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One for the road

Sign of large commitment exhibited by young climate crusader making Castlegar stopover
99290castlegarJoseph-Boutelier
Motivated unicyclist Joseph Boutelier of Victoria makes a Castlegar stopover on Monday (April 28) as part of his trip from Victoria to Ottawa in the name of Climate Change awareness and action. He expects to reach the Nation’s Capital sometime in September.

Joseph Boutilier of Victoria is taking a 5,000-kilometer, five-month unicycle ride across Canada to promote unity for the climate. The trip will culminate in Ottawa after rallies, events and meetings in dozens of other communities along the route.

Boutelier is calling on the Canadian government to take “rapid, strategic and collaborative action to tackle the climate change crisis, breaches to first nations treaties and inherent land rights and the muzzling of publicly-funded scientists.”

With the 2015 federal election just around the corner, Boutelier warns that time is running out for MPs and political parties to make clear commitments on environment and sustainability.

“I ask you to join me on the road, in your community, on Parliament Hill and online,” says Boutelier, “to demonstrate to our political leaders that we will no longer stand for their casual neglect of our environment, our first nations and our climate.”

This is an ambitious project to say the least. Boutelier said the Bonanza Pass (Paulson Summit) was the toughest leg of the trip since leaving the Island, and perhaps the toughest of all as he was planning to give the Kootenay Pass a miss, heading for Nelson and the Balfour-Crawford Bay ferry after leaving Castlegar.

That being said, it’s not likely the Rockies will be any picnic for the one-wheeler.

 

You may keep up with Joseph and his ride at unityfortheclimate.ca