Gratitude Report, Spring 2024

Gratitude REPORT Spring 2024

A DECADE OF CHANGE ...

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So far in

2024

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Your actions and letters are helping us push for a cap on Canada’s worst emitting sector, the oil and gas industry.

We are also advocating for energy democracy and creating opportunities for you and your community to take part in achieving our goal of powering our society with 100% clean energy.

Grassroots Action & Alliances In 2024 we are acting to grow our movement by growing our membership and providing more tools and skills for you to take action and advance the goals of the Decade of Change.

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In January, we launched our new podcast, The Environment in Canada Podcast. We invite you and the broader public to join the podcast to learn about the Rights of Nature, keep up-to-date on environmental issues like the carbon tax, and adopt best practices on how to talk about climate change in an increasingly polarized world.

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High Impact Advocacy In 2024 we have a special focus on advancing the Rights of Nature.

Canada played a key role in securing an international commitment to the Global Biodiversity Framework in 2023. We now have a once-in-ageneration opportunity to ensure the Rights of Nature are included in Canada’s legislation and policies to ensure we meet the targets laid out in the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Unique Programs Your support powers programs focused on ensuring everyone has a sense of belonging in the outdoors, improving air quality, fighting new fossil fuel projects, and protecting nature. We are particularly proud to share with you a beautiful new guide for municipalities in Quebec to protect and conserve bird habitat within their boundaries.

Like many people in Canada we are impacted by wildfires and other climaterelated events - particularly our ability to provide outdoor programming in areas impacted by wildfires, hurricanes, and poor air quality. While our Wild Child programs in PEI and Edmonton continue to thrive, Wild Child - Nova Scotia is undergoing a re-set after being impacted by last year’s wildfires. We are taking time in 2024 to better meet changing community needs. Please be in touch if you too have been impacted by climate-related events: you are not alone!

Our Approach ALWAYS MOVING

Our Theory of Change

Our Mission

At Sierra Club Canada, we believe that people working in community are a powerful and resilient force for positive change.

FORWARD Sierra Club Canada empowers people to be leaders in protecting, restoring and enjoying healthy and safe ecosystems.

Sierra Club Canada is a national registered charity that includes four chapters: Atlantic, Québec, Ontario, and Prairie, plus Sierra Youth, a group whose mandate is to empower young people to become community leaders.

We are committed to furthering the goals of the Decade of Change through grassroots action and alliances, high impact advocacy, and unique programs.

WILD CHILD PEI

33-50%

Our success depends on the support of individuals and organizations whose generous donations make our work possible.

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OF PARTICPANT SPOTS ARE FREE OR SUBSIDIZED

THANKS TO GRANTS & DONATIONS

Your 2024

CHAPTERS MAKING CHANGE

Eglington Flats Our fight to save the Eglinton flats area in Toronto includes protecting ancestral sacred lands at the Humber River. It includes defending the rights for the urban indigenous to continue to access these sacred sites. We are supporting urban Indigenous youth calling for the protection of urban forest and the protection of 1,500 trees in the Eglinton Flats area through a fundraising campaign and supporting advocacy and awareness. This spring, we met with MPPs Joel Harden and Jill Andrew to share impact statements from our community at Queens Park, participated in a press conference, and answered questions on our behalf during a Q&A period. The Ontario Chapter is also supporting legal initiatives to protect high quality transit and forests through a Small Change Fund fundraising campaign.

Stop the Spray on Earth Day Over 320,000 people have signed up to says no to spraying poisons in our forests! On Earth Day, we teamed up with Stop the Spray Ontario and Safe Food Matters and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Elders to bring this massive petition to the provincial government calling for a ban on spraying pesticides on forests. In 2001, Québec banned the use of glyphosate and all herbicides - which resulted in more jobs! Ontario should follow Québec’s lead and stop spraying pesticides which are linked to cancer, birth defects, miscarriages, reproductive problems - not to mention harm to wildlife and the contamination of wild foods like berries.

