Last night’s leaders’ debate was far from inspiring. We’re halfway through the critical decade in the fight to tackle the climate emergency, yet the Green Party was uninvited at the last minute and the two frontrunners for Prime Minister spent much of the night arguing over who supports pipelines more.
But the good news is that a visionary idea that we have been pushing for over the past few weeks, with help from people like you, cut through the noise. Jagmeet Singh voiced his support for a renewable-powered “East-West energy grid that connects low-cost energy across the country, helping families reduce their energy costs.”
This is a big deal. Just weeks ago, an East-West grid was a fringe policy idea, discussed only by experts. Now, thanks to thousands of people across the country speaking up, it’s at the centre of Canada’s energy and climate debate.1
Singh put it powerfully:
“If we’re talking about energy in this country, we need to build an East-West grid. Let’s use our power as a nation to create a national project that generates good jobs and strengthens our future—connecting low-cost energy from provinces across this beautiful land. Affordable energy for businesses and families means a stronger economy. That’s the energy of the future.”2
Even Mark Carney agreed, calling Singh’s East-West grid proposal “absolutely right”—and his platform reflects that support3. But Carney also backed new pipelines and disastrous greenwashing schemes like Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)4. This doesn’t match the scientific reality that people and the planet simply can’t afford more fossil fuel expansion.
Meanwhile, Pierre Poilievre threatened to roll back hard-won climate policies and instead push massive fossil fuel expansion, promising:
“A one-stop shop for ‘shovel-ready’ zones, pre-approved permits for LNG plants, mines, and pipelines in every direction.”5
Poilievre’s plan would ensure that our planet burns while some of the richest companies in the world profit.
But there’s still over a week until election day. We can make moves right now to not only prevent a catastrophic Conservative majority, but elect a government that will actually deliver the solutions we deserve.
Here’s the plan:
- Make sure you go and vote in your advance polling locations: Find out where and when here.
- Vote thoughtfully, we recommend reading this opinion piece by 350 Canada team lead Amara Possian and these endorsements by our friends at Leadnow.
- Fight Pierre Poilievre’s dangerous agenda: It’s more important than ever to talk to your friends and families and do what it takes to prevent them from getting played by Pierre and the Conservatives. Check out our conversation guide here.
Time is short and every move we make right now make matters.
We hope you will vote carefully and encourage your friends to do the same.
It’s huge that our collective voices have already played such a major role in shaping the climate conversation for this election. But we’ve got our work cut out for us after the election too. We are making plans to hit the ground running right away to ensure we fight back against the Liberal/Conservative pipeline push and to hold Carney accountable to his promise to build an East-West Grid powered by renewable energy.
Thank you so much for your support for our campaign so far. With your help, we’ve been able to make a huge impact this election.
From organizing volunteers across the country to fight back against Conservative misinformation, to road signs exposing Pierre’s dangerous agenda in his own riding, to newspaper and radio ads in key battleground ridings, to collaborations with content creators who have allowed us to reach hundreds of thousands of voters, we could not have done it without you! Let’s get through this final push and put our strongest foot forward after election day.
Sources:
- People’s Power Grid Campaign
- Debate Clip: Jagmeet Singh Speaks to an East-West Power Grid
- Carney’s Energy Platform
- Debate Clip: Carney on Energy
- Debate Clip: Poilievre on Shovel Ready Zones