A CALL TO ACTION
FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES!
CLIMATE MATTERS!
VALLEY EARTH DAY ARTS PROJECT 2023
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Instagram: @ValleyEarthDayArts – FB: Valley Earthday Arts
People of all ages
are invited to celebrate
EARTH DAY,
Saturday, April 22, 2023
use your heart and creativity to make action artwork on
CLIMATE MATTERS!
We are planning a
Celebrate Earth Day Parade
in Pembroke.
Saturday, April 22, 2023 – 2 to 4 PM
UPDATE ON GATHERING PLACE
for
CELEBRATE EARTH DAY PARADE
in Pembroke,
Tomorrow, April 22, 2023,
starting at 2 PM
The community groups organizing tomorrow’s Celebrate Earth Day Parade agree it makes no sense to gather at the waterfront. This notice informs of our reasoning and our new gathering place.
Yesterday the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources’ Emergency Preparedness Unit issued a flood warning that includes Pembroke and continues to April 28th. Our initial gathering place has already flooded. The waterfront is not a good meeting place at this time, especially given the likelihood of more rain over the next 24 hours.
Fortunately, founding members of EcoPembroke hastily arranged for us to gather for our 2 PM opening greetings, speeches and entertainment in the Lower Hall at Wesley United Church, 275 Pembroke St E, Pembroke, ON K8A 3J9. The entrance for the Lower Hall is on William Street, just across the street from the Renfrew County Courthouse. If you have to rely on a motor vehicle to attend, hopefully you will carpool, and you might be lucky to find parking right behind the church.
We expect the warm (if wet) weather tomorrow afternoon will allow us to parade along the Downtown Business Area of Pembroke after our dry, indoors opening events.s.
We are all aware that extreme fluctuations in temperature, storm severity and flooding are proof of our ailing planet’s inability to cope with the climate crisis. We have to reshuffle Earth Day events due to these factors. This reminds us all that every municipality in Renfrew County, and the County Council, must establish a Climate Action Committee immediately, if they have not already done so.
Please come out and join our opening events at Wesley United’s Lower Hall. Then onto the Earth Day Parade with your posters, banners, musical instruments, to help communicate to our political and community leaders the urgency of action on CLIMATE MATTERS!
This message comes from Valley Earth Day Arts
and the Council of Canadians: Kitchissippi-Ottawa Valley Chapter.
For more information, call Ian at 613-281-1657.
BREAKING NEWS! Mayor Gervais of Pembroke urges all residents and businesses in Pembroke to join our Celebrate Earth Day Parade!
“I do hereby declare April 22nd as Earth Day in the City of Pembroke… As climate change is being observed and experienced, municipalities find themselves in the front line of the battle against climate change… Earth Day hopes to realize awareness among Canadians about ecoanxiety and the need to take action together for both our ourselves and to help care for the planet…
“The City of Pembroke is committed to environmental awareness, taking such steps as declaring a Climate Emergency on April 20, 2021 and committing to the Partners for Climate Protection 5 Milestone Program… Education, partnerships and positive actions should be encouraged through the City of Pembroke, therefore:“Valley Earth Day Arts is celebrating Earth Day for it’s second year. The theme is CLIMATE MATTERS! There will be an Earth Day Parade on April 22nd from 2-4 PM, meeting initially at the waterfront at the Pembroke Amphitheatre… The City of Pembroke understands, cares and wants to do its part. However the City of Pembroke cannot do it alone. The residents and businesses must for their parts. Together we will succeed.”
Bring yourself, friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues to join the gathering and the parade.
Bring your creations as well!
Meet at the Parking Lot by the Waterfront Amphitheatre in Pembroke (parking lot because it’s mud season!)
Greetings and Entertainment
Parade through Pembroke’s Downtown Business Area
Return to Amphitheatre for Closing Activities
This is a Rain-or-Shine Parade for the Earth,
so dress for the weather!
CLIMATE MATTERS!
Valley Earth Day Arts, 2023
5 Reasons Earth Day is Important
1. WHEN WE “THE PEOPLE” JOIN FORCES PEACEFULLY, THE COMBO OF OUR ENERGY AND TALENTS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.
2. EARTH DAY UNITES PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THE PLANET, OUR ATMOSPHERE, WILDLIFE, PLANTS AND TREES, OUR OCEANS AND RIVERS, AND OTHER PEOPLE.
The first annual Earth Day was in 1970. By 1990, it was celebrated by 200 million people in 141 countries. More than 50 years later, this day makes space for us to loudly demand policies to deal with the climate emergency and extinctions.
3. CREATING AND RECREATING A MOVEMENT.
There are finally some signs the powers-that-be are starting to hear us. Let’s keep going!
4. MAKING THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET A PRIORITY.
Back in 1990, the situation was not seen as so bad. Earth Day was about pollution and littering. Now we know that industry, mining, forestry, transporters, governments, and trillionaires, have been holding back the changes we need. They have to get with the program: we need a sustainable future that respects and dignifies all life, no matter how humble.
