"Look at me, I'm still shaking."
It was our last day in Quebec City, with temperatures hovering around -20. But this college student wasn't talking about the weather, he was talking about hearing David Suzuki speak.
"All my life I've watched his shows. I've grown up with him," the soft-spoken student explained after quietly requesting a tour button. "I almost didn't come because I'm so busy, but a friend said I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't go. And he was right."
Nothing like that French passion to rouse you out of your doldrums, and this guy woke me up. Just when things are starting to get routine on this tour, something comes along to make you realize how amazing it all is. Quebec has been fantastic, from the frigid news scrum with Bonhomme, to the passionate French audiences and engaged and well-read citizens.
There's a sense of pride here because Quebec has some of the most progressive envionmental provinces in the country, and the most complete plan to fight global warming. Still, people are worried that not enough is being done, especially in other parts of the country. And they're hoping to see some sort of leadership from Ottawa.
Special thanks to our fantastic Quebec partners, Equiterre, for making the province accessible to a still largely anglophone organization. My apologies to Radio Canada for telling them en Francais that the tour started February 1 and that we'd been to 40 cities already. Of course, I meant we would be visiting 40 cities total. Never was very good at tenses. My high school French teacher would be red with embarassment.
Samuel Bouchard
Thanks to David Suzuki and his partners for coming to Quebec City.
I think the timing was perfect considering that the provincial elections are likely to happen this Spring, after an unusually warm and snow-less Winter.
Global warming already has an important negative ecological impact. In a Winter city like Quebec City and in many other Canadian towns, if we lose the snow, the cold and the activities that come with them, we also lose an important part of our identity. Most Quebecers love nature and are proud of their identity. Maybe that's why we are so concerned about global warming.
One of the goal of this tour is to engage the discussion about environmental issues in Canada, so here is a post on my blog about the conferences that was held at Laval University:
http://www.lablogatoire.com/2007/02/06/david-suzuki-de-passage-a-quebec/
Keep up the good work, we need it so much!
Elijah van der Giessen
Dave, I share your anglo shame. I'm an awful Canadian. But a good Albertan! :-)
Eric Muise
Bonjour Dr. Suzuki ! Merci pour votre visite a quebec. I truly enjoyed your talk-you are very inspiring. This was the first time I heard you speak in person eventhough I've seen you on various media over the years. I hope your tour will, as you say, keep the canadian public interested, focused, and engaged in what is shaping up to be the top political issue. Your efforts and those of your foundation and of Equiterre (and all the others) ARE making a difference so please keep informing the public on what they can do to help the environment ! It's working (at least it did for me) !!! merci.
Ginger
I was wondering why Sudbury was omitted from the Cross Canada Tour. Surely our notoriety as having the greatest point source of SO2 pollution plus our recent history of regreening makes us a worthwhile stop.
J.Hulme
If governments spend billions of dollars to kick start economies by investing in infastructure,how can they say that money is an issue when it comes to the most important infastructure of all.
clayton shields
The spotted owl is endangered and like many other endangered species we don do anything about it :( START CARING!!!
John Cooey
Un gros MERCI from Collge Mrici in Qubec City.
Dr. Suzuki's conference inspired close to 300 students and staff!! The clarity and pertinence of his message has given new energy to a small but growing movement. We feel privileged and we feel the need to act! Thanks to the Foundation and Dr. Suzuki as well as Equiterre for helping make Collge Mrici a part of the tour.
John Cooey, for the Comit de Dveloppement Durable
A fan in Japan
No update since Feb. 5? What's been happening on the tour since then? Not all of David Suzuki's fans live in Canada! This website is my link back home. More updates, please!