An annual celebration for Earth Day is happening this Saturday, but with an added sense of urgency this time around.
The Earth Day event organized by eMERGE, the Guelph Climate Action Network and the Social Justice Coalition is both a celebration and a call to action in response to the city’s plan to pause a number of projects.
The city’s 2025 budget initially had a tax levy increase of nearly 10 per cent, but Mayor Cam Guthrie used strong mayor powers to bring it down to no more than four per cent, which means delays are in store for several targets and projects, including “a delay in reaching council-approved targets, most notably, Race to Zero,” an email sent to staff states.
It also states “community amenity services will be deprioritized” like transit, corporate and community energy, active transportation.
Evan Ferrari of eMERGE said all these relate to climate action.
“We’re really concerned that … almost everything environmental that the city is doing right now is going to see a hit,” he told GuelphToday.
Karen Rathwell of the Social Justice Coalition said the new budget target eliminates “the possibility of addressing the climate action part.”
And while the memo sent to staff states certain initiatives and targets are delayed, Rathwell said they feel as though they’re being defunded.
“It’s one in the same,” she said.
“And that’s serious, because we haven’t got more time. We’ve got six years really to make a difference,” and limit global warming to just above 1.5 C, she said.
In Guelph, she said global warming is of particular concern because we rely on groundwater for our drinking water.
“It worries me for this spring. We depend on snow melt, and we didn’t have a lot this year,” she said.
Still, she said the event will “be joyful.”
The intention, she said, is to let the community know “we need to come together to act.”
There will be performances from two choirs and Lisa Baird, a spoken word artist.
Ferrari and Centennial CVI student Karisha Negi will speak about greenhouse gas emissions and climate action. James Gordon will close the event with a song.
Ferrari said eMERGE will be encouraging people to call and write to city hall voicing their concerns about the delays.
It starts at 12 p.m. at Market Square outside city hall and runs until 1 p.m.
