Seniors for Climate: Fighting for Tomorrow

Whether you’ve seen their posters around campus, passed by Town Hall during their Friday rallies, or attended one of their many events, you’ve likely encountered S4C Antigonish in some way or another. Seniors for Climate (S4C) is a nationwide movement working to bring seniors together in the fight against climate change. The organization was born from a network of climate rallies that took place in the fall of 2024 and since then, over eighty S4C chapters have emerged across Canada, including one in Antigonish. 

Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Edwin DeMont and Leslie Buckland-Nicks, President and Vice President respectively of S4C Antigonish. Both taught in the biology department at StFX and have been involved with environmental activism in Antigonish for many years. Alongside a passionate team of fellow seniors in town, they’ve organized events, connected with local leaders, and grown S4C Antigonish into a powerful presence in the community. 

The scope of events that S4C Antigonish has carried out in the past year alone is impressive. “We’ve been very busy,” Edwin told me with a laugh. The group held a series of Earth Day events this past spring, which included presentations on the local impacts of climate change on the harbour, a bioblitz on the Landing Trail, and a film viewing at the town library. (Leslie especially recommends watching “Later is Too Late,” a short documentary of the 2024 inaugural rally that can be found on YouTube!). This fall, they organized meetings with the communities of Arisaig, Pomquet, and St. Andrews to discuss local concerns about the environment and the impacts of climate change. One of the group’s most notable events took place on September 20 with Draw the Line, an international day of advocacy for social and environmental justice that the national S4C movement partook in through a series of events across Canada. S4C Antigonish reached out to local government representatives, groups and societies at StFX, and non-profits across Nova Scotia to organize a gathering in the Coady Gardens followed by a rally and social at Candid. 

Considering the often-adversarial nature of environmental activism, it’s inspiring to see the emphasis that S4C places on collaboration with local governments. “We’ve done quite a bit of work connecting with the municipality,” Edwin told me. In the past year, S4C has been involved in various events with the Town and County of Antigonish, including inviting the region’s sustainability directors to discuss planned climate initiatives with the public and giving a presentation during their annual joint session.  

While speaking on the importance of forming these connections, Leslie mentioned a few words from Katharine Hayhoe, a renowned Canadian scientist who recently discussed the importance of working with the “head, heart, and hands” in unison when tackling climate change. “I think a group like ours has to do all three,” Leslie explained. “We have to be not only providing information but doing things that engage people.” 

Engagement is certainly at the heart of S4C’s mission and the Antigonish chapter works to ensure that all members of the community have an opportunity to participate in their events. In a six-week series this summer, for instance, they hosted nature film screenings at a care home in town. The series aimed to give more elderly seniors the opportunity to learn and feel connected to the environment and is a project that they hope to expand to other homes soon. Leslie also mentioned the Climate Cafes series, which are “twice a month, informal conversations at Candid” where all members of the community are welcome to come and chat. Moreover, another member of the Antigonish chapter, Paul Strome, is focused on collaborations with Indigenous speakers, working to integrate Indigenous perspectives into their advocacy through various events. In terms of further collaboration with StFX, S4C is currently working on making connections with the education faculty, recognizing the importance of supporting climate initiatives on campus and collaborating with student groups including ALPACA and the CLEN Society to host more events in the new year. 

“Sometimes I’ve heard people say, ‘Why seniors?’” said Leslie. “And I would say that seniors have a lot of experiences… We’ve been doing this activism for a long time, so we’ve seen the effect of climate change ourselves. We can notice it. We’ve seen the movement coming and going, different approaches being taken.” 

“We’re concerned about kids and grandkids,” Edwin added. “We’re concerned about what’s happening, what’s going to happen to them.” 

Leslie agreed. “We have a personal, generational interest.”  

Unfortunately, it’s not an interest that all Canadians seem to have at heart. “[The CBC] talked about these surveys they produced across the country [that] listed priorities for people, and climate was tenth on the list,” says Edwin. “…That’s definitely a challenge.” 

In the midst of such statistics and similar discouraging news, S4C’s unyielding drive to fight for the future becomes all the more important. 

As Leslie put it, “You just have to keep doing what you know is right.” 

Moving forward, S4C will continue bringing our communities together and advocating for climate justice. Check out Seniors for Climate Antigonish on their Facebook page and stay tuned for future events!