Empowering and Connecting Local Advocates in Scarborough and Nationwide to Build Sustainable Communities

Empowering and Connecting Local Advocates in Scarborough and Nationwide to Build Sustainable Communities

Climate advocacy can take many forms, and one Canadian organization is actively working to get ambitious policy adopted by supporting meaningful grassroots action that is tailored to local interests, priorities, and needs. Indeed, the mission of The Climate Reality Project Canada is to train, support and equip a broad network of advocates—people from all backgrounds—in order to bring about the change we need for a low-carbon, resilient and just future.

One inspiring example is the work of the Scarborough Environmental Association (SEA), a member of Climate Reality Canada’s Community Climate Hubs (CCH) program. Local residents have mobilized through SEA for public transit, cycling infrastructure, green space and social justice.

One recent initiative has attracted attention: the Scarborough Rapid Transit (RT) Farewell Food Tour. A love letter to public transit spaces and users, this project came about in reaction to the controversial closing of the light rail line. Combining transit advocacy with local food culture, SEA organized a series of walking tours along the RT line, including stops at local restaurants and food vendors and ending with a charming picnic in Scarborough’s Thompson Park. Over the summer, SEA organized more than a dozen sold-out tours, garnering media coverage and attracting a few high-profile participants, including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, all while fostering community engagement and highlighting local businesses.

“A big part of [Chow’s] campaign was to talk about the Scarborough busway. So having someone there who believed in that vision was super cool. I feel like the tours were a lot more successful than I expected,” said SEA co-founder Krissan Veerasingam. By attending this engaging-yet-fun event, participants sent a loud and clear message about the value of public transit and its interconnectedness with a city's cultural richness.

To encourage this kind of work, Climate Reality Canada provides training, organizing tools, financial support and practical guidance to members of its national advocacy community— which is open to everyone! Their approach is a testimony that civic engagement is key to the success of the climate movement. By democratizing the knowledge of climate science and empowering citizens as effective community leaders, the organization is helping everyday people to be a part of collective solutions to the climate crisis.

One such advocacy enabler is Climate Reality Canada’s National Climate League (NCL): a volunteer-led data project that tracks municipalities on a series of sustainability indicators.

The annual project aims to foster data literacy, push for greater transparency, and raise awareness of sustainable city policy. That means reducing emissions and adapting cities to the realities of climate change through transportation, air quality, buildings, green space, democratic institutions, and so much more.

Canadians support ambitious climate action. We must mobilize in communities nationwide to push government and corporate leaders to make the right decisions. A healthier, safer, and more equitable future is possible if we choose to implement it. This begins with grassroots mobilization.

Change that is lasting and rooted in social justice must come from the ground up. Climate Reality Canada is working hard to grow their reach and network of support to ensure policy gets changed faster than the climate.

Learn more and get involved at climatereality.ca