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Protecting Living Waters from Nuclear Waste Sierra Club Canada has joined with Kebaowek First Nation, Concerned Citizens of Refrew County and Area and the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility to challenge the permit issued by the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change to allow the destruction of habitat for threatened and endangered species for a nuclear waste dump. The so-called “Near Surface Disposal Facility'' (NSDF) would actually be a landfill for the toxic and radioactive waste accumulated as the legacy of 80 years of nuclear experiments at the Government of Canada’s Chalk River Laboratories.

The plan to build a dump for a million tonnes of radioactive waste and other toxic substances in a giant hillside mound, one kilometer from the Ottawa River / Kichi Sibi is reckless and threatens clean, fresh water for millions of people downstream. After eight years of assessment, we still have no clear answers as to the types of waste that would go in the facility. It is clear that concerns about violating Indigenous rights and harm to the environment and human health have not been heeded.

Our hope is that this legal challenge – supported by impacted groups and Indigenous rights holders – will force the federal government to reverse its decision and protect the old growth forest at the site, which is known to be habitat for endangered Blanding's turtles, bats, and monarch butterflies; and threatened species such as the eastern wolf, Canada warbler, eastern whip-poor-will, wood thrush, and golden-winged warbler.

Building a Resilient Movement In partnership with Project Hope, we have hosted two events focussed on building on resilience and supporting creative activism. We were so fortunate to work with Isaac Murdoch and Eve Saint, who brought their teachings, learnings, and truth. Many thanks to the volunteers who helped support silkscreening in the community for many who had never tried this before! We have also been hosting weekly opportunities that are open to the community for people to create collaborative space for all participants, and no previous experience in art or mindfulness meditation is required.

Full Spectrum Resistance

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Two days of Radical Imagination! This teach-in shared strategies and actions across the activist spectrum, and was hosted at OCADU in Toronto, June 22-23.

This unique weekend invited social and environmental activists working towards a just and healthy planet into a discussion that was equal parts strategic upgrade, festival and retreat. We were joined by Aric McBay who wrote ‘Full Spectrum Resistance’. Aric inspired us with the untold stories of successful direct action. Leaders of their respective campaigns also came to share their campaign stories, and we talked about topics ranging from tenants’ rights, shutting down pipelines, Indigenous-led movements, divestment, the beauty and challenges of solidarity in movements, and Palestine.

Breathe Easy Our Breathe Easy program continues to work with volunteers in the Ottawa area to measure air quality in and around bus stops and transit hubs. Working with volunteers from the University of Ottawa and the TD Leadership Program during the winter months, we found readings that suggest high levels of particulate matter (PM 2.5).

We have consulted with air quality experts who suggested improvements with data which will be implemented in Phase 2 - Summer 2024.

We are now looking for more volunteers to help us gather data to see if we can pinpoint other air quality hotspots and confirm our findings from the winter.

Working to Shut Down Line 5 Thanks to our friends at Sierra Club US and Oil and Water Don’t Mix, we are providing opportunities for volunteers and allies to increase pressure on Canada’s government to stop defending Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline. The Enbridge Line 5 pipeline was constructed in 1953 and built to last 50 years. The pipeline runs from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario. Line 5 runs under the Straits of Mackinac, a narrow stretch of water which separates Lake Michigan from Lake Huron - a location referred to by Indigenous peoples as “ the heart of Turtle Island”.

This spring, Sierra Club Canada stood in solidarity with the Bad River Band, whose challenge to the pipeline to crossing their territory received a legal blow this spring. At that time, April 11th, the US Department of Justice weighed-in in favour of Enbridge and allies in the Canadian government.

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"The Sierra Club Canada Ontario Chapter stands in solidarity with Bad River Band as they lead the fight to defend their home. Their actions reverberate into the future, and embolden us to care for the Great Lakes as a cross-border and international initiative. If the Government of Canada thinks Canadians will not join the challenge for the largest freshwater body on the planet, at the heart of Turtle Island, they are sorely mistaken. The triple win for the planet, the people, and the economy is to retract and decommission both the pipeline and the use of the 1977 Treaty."

