Gratitude Report, Spring 2025
Halfway Through the Decade of Change
Halfway Through the Decade of Change
Dear Changemaker,
Since we embarked on the Decade of Change commitment in 2019, much has changed. Youth-led marches and activism around the world have pushed climate change awareness to new heights in both the public and the media—setting a frame for dialogue that even climate deniers could not reset, despite the fog of COVID-19, international crises, and threats to sovereignty. We’ve endured a global pandemic, adopted a new global biodiversity framework, and seen renewable energy surge which remains very popular in Canada.
At the same time, a wave of antidemocratic forces are pushing to preserve the old-guard visions of how society should be run. As life becomes less affordable for most people, colonial elites keep promoting top-down control and big mega-projects, as if returning to that past will bring relief to those who are hurting. Little attention is paid to the unraveling of the natural world, the greatest threat to our economy in its truest sense (after all, the root of “economy” is “eco,” meaning home). There is little room in the public sphere to discuss reducing consumption— from energy to disposable plastics—in order to save more. Few question why the old system produced such inequality, unhappiness, and environmental degradation in the first place.
Thanks to you, we can now more than ever make the case that we need change: fighting pipelines, LNG, and oil drilling, and championing solutions that work locally and reshape the conversation about energy in Canada. Thanks to you, we are working to transform our relationship with nature and engage in meaningful reconciliation under the guidance of Indigenous partners. You empower us to inspire and nurture a generation resilient in the face of the challenges—and opportunities—that the new world we are creating will bring.
Thank you for being with us through the first half of the Decade of Change and for helping to grow our organization and our capacity to make a difference. The second half of this decade will be a cliffhanger—no question. But with your help, we can write a very different ending than the fossil-fuel sector and its powerful anti-democratic allies have in mind.
Onward,
Gretchen
In the fifth year of our Decade of Change, Sierra Club Canada has continued to punch above its weight—delivering real victories for nature, communities, and climate despite operating with a small core team. Powered by your support, we’ve worked across chapters and coalitions to grow a future rooted in justice, biodiversity, and clean energy.
This year, your generosity helped us:
★ Win legal victories to protect endangered species and wetlands, including a major court ruling at Chalk River and permanent protection for Montreal’s Technoparc.
★ Shift public opinion and inspire action: 67% of Canadians now prefer renewable energy over oil and gas development, and fewer than one in five support using tax dollars to fund largely foreign-owned LNG projects. In Alberta, 72% of people want to maintain or strengthen federal climate action and Canada’s transition to clean energy.
★ Grow grassroots energy democracy, with Atlantic communities shaping the future of offshore wind, pushing back against offshore oil drilling, and defending historic fracking bans.
★ Support powerful storytelling, from climate-survivor exhibits that helped push forward Canada’s emissions cap and defend climate policy in general, to podcasts and youth-led art that amplified new voices and bold ideas.
★ Expand Wild Child programs, making nature education inclusive, joyful, and accessible for hundreds of children and families.
★ Plant hope across Canada, with nearly two million wildflower seeds already sent out as part of our campaign to restore pollinator habitats—and plans to plant eight million more this year.
★ Stand in solidarity with Indigenous land and water defenders, from the Bad River to Walpole Island.
Sierra Club Canada’s Decade of Change (2020–2030)
Through every project and campaign, we’ve kept our focus on what matters most: people and the planet. Your support doesn’t just help us act—it helps us lead, connect, and imagine boldly. Thank you for standing with us.
Our Vision: Inspire an engaged, empowered community that acts together to:
➽ Champion a society powered by 100% clean energy
➽ Recognize and uphold the Rights of Nature
➽ Embrace social and environmental justice with democratic decision-making
➽ Live within the Earth’s resources and support a circular economy
➽ Give everyone a sense of belonging in the outdoors
How We’re Advancing This Vision:
✓ Grassroots action and alliances
✓ Unique programs and projects
✓ High-impact advocacy
Chapter Updates
Prairie Chapter
Wild Child Edmonton
Our Wild Child programs in Edmonton continue to create meaningful opportunities for children and youth to thrive in nature. This year, our programs will have provided over 11,000 hours of outdoor time to nearly 500 children and youth in the Edmonton area.
We’re also thrilled to be hosting two free family events this season, including one in partnership with the Mi Gente Canada Foundation. These gatherings help families discover the beauty of Edmonton’s urban parks and enjoy fun, nature-based activities close to home.
This past year, we welcomed a new Project Coordinator to our team. Trista has been a part of Wild Child Edmonton since 2022, and they’re proud to step into this new role, bringing their passion and experience to the work ahead.
We are also so grateful to the Argyll Community Hall for generously providing indoor space for our programs during cold weather and periods of poor air quality.
Ontario Chapter
Protecting Living Waters from Nuclear Waste
In January 2025, we joined Kebaowek First Nation and two other organizations in Federal Court to challenge a permit that would have allowed construction of Canada’s first permanent nuclear-waste disposal facility at Chalk River—just 180 km upstream from Ottawa.
And we won.
The court overturned the project’s Species at Risk permit, ruling that the federal government had failed to follow the law. The proponent, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), acknowledