Fridays for Future Yukon will host a climate strike outside city hall this Friday “to show city council that Whitehorse residents care about climate action.”

The strike is being held in light of the City of Whitehorse developing its Climate Action Plan “to ensure this plan is effective and works for all Whitehorse residents,” the group said.

“We need this plan to be strong, comprehensive and meaningful so that we can effectively tackle the impacts that climate change will have on our Wilderness City.”

Recently, Fridays for Future Yukon organizers met with the project manager and gave input into the plan.

“We know that Whitehorse has an opportunity to be a leader for municipal climate action across the North and around the world,” the group said.

“We are hopeful that this plan can be incredibly impactful in tackling the climate emergency declared by our city council in 2019.

“We want to ensure this plan includes stronger transit, increased local food production and collaboration with the territorial government.”

By including steps to make active and public transit easier to use and a more obvious choice, the group added, “we can make a less congested and less polluting city.

“Local food production allows Whitehorse residents to have more food security and sovereignty, while contributing to a greener local economy.

“Finally, working with our other levels of government is crucial to ensuring this plan is meaningful and doesn’t fall through the cracks in jurisdiction.”

Whitehorse youth and citizens have a collective message for city council and all Yukon politicians, the group added: “the climate emergency is here, and meaningful action by everyone is essential.

“We want and need the Climate Action Plan to be well-thought-out and implemented quickly to protect the future of Whitehorse’s pristine natural environment and excellent living conditions.”