City council unanimously voted to declare a climate emergency immediately on Monday night, prompting cheers from a packed public gallery.

Earlier this month, councillors voted to ask city staff, in conjunction with a new citizens' advisory committee on environmental matters, to report by March.

But on Monday they nixed that and voted instead to make the declaration now and receive a report later on the budget implications.

Coun. Henry Clarke wanted a climate emergency declared immediately.

But Coun. Keith Riel was concerned it would be "an affront" to the citizens' committee to make a declaration without consulting them first.

Coun. Dean Pappas said the committee will want an emergency declaration anyway: "Let's just do it now."

Mayor Diane Therrien, who made a motion earlier this month to make the declaration, wasn't in council chambers Monday: she was ill.

Coun. Kemi Akapo said she hopes council will look hard at the budget to find money to finance projects to curb carbon emissions.

She said it prior to the vote: "If we declare a climate emergency tonight, I would expect every councillor to put their money where their mouth is."

The declaration came after councillors heard from 16 citizens who spoke passionately in favour of declaring an emergency.

Cam Douglas, a teacher, urged council "to throw its weight behind this declaration tonight."

"Time is not on our side," he said.

Douglas noted that there were several young people prepared to speak to council on the issue.

"They're angry, they're afraid and they're ready to do their part," he said.

Nico Ossa-Williams, a Grade 12 student, told council it's critical to declare a climate emergency immediately - not wait until March for a staff report.

"I'm shaking, my heart's racing, because I want this more than anything," he said. "I hope you're literate about what you're denying. It's now. It's tonight. Let's do it," he said.

Clara Blakelock wore a sign over her pregnant belly that said "Climate Change is an Emergency." She said she has a toddler and is expecting twins in a few months.

She urged council to declare a climate emergency now, adding that she wants to be able to tell her children some day she took political action on climate change.

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"I want to tell them I did everything I could to stand up for their futures," she said.

Ness Pringle, 22, a Trent University student who just moved here from Montreal three weeks ago, said she doesn't sleep much because she's "terrified" about the collapse of ecosystems and the lack of awareness about it from many people.

She put it bluntly: "The whole world is going to turn into a desert."

Dave Morton, the former head of the Quaker Oats plant in Peterborough, urged the city "with respect" to make a climate change declaration now and not sometime after March.

"We don't have time to lose - so please show some leadership," he said.

Sean Paul Cowling, who was injured after he was pushed to the ground by a volunteer of Peterborough-Kawartha Conservative candidate Michael Skinner outside the party's campaign office on Wednesday, arrived with his arm in a sling.

He said he was hurt while taking part in a peaceful discussion of climate change with each candidate in the election - and he urged council to declare a climate emergency.

"We are all temporary citizens of Earth," he said.

joelle.kovach

@peterboroughdaily.com

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