Students from Pemberton’s École La Vallée have a message for adults in charge: nature is precious. That’s the line that adorns Pemberton’s second Chair of the Next Generation, a symbolic reminder of decision-makers’ responsibilities to young Canadians.
During a presentation on June 23, Marilou Carswell, educational assistant and Eco Club leader at Pemberton’s francophone school, explained, in French, that the chair helps give a political voice to kids. Students might not be able to vote, but there are important decisions being made about their future and the chair is meant to help remind decision-makers to consider the next generation.
The Chair of the Next Generation is inspired by the group Mères au Front (mothers at the front), a grassroots organization of mothers and grandmothers who advocate for climate action and environmental protection. The Québecois group has grown from its founding in 2020 to include more than 30 local chapters across Canada and Belgium.
Pemberton’s first-ever Chair of the Next Generation was gifted to mayor and council last year. This second Chair was gifted to Sea to Sky member of Parliament Patrick Weiler on June 23.
Students in Grades 2 through 7 at the Francophone school have been hard at work for the last month, designing and decorating the new chair.
For one student on the design team, the best part of the project was developing the vision for the chair. For others, cutting the designs and painting the chair was their favourite.
“I really liked to see the chair all done,” another student told Pique.
The chair is divided, representing two possible futures: on the left is a green future, with healthy forests and wildlife and renewable energy sources denoted by the wind turbine on the left leg; on the right, there’s fire, litter and pollution.
“We decided to make a chair that represented the consequences of the good choices—the good decisions for the environment—and then the other side represents the consequences of bad choices for the environment,” explained Carswell.
When asked how they felt about their future—which side of their chair they felt was most likely to come to pass—students all said they were feeling positive.
Students were able to ask their MP questions during the gifting event, including what Weiler would do to protect nature.
The MP highlighted his former career as an environmental lawyer and a 2023 agreement between the government of Canada, B.C. government and the First Nations Leadership Council to protect 30 per cent of lands by 2030.
One inquisitive student asked the MP his age. He’s 39.
Even though kids can’t vote, Weiler explained they can still have an impact on the decisions that affect them most.
In French, he explained that kids can speak with friends, parents and other people about the importance of the environment—and that having those conversations during an election or when there’s a big decision on the docket can have an impact on the people who are able to vote.
The chair, gifted to Weiler, will be travelling back to his office in Ottawa—and perhaps even the House of Commons, the MP told students.
