Toronto, August 16, 2021 -- Today, GreenPAC announced to MPs, candidates, and voters that 100 debates on the environment will take place across the country during a two-day period. These non-partisan all-candidates debates will be held virtually before Canadians go to the polls.
Given the constraints imposed by the tight election and with early voting beginning on September 10, English language debates will take place on September 8 and French language debates will take place on September 9. This will allow all Canadians to view both the televised Leaders' Debates and 100 Debates on the Environment.
"Over 50 debates are already confirmed, with more organizers getting on board and new locations added every day," said GreenPAC Executive Director Sarah Van Exan (see current list of ridings below). "This is a rare opportunity for candidates to talk to Canadians about what the future looks like if we get environmental policy right and how they plan to bring us all closer to that future."
"Candidates need to show voters that they got the memo - good environmental policy is good health policy and good economic policy. But more than that, they need to share how they plan to protect, rebuild and restore by putting the environment first," said Van Exan. A 100 Debates organizer added, "Actions to mitigate [environmental collapse] have never before been more urgently crucial than they are at this moment...as we approach an election, determining the course our nation will take is necessary because our window of opportunity is narrowing."
Each debate will have non-partisan hosts drawn from the community, including individuals from local non-profit organizations, health groups, schools, colleges and universities.
For the 2019 Federal Election, GreenPAC joined forces with Équiterre to help local organizers to pull off this ambitious project for the first time. 104 debates later, 16,500 voters connected with 411 candidates to talk about the issues. Notably, 87 of those candidates were elected to office.
To date, this was the largest single-issue debate initiative in Canadian history -- and showed candidates that voters expect accountability on the environment.
In 2021, 100 Debates on the Environment aims to generate an even greater national conversation. This time, they are going a step further, with a focus not only on awareness but solutions.
Van Exan observed, "This year's 100 Debates on The Environment will be a platform for candidates to share their ideas and for voters to hold them accountable for those ideas. Look for a debate in your riding, and call on your local candidates to attend. Spread the word and show up!"
Want to get involved? Sign up to join local leaders and citizens across Canada to organize a debate in your riding. Help us surpass the goal of 100 debates across Canada.
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ABOUT 100 DEBATES ON THE ENVIRONMENT:
100 Debates on the Environment is a project coordinated by GreenPAC for the Sustainability Network. Visit www.100debates.ca/debates for more information on the project and for a list of local debates.
RIDINGS WITH CONFIRMED DEBATE ORGANIZERS
Alberta
Calgary Centre
BC
Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola
Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam
Coquitlam-Port Moody
Cowichan-Malahat-Langford
Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo
Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge
Richmond Centre
Stevenston-Richmond East
Vancouver Kingsway
West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country
Manitoba
Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa
Elmwood-Transcona
Winnipeg South Centre
Ontario
Barrie-Innisfil
Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte
Beaches-East York
Brampton East
Brampton West
Burlington
Davenport
Elgin-Middlesex-London
Etobicoke Centre
Etobicoke North
Etobicoke-Lakeshore
Guelph
Halton Hills -Wellington
Leeds-Grenville-Thousand
London North Centre
London West
London-Fanshawe
Milton
Northumberland-Peterborough South
Oakville
Oakville North-Burlington
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa South
Ottawa Vanier
Ottawa West-Nepean
Parkdale-High Park
Perth-Wellington
Peterborough-Kawartha Scarborough Southwest
Simcoe-Grey
St. Catharines
Toronto-St Pauls
University Rosedale
Windsor West
York-South Weston
Quebec
Pontiac
New Brunswick
Beauséjour
Fredericton
Saint John-Rothesay
Nova Scotia
Halifax
Halifax West
ABOUT GREENPAC:
GreenPAC was launched in 2015 and is Canada's non-partisan non-profit organization that works to build environmental leadership in politics. GreenPAC's other initiatives include a political internship program on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, as well as a non-partisan endorsement program for aspiring political candidates with a demonstrated commitment to the environment. GreenPAC coordinates 100 Debates on the Environment for the Sustainability Network, a national charitable organization. Visitwww.greenpac.ca for more information.
For more information or interview requests, please contact:
Beata Rasitsan, Senior Communications Manager (GreenPAC), 416-897-9838, b.rasitsan@greenpac.ca.