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In a sold-out Théâtre des Patriotes in Sainte-Agathe, Que., on Monday, with representatives of 53 of the Laurentians’ 76 municipalities and all eight MRCs — as well as several newly elected MNAs — in attendance, students from local schools seized their opportunity.
They had a clear message to send to leaders: they want action on climate change, and they want it now.
Fifteen-year-old Alex Lafrance goes to Académie Lafontaine in Saint-Jérôme and was part of the group of students invited to speak at the Laurentians Summit earlier this week — an event to mobilize collective action on climate change.
He said they want the environment to be prioritized when decisions are being made at the municipal and provincial level.
“Who cares about the economy if there isn’t air to breathe anymore?” Lafrance said.
The students also presented their findings from a survey conducted among their peers. It showed high levels of eco-anxiety, with over 60 per cent of the 352 respondents saying they were extremely concerned about the climate crisis.
The students said they try to remain optimistic, but expressed disappointment that they didn’t hear much about the environment during the recent provincial election campaign — and that even when it is discussed, the talk doesn’t lead to concrete action.
Frédéric Prud’homme, 16, attends Polyvalente des Monts in Sainte-Agathe and said he has a hard time staying positive.
“I’m being a bit pessimistic, but I really want us to have a future because it seems dark, what’s ahead of us.”
Kim Meyer is the mayor of Lac-Tremblant-Nord, and was also a member of the summit’s steering committee. Meyer spoke on two of the panels that day, and said the students’ concerns are precisely why they decided to organize the event.
Through panels and workshops, municipal leaders shared practical solutions, explored new approaches and built connections to help turn climate goals into action in their communities.
Mayor Kim Meyer speaks on a panel about water and natural ecosystems. That was one of four workshops offered, along with sustainable mobility, social economy and waste management as well as resilient living environments. (Andie Bennett/CBC)
The students’ comments mean, Meyer says, “as a society our priorities aren’t in the right place —and they’re bang on.”
She also knows the only way to move forward is for the municipalities to start working collectively to address climate-change issues. Meyer says it is time to start making all decisions through the lens of the environment and climate change.
Marie-Pierre Beauvais from SNAP Quebec said getting everyone under the same roof is crucial for sharing best practices and finding solutions to common problems.
More than 50 municipalities and all 8 MRCs signed the Laurentians Agreement to work collectively in the fight against climate change. (Submitted by Thomas Dufresne)
SNAP is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting nature through a variety of conservation initiatives, including programs developed in partnership with municipalities.
The Laurentian Summit gave municipal leaders an opportunity to share ideas, learn from successful initiatives in neighbouring communities, and adapt proven programs to their own municipalities rather than starting from scratch.
Agnès Grondin, the outgoing MNA for Argenteuil, was a co-chair of the event. She spent much of her career devoted to environmental issues.
She says when she looked out to the sold-out crowd that witnessed the morning’s adoption of the Laurentians Agreement to work collectively, endorsed by more than 50 municipalities and regional county municipalities, it felt like the kind of moment she’d been waiting for her whole career.
Agnès Grondin, the outgoing MNA for Argenteuil, says she was about 16 when she became passionate about environmental activism. (Andie Bennett/CBC)
“That’s what I wanted 27 years ago, to see that. So I’m happy and I’m happy to see that it comes voluntarily. It comes because they believe in it. That is like a cadeau for me,” Grondin says.
The summit closed with concrete project announcements and a commitment to renew the accord annually, setting the stage for the second annual Laurentians Summit in 2027.