Students strike outside of City Hall (Photo by Ross Lavigne)

By Hayley Ferguson

Fridays for Future

Medicine Hat students take part in global climate strike

Sep 27, 2019 | 5:10 PM

Medicine Hat, AB – Students from across the world came together today to demand action from leaders on climate change.

Medicine Hat was home to one of the over 3,000 strikes worldwide.

“We think it’s so important to be here today because the climate crisis is just that, a crisis. And we are demanding systematic change from the government and capitalist corporations to keep our earth from deteriorating anymore then it already has. And that’s why it’s so important,” said Sophia Stacey, a grade 12 student from Medicine Hat High School.

Stacey was just one of approximately 35 students that took to city hall for what the strike they called “Fridays for Future.”

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“I think we really have to take ownership and responsibility of our actions even if we as individuals may not be damaging the environment, we as a collective humanity are,” her classmate Sidra Ahmed said.

Many of the students are part of the Medicine Hat High School Earth Club who handed out information packages about their major concerns like mass extinction and ending the use of fossil fuels.

“We’re running on a clock. And eventually, time will run out. We’re all aware of that and I know it’s very overwhelming for some people but if we don’t take change now, eventually it will be too late. It’s not yet the time to be fearful rather hopeful and that’s what we’re trying to instill today,” Stacey explained.

photo by Ross Lavigne

A criticism that many people had on social media was about the students missing class for the strike.

For Stacey, who is the activism executive of the Earth Club, she says that this was the best way for people to realize that this is the students’ number one priority.

“We should be in school. We don’t want to be here. We want to be in class being educated. I love school and I’m so lucky to have an education. I’m well aware of that and I’m not taking it for granted. But I have to ask myself what is the purpose of getting an education if there’s not going to be a future to serve it?” she continued. “I can make up for the Friday classes that I missed. But I cannot make up for what’s been lost if we don’t do something now.”

Along with the students, there were about 10 adults in attendance supporting the students, including local NDP candidate Elizabeth Thomson.

“If we don’t deal with it, we’re not going to keep living,” she said. “This isn’t like an ‘alright’ issue we can deal with it later. This needs to be dealt with and it’s just so fundamental to our very existence.”

Thomson said she was extremely proud to see members of the next generation taking action.

“I was a teen activist. I was an activist way before I was a politician, so to be here and support them shows that there are adults that are supporting them and believe in them,” Thomson smiled.