jeudi 4 avril 2024
8h00 à 9h30
Golden Boy Room, Assemblée législative du Manitoba
Conférenciers invités: Tamara Miller, CAPE and Heather Fast, MB EcoNetwork
Veuillez RSVP avant midi 28 mars

Inscrivez-vous ici

Coming from out of town and looking for a place to stay?
Please ask at one of the Pre-lobby Check-In calls if you require help or have concerns regarding accommodations.

Directions
There is limited Visitor Parking on the north and south sides of the property, see Parking Map; bicycle stands are available on your left as you enter the oval. Tell security at the front that you are there for an event in the building.

Otherwise there is paid parking on nearby streets; carpooling welcome! Use this Google Maps link for further directions including driving, walking, cycling and public transit.