Montréal, September 27, 2021 — Vire au vert, a grassroots mobilization initiative, is inviting candidates and citizens in some 30 cities to schedule a week of debates on the environment during the municipal election period. The "Vire au vert debates, Building a Vision for the Future of our Municipalities" are scheduled to take place between October 18 and 28, 2021, both virtually and in-person.
These debates will provide voters with an opportunity to meet their candidates, learn about their ideas for development in their municipalities and their proposals for addressing environmental issues and the climate crisis.
"Municipalities play a vital role in achieving an ecological transition. Decisions made by municipal councils have a direct impact on biodiversity at the local and regional levels and on the daily lives and well-being of their citizens: greening initiatives, neighbourhood planning, access to healthy local food, drinking water quality, waste management, public and active transportation, and the safety of living environments in the face of extreme weather events, etc. So, it is in the interest of citizens to become involved and to communicate their priorities to the candidates during this election campaign," explains Léa Ilardo, Project Manager for citizen mobilization with the David Suzuki Foundation.
"Numerous polls are showing that the climate crisis is the number one priority of voters. Making the right decisions now means preparing cities to face the challenges ahead, making our living environments more pleasant, healthier, greener and more resilient. Voters are entitled to know how their future elected officials intend to respond to these challenges," explains Marie-Eve Leclerc, Project Manager, Mobilization at Équiterre.
"The Vire au vert debates provide a non-partisan forum for anyone who wants to hear the solutions being proposed by their candidates for ensuring a safe and healthy future in their municipalities." Luka Aubin-Jobin, organizer of a debate in Verdun.
This is the first time that substantive, non-partisan debates of this magnitude on climate and environmental issues are being held in Quebec as part of the municipal election process.
It’s not too late to have a debate near you
Vire au vert organizers also want to remind everyone that it is not too late to organize a debate in your municipality.
Anyone wishing to take advantage of the support offered by the Vire au vert team to arrange a debate with their candidates on the environment have until September 30 to express their interest.
To arrange or attend a debate in your riding, go to vireauvert.org/debats
List of municipalities where citizens are mobilised to organize a debate:
Beloeil
Châteauguay
Eastman
Gatineau
Granby
La Pêche
La Prairie
Labelle
Laval
Longueuil
Montréal (Mairie)
Montréal (Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce)
Montréal (Sud-Ouest)
Montréal (Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve)
Montréal (Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie)
Montréal (Verdun)
Montréal (UQÀM)
Montréal - (Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension)
Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci
Ormstown
Québec
Rouyn-Noranda
Saguenay
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Saint-Jérôme
Sainte-Mélanie
Sherbrooke
Terrebonne
To follow all the Quebec debates go to:
www.vireauvert.org/debats
The Facebook event page
Instagram: @vireauvert #vireauvert #DebatsVireAuVert
ABOUT THE VIRE AU VERT INITIATIVE:
Vire au vert is a citizen-led mobilization initiative to place environmental issues at the forefront of the Quebec elections. Its mission is to inform, mobilize, equip and support citizens in voicing their environmental concerns to their local candidates and is the result of the work of a coalition of citizen groups and organizations that are concerned about the environment.
Accès transports viables, Association québécoise des médecins pour l'environnement, Coalition étudiante pour un virage environnemental et social (CEVES), Équiterre, ENvironnement JEUnesse (ENJEU), Eau Secours, Fondation Rivières, The David Suzuki Foundation, Front commun pour la transition énergétique, Greenpeace, La Planète s’invite au Parlement, Mères au front, Nature Québec, Piétons Québec, The Climate Réality Project, Réseau des femmes en environnement, Regroupement national des conseils régionaux de l’environnement (RNCREQ), Société pour la nature et les parcs (SNAP Québec), Trajectoire Québec, Vélo Québec and Vigilance OGM.
- 30 -
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Anthony Côté-Leduc, Media Relations, Équiterre, 514-605-2000, acoteleduc@equiterre.org
Charles Bonhomme, Specialist- Communications and Public Affairs, David Suzuki Foundation, cbonhomme@davidsuzuki.org
