The Weekend People’s School
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“Farming for a Future: Cattle Myths and Soil Solutions” with Adam Wile - Photo: Catherine Poag
On November 16, 2019, the Weekend People’s School was put on as part of StFX Climate and Democracy Week events. The event was held at the People’s Place Library (283 Main Street, Antigonish), from 10am to 5pm, and was well attended throughout the day.
The day was split into three sessions. The first featured a workshop titled “Honouring Life: The Heart of Ecology,” and presented the thoughts of three speakers: Sister Donna Brady from the Sisters of St Martha, Dr. Adela Sandness, a religious professor here at StFX, and Mr. Jeffery Ward, the General Manager of the Membertou Heritage Park. There was also an activity going on for kids during this session, which was held by Art for Change. The activity gave kids an opportunity to make their own peace flags.
The second session began at noon, and consisted of a talk by Dr. Daniela Kempker, who is a Medical Officer of health. Kempker spoke about Climate and Public Health. On the other side of the library, Betsy MacDonald lead a group of adults, teens, and children alike in a workshop called “Environmental Song-tivism,” put on in partnership with the Antigonish Youth Activism Conference.
At this workshop, participants had the opportunity to reflect on climate issues through poetry – writing short haiku poems – and also through song. Betsy MacDonald led the group in a sing-along to a song she had already re-written to fit the climate theme, and the workshop concluded with a collaborative song re-writing session where participants came up with new, climate themed lyrics for Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.”
The third session featured two talks: “Honouring the Boat Harbour Closure” and “Farming for a Future: Cattle Myths and Soil Solutions.” The first talk was introduced by Dr. Margo Watt, from the department of psychology and given by Chief Andrea Paul, the current Chief of Pictou Landing First Nation, and Joan Baxter, a journalist and author of The Mill, which speaks about a pulp mill near Pictou county.
“Honouring the Boat Harbour Closure” - Chief Andrea Paul, Dr. Margo Watt, and Joan Baxter - Photo: Catherine Poag
Both women spoke about the impacts that Northern pulp has had on the people living in and around boat harbour. One big impact is the pollution, and the smell caused by the mill. The provincial government passed the Boat Harbour Act in 2015, calling for its closure, and setting the date for January 31, 2020. Chief Andrea Paul has put her heart and soul into the fight to close Boat Harbour, and has seen the impact it’s had on the people in her community. She mentioned in the talk that when the elders in her community speak about Boat Harbour, they switch to English – showing how bad the situation really is.
Pictou Landing First Nation has had to put millions of dollars into fighting the mill; they have had to hire their own engineers, lawyers, and have had to buy water because of the pollution of their well water, which sits right next to Northern Pulp. Joan Baxter shared the battle she had to go through with her book being suppressed, because the company doesn’t want the information out there; she also explained that Northern Pulp has spent the last two years fighting against the closure, and are now asking for an extension because they don’t know how they are going to clean up the damage. Whether or not they are granted the extension will be determined by December 17, 2019. The extension would be devastating for Chief Andrea Paul and her community, who have fought so hard for its closure.
The second talk of the afternoon session, “Farming for a Future: Cattle Myths and Soil Solutions,” began with an address from Mr. Adam Wile, of the Department of Agriculture. During his talk, Wile explained the human actions behind climate change, such as industrialization, and its role in our shift towards a manufacturing economy.
Gabe Chisholm of Sweet Mountain Farms - Photo: Catherine Poag
The second part of the talk was given by Gabe Chisholm of Sweet Mountain Farms. Chisholm spoke about how he has changed his farming practices to help the environment, and do his part to stop climate change. His cows are raised on pasture 12 months of the year; he doesn’t use hormones, antibiotics, synthetic, fertilizers, herbicides, or GMO’s; he has vastly reduced tillage and committed to regenerative soil practices, among other things. Mr. Chisholm also spoke about some new and exciting projects coming up on his farm, such as a wood turtle habitat protection project, and the Acadian Forest and Farm School, built to promote community building and regenerate farming, land-based, and treaty education.
The Weekend People’s School was a great learning experience, and gave community members the chance to learn about how climate change happens, how it is affecting us and the world, and how we can take action both as individuals and as members of the Antigonish and StFX community.