5. A PLATFORM FOR YOU TO EXPRESS YOURSELF!
Every voice is vital. Earth Day provides an opportunity for ALL of us to stand up and speak out.
Why we have chosen the theme CLIMATE MATTERS!
Right now in human history we have huge issues that affect the future of all young people: global warming, loss of biodiversity and species extinction, acidification of the oceans, blue-green algae in fresh water, toxic waste that science does not know how to neutralize, droughts and human hunger, global spread of invasive pests and diseases, and more! All these issues are connected to the climate crisis in some way.
ROAR, RAGE, HONOUR, and OFFER SOLUTIONS with YOUR ART.
WHAT SORT OF ARTWORK ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Your own creative expressions, in the form of banners, posters or signs that tell your neighbours, friends, and community leaders how YOU feel about what climate issues are doing to OUR planet.
Here are some suggestions for creating your work:
- Heavy fabric, vinyl, pillow case, or bed sheet can make great banners. You can just paint on them! If you like to sew, applique and quilting techniques can get great results.
- Cardboard, bristol board or any stiff but light material can become strong posters. Be careful about coloured bristol board — the colours might run if the day is damp.
- Of course you could use markers, acrylic paint or maybe cut-out coloured paper to write your message. Just try to make sure the materials you use are waterproof.
- Sticks for banners and posters could be made of wood or other recycled material.
- Giant Puppets expressing climate issues can be fun to make http://www.puppetco-op.org/HowToVideos.htm
- Using recycled, flexible drain pipes can transform into pipelines.
- We also welcome performances of songs, brief skits, poetry, and other art forms suitable for outdoor events.
- Use your creativity to make your voice heard! Your own ideas are best to show your concerns for the environment.
Speak from your heart and conscience in your creations.
Please no racism, homophobia or bullying in your art.
If possible, avoid use of curse words.
Valley Earth Day Arts has your back!
YOUR contribution is WELCOME.
How will
CLIMATE MATTERS!
art be shown to the public?
Bring your creations to the main Valley Earth Day Parade on Saturday April 22.
Here is our official image for Earth Day :
This was created by two Grade 12 students in Arnprior.
To learn more about the artists and what they are representing in this image, go to this page please.
Here is another creation you will see on April 22nd in Pembroke:
Your work can also be posted on our website and our social media accounts on Facebook page or Instagram account. We will seek your consent to use your name with the posting,
Your work might also be picked up by local media.
After Earth Day, place your banners, posters and signs in your home windows, vehicle, work place, or leave them with us to be displayed in more public settings.
Your voice gets stronger each time your art is seen and heard!
More information on Earth Day events and parades is still to come so please check back!
Sparking Creativity
Art makes space for creative problem solving. It can also help identify common cause and allies. These connections are born from expression of caring for this beautiful planet we live on.
Here are some opportunities for reflection on the health of our planet:
- What do you love about the natural world?
- Explore the ecological concept of reciprocity in relationship with the natural world.
- In the face of the challenges of the future, where does resilience come from?
- Portray wonder, precariousness, delight, pleasure, anger, and foreboding in regards to the natural environment in which we presently live.
Here are some specific questions that might also help you get you started:
- What does the future look like to you? How do climate and environmental issues affect your hopes and fears for the future?
- How informed do you feel about climate issues we are facing?
- Do you feel like you should know more? If so, what do you want to know more about?
- Are you hopeful that our current climate issues will work out?
- What are the solutions you imagine?
- Do you sometimes feel powerless or paralyzed by all the environmental and social issues in our world right now?
- Do you just try not to think about the state our world is in? If so, is this working? How does it help? What do you do instead when you are trying not to think about this stuff?
- Do you have thoughts about why some or many people do not want to discuss these issues?
- Do you know how to take action from a place of your own personal power?
- Are you anxious or afraid? Are you angry? Can you understand how things got this bad?
- Are you hopeful? Are you full of plans? If you have plans or ideas, what can you tell others about them?
Valley Earth Day Arts is a project of the
Kitchissippi-Ottawa Valley Chapter of the Council of Canadians.
In 2022, we had five community agency supporters across Renfrew County. Our 2023 supporters will be posted soon. If you’re interested to support this in some way, please use the contact form or email address below.
Be a voice for change with your messages and creations at your local events during Earth Day Week. And PLEASE join our parade on April 22 in celebration of Earth Day.
To Get Involved, use this contact form:
You can email us directly at ValleyEarthDayArts@gmail.com
Or call Ken (705) 478-6060 or Diane (613) 625-2200.
Join our FaceBook group Valley EarthDay Arts
You can also follow us on Instagram @valleyearthdayarts
Please let us know of your plans or ideas for participation
by emailing us at:
valleyearthdayarts@gmail.com
Meegwetch, Thanks, Merci!
Some of the images on this website — Save Earth, Make the Planet Happy!, Save the Water, Love Earth People, and the Beaver Lodge — are loaned with permission from the Kent County NB Earth Day art show that helped inspire this project. Other images are from our 2022 Valley Earth Day Arts project, and they were donated to our chapter for use here.
Valley Earth Day Arts 