Lindsay one of 74 places across Canada in global climate strike 

There were 123 world nations involved in youth-led action for climate change today, involving 2,099 cities and towns, with 74 of those towns in Canada. Lindsay was one of those places, with nearly 75 people showing up on a damp March day to lend their voices in demanding more political action to solve the growing threat of climate change.

Spearheaded by *Alexis Benns, a Grade 7 student at Central Senior Public School, participants met at Victoria Park in Lindsay and slowly marched down the north side of Kent Street and back up the south side to return to the park.

She credits her fellow Grade 7 friends Katrina Navy and Gabrielle Matthew for their help and support to make it possible.

“It was also great to see so many other compassionate people show up today and speak their minds about climate change,” says Alexis.

Drivers honked their horns in support and others stopped to chat with both the young people and many of the adults who were marching in support of their efforts.

“Our leaders need to realize this isn’t going to fix itself,” Gabrielle Matthew tells the Advocate. “Our planet needs to be respected.”

Madeleine McColl, a student from I.E. Weldon Secondary School, was also happy to be a part of the march.

“I think it’s so important…to maintain our Earth for generations to come. It’s so cool that all these generations have come together today to support that vision,” McColl says.

Connor Belbin, another Weldon student, says he believes it’s “important to protest and get the word out.”

“I’d like to see a revenue neutral carbon tax put back on the table to discuss,” Belbin says.

It was Swedish student, 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, who galvanized worldwide attention to fight climate change. She was recently nominated as a candidate to receive this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

*(Full disclosure: Alexis is the daughter of Lindsay Advocate publisher Roderick Benns.)