- Jessica Murray, Sierra Club Ontario

Wild Child Edmonton

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Our Wild Child programs in Edmonton continue to create opportunities for youth and children to thrive in nature. Since last fall our programs have provided over 8,000 hours of outdoors time for 300 children and youth in the Edmonton area! We are so grateful to be partnering with the Argyll Community Hall for providing much needed indoor space in case of poor air quality or cold weather!

Home for the Birds Many towns and cities do not realize that the Migratory Birds Convention Act requires all levels of government to do their part to protect migratory bird habitat. Every spring, millions of birds travel thousands of kilometres - traversing numerous obstacles - to find a safe haven to have their young. If brush and trees are cut at the wrong time, nesting birds and their babies don’t stand a chance. With support from the Echo Foundation and TerraHumana, we have produced a guide for towns and cities in Québec to explain how they can step up to ensure habitat for birds is protected and handled with care.

This Planet is Not for Sale !

We joined forces with Pour le futur Montréal, ATTAC Québec, La planète s’invite au parlement and a team of dedicated citizen organizers, including our Québec Director Shirley Barnea to organize a march. The event focused on Earth Day as a moment to explore Québec’s energy transition, to celebrate the progress made thanks to our movement, and to demonstrate that the transition must reduce over-consumption as well as GHG emissions.

The march was organized in collaboration with le Chœur de la transition de Montréal, who added their voice to the march with environmentally- and socially-minded songs.

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Stop Atlantic Gas Alliance As part of the Stop Atlantic Gas Alliance (SAGA), we stood up to proposals on behalf of New Brunswick’s Premier Blaine Higgs to lift the regulation banning fracking in the province and his embrace of LNG fed by fracked gas in his State of the Province address in January.

We continue to monitor the proposed Placentia Bay LNG Project in Newfoundland and Labrador. Recent correspondence with the provincial government’s indicates there has been no move on the part of the company to move its project forward through the assessment process.

We remain vigilant.

Bay du Nord Working with activists and partners in NL, across Canada, and around the world, we convened a strategy session on stopping the Bay du Nord project, supporting energy democracy, and an energy transition in St. John’s NL. Twenty-six experts and community leaders - from sixteen organizations - convened to share their thoughts on how to target Equinor and convince them to convert their project’s three-year delay into a cancellation.

Also in May, we were part of the launch of the new website for the International Equinor Out campaign, joining forces with groups around the world trying to stop Equinor from drilling off their coasts in complete disregard for global climate targets.

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As always, we continue to bring attention to Equinor not meeting its own commitment to the Paris Accord and not being honest about its climate record - something the company was called out on by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). We also asked you to take action in solidarity with environmental groups in Costa Rica who are asking Norway to halt its involvement in promoting oil and gas development there.

Your Impact THANK YOU! At Sierra Club Canada we want to extend our gratitude to you for all you do to make our work possible. This impact report gives us the chance to give back and share with our supporters what have we been up to since January.

It measures the impact that Sierra Club Canada is having in the lives of those who join our community and become involved in many of our projects.

Sierra Club Canada’s Decade of Change is an ambitious vision for a positive change that we know will only happen by working with people like you. It will only happen by supporting allies and leaders who are making change in their communities.

The shift toward 100% clean energy is well underway. The cost of clean energy sources like wind and solar power are now less than coal, oil, and gas. An analysis from Climate Analytics shows that the growth in clean energy for power may mean GHG emissions have finally hit their peak.

You are making this change happen by stepping-up to be part of climate solutions like energy democracy. Pressure from you and people from across Canada has resulted in Equinor placing a three-year pause on the Bay du Nord oil drilling project.

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This spring, thanks to collaboration between our Ontario Chapter and the Sierra Club U.S., we succeeded in initiating a grassroots campaign to counter Canada’s support for the Line 5 pipeline which threatens fresh water in the Great Lakes. Thanks to hundreds of supporters like you, the federal government has proposed a draft regulation on Canada’s worst climate polluting sector, the oil and gas industry, an emissions cap.

We were thrilled in December 2023 when the Global Biodiversity Framework included making space for acknowledgement of the Rights of Nature. But we knew that this was just the first step in seeing transformative change on the ground in Canada. That’s why in 2024 we are pushing to see the Rights of Nature included in Canada’s corresponding legislation to the Global Biodiversity Strategy. We are creating opportunities for more people to learn about the transformative concept of the Rights of Nature, and supporting groups such as the Tenàgàdino Alliance who are making this concept a reality on the ground.

The Decade of Change is an ambitious vision, and we know we will not achieve our goals without working with changemakers like you to grow the Sierra Club Canada. This summer we are focused on building our membership and supporting efforts in our Chapters to take on challenges and be a voice for positive change in their communities.

We hope in the months ahead that we can have more conversations with you about what drives you to give to our work, and how we can do even more together to make positive change.

You are helping keep up momentum for this Decade of Change. We know we have lots to do to make sure we meet our goals and continue to grow as an organization.

We look forward to working with you to guarantee your contribution makes the biggest impact possible. Thank you once again for being a powerful force for positive change!

THANKS TO YOU

$41,771

OUR SUPPORt HAS GROWN ...

Donations as of

Support from you has enabled us to more than double our revenue and impact since 2017!

May 2024

$1,400,000

191

$1,200,000

Individual Donations

$1,000,000

as of

$800,000

Total Revenue

May 2024

Donations from Individuals and Corporations

$600,000 $400,000 $200,000 $0

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Thinking of Gift Planning?

We are pleased to announce Sierra Club Canada is partnering with the national Will Power campaign. We are one of many charities, financial and legal advisors that are part of this initiative; showing Canadians how to make a bigger difference through their strategic charitable giving.

Did you know leaving a small percentage in your Will to charity could result in a major donation? The kind of contribution that creates serious change for the better? You do not have to use money you need now or take away from what your loved ones will need either.

In fact, your donation could offset the taxes your family will have to pay on your behalf.

Stay tuned for more information and tools to help you add power to your giving.

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In 30 days in June 2024 alone we’ve had

Podcast downloads online.

That’s not counting our FM Radio reach in Montréal.

Our social media channels have reached

From January 2024 to July 2024. That’s not including reach from news coverage.

"Thanks to you and the Sierra Club for all the work you do to make Canada a better place! It is truly inspiring for us musicians to witness your activities and impact."

- Nicolas Ellis, Conductor, Founder and Artistic Director of the Orchestre de l’Agora

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank all the Sierra Club Canada members, volunteers, and staff who contributed to this report.

Ole Hendrickson, President and Chair of the Conservation Committee Jessica Murray, Line 5 Community Organizer Kristina Jackson, National Operations Director David Snider, Past President and Volunteer Leader in Cantley, Québec & Ottawa Region Kim Kotanko, Financial Consultant Michelle Moraitis, Grassroots Engagement & Membership Weays Ahmed, Breathe Easy Coordinator Kassie Drodge, Mixed Coast Collective Ashley Whynot, Wild Child - Nova Scotia Coordinator Wild Child - Prince Edward Island Hannah Gehrels, Coordinator and their awesome staff: Shannon Ayles | Indra Johnson | Tamsyn Neale | Luca Bisceglia | Caedda Enright | Rachel Schneider | Haley McKenna | Victoria Gibbs | Sukhmanpreet Singh | Erika Warren | Charlie Ewing | Cadence Wood | Alice Atkinson Wild Child Edmonton Paulina Retamales and Trista Helgeson, Coordinators and their awesome staff: Daisy Cheers | Rylen Glenday | Daniel Nielson | Courtnee Riou | Jacqueline Sharun | Josh Elzen

This Impact Report was compiled, written, and designed by: Beti Canet, Taylor Farrugia, Gretchen Fitzgerald, Jessica Cheung Murray, Tamsyn Neale, and Conor Curtis.

Sierra Club Canada Foundation National Office PO Box 2007, STN B Ottawa, ON K1P 5W3 613-241-4611 // 1-888-810-4204 info@sierraclub.ca CRA # 11914 9789 RR0001

THANK YOU

CHANGEMAKERS!