Environmental sustainability will be on the menu at an upcoming potluck-picnic in Beacon Hill Park. The People’s Picnic for a Green New Deal will take place on Saturday, July 6 from 2 to 6 p.m.

The event is hosted by Green New Deal Victoria — a coalition of local grassroots groups, two unions, a church and individual residents who are passionate about the vision of the Green New Deal. The goal of the picnic is to help build community and bring awareness to the Green New Deal, explains Emily Thiessen, one of the organizers.

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Picnic attendees will also be invited to participate in canvasing training, says Thiessen.

She hopes to get people excited about canvassing to spread the message and “grow the movement to historical levels.”

The canvassing will take place door-to-door and thourgh events, she says. Thiessen admits that canvassing is outside her comfort zone, but she knows how important it is.

A draft of a local Green New Deal platform will also be released at the picnic. The draft was created based on a town-hall meeting the group hosted back in May.

The local Green New Deal doesn’t have definite borders yet, but will likely include the whole Capital Regional District which more or less aligns with the Lekwungen and WSANEC territories, she says.

The next step for Green New Deal Victoria is to connect with local First Nations because it’s important to have them involved, says Thiessen.

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The Green New Deal seeks to address climate change and inequality at the same time, Thiessen explains. The transition away from fossil fuels is important, she says, but they want to make sure the transition is just so that no one is left behind. While the organization has big goals spanning across the country and in every level of government, Thiessen and her team know there is a lot to do at the local, grassroots level.

“We don’t necessarily need governments to get started,” she says. “Governments are not acting fast enough.”

Organizers will bring food to the picnic and hope that attendees will bring snacks to share as well. Paper will be provided for ingredients lists and organizers request that people bring containers and mugs to reduce waste.

For more information, go to the Facebook event page.

@devonscarlett

devon.bidal@saanichnews.com

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Climate changeEnvironmentFoodGreen New Deal