Global Climate Strike Actions in Canada — September-October 2021

Quebec City March for the Protection and Regeneration of Our Unique Common Dwelling: Mother Earth

Quebec City, October 16, 2021

A Long March for the protection of our forests began in September and culminated on October 16 in the City of Quebec. People left from the four corners of Quebec — Outaouais, Laurentides, Lanaudière and Mauricie, among others — to protect the forests of Quebec and support the First Nations in their approach to the environment.

For the organizers, the march is a movement of all the peoples of Quebec to highlight the importance of biodiversity and of the one hundred protected areas in Southern Quebec. For them, the march is a turning point in the economic, ecological and social transition which is required to ensure the health and well-being of the generations of today and of tomorrow. In light of the fact that participation in the march includes environmental groups, joined by Indigenous nations, citizens and school children, “the consciousness of the movement can only grow in this era we are living in”.

What initially motivated the march from was that one hundred projects for protected zones on public land in Southern Quebec have been proposed over the years by public servants from the Department of the Environment and of the Struggle against climate change (MELCC), Indigenous communities, citizens’ groups, regional municipalities (MRC), municipalities, community and scientific associations. Yet, these projects for the protection of important territories in terms of biodiversity were ignored by the government. The Long March Collective emphasizes that these zones would have contributed in meeting Quebec’s UN commitments for the protection of ecologically representative systems of well-connected protected zones and also to acknowledge the basic needs of Indigenous communities. Instead, territories to the north of the tree lines where the economic interests are less prevalent have been declared protected, as if the Southern Quebec biodiversity need not be protected.

Quebec City, October 16, 2021

Within this movement, a place of honour is given to Indigenous peoples who are the stewards and protectors of the forests, animals, plants and water since time immemorial. The Long March Collective states: “Inspired by their experiences past and present, we march forward together for our common future.” The Anishinaabe community and the Atikamekw Grand Council are among the communities in support of the Long March for the protection of our forests.

The demands and proposals of the Long March Collective are as follows:

– The protection of 100 projects of priority protected areas on public lands in Southern Quebec;

– The 80 biodiversity reserve projects submitted to the government by the MELCC and MRC’S, municipalities, community organizations, Indigenous, citizen and scientific communities;

– Indigenously initiated protected areas projects;

– The creation of an independent scientific institution for forest management, including Indigenous science;

– The immediate protection of all the urban and suburban forests threatened with development in Quebec and the passing of legislation facilitating the creation of protected areas in heavily populated regions.

This article was published in:

Renewal Update No. 53, October 27, 2021

Article Link:
Global Climate Strike Actions in Canada — September-October 2021: Quebec City March for the Protection and Regeneration of Our Unique Common Dwelling: Mother Earth