Students and others concerned about climate change gathered at KPU today and headed out to Vancouver City Hall to take part in the Global Climate Strike, a movement started by Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg.
NDP candidate Jaeden Dela Torre and Green party candidate Francoise Raunet were both planning to attend the rally.
Dela Torre, who is running in Steveston-Richmond East, said it was important for him to take part in the climate strike because “as someone growing in a generation where it is a very real possibility that we won’t a planet that's liveable.” He added that he needs to “do what’s right and stand up for this planet.”
Dela Torre said food security is one of the environmental issues the riding is facing.
“As a predominantly agricultural riding there needs to be measures to ensure we have sustainable and healthy food growing,” he explained, but this requires also taking care of the environment.
“These issues interconnect and one cannot be solved without solving the other,” he added.
Scheer promises quick replacement of tunnel
Andrew Scheer, leader of the Conservative Party, was in Coquitlam today and promised a Conservative government would prioritize “critical infrastructure projects” like the George Massey Tunnel replacement.
“Canadians are sick and tired of being stuck in traffic and waiting for delayed public transit,” said Scheer in a press release. “Canada’s Conservatives will get on with real projects that reduce congestion and deliver faster commute times for everyone, whether you drive or catch public transit.”
The provincial NDP government cancelled the previous government’s plans to build a 10-lane bridge, and say they are working on a business plan to replace the tunnel.
Scheer also said he’d scrap the $35-billion Infrastructure Bank, which he called “nothing but a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
The Conservative campaign cited Statistics Canada, saying 1.5 million Canadians spent at least an hour commuting to work in 2016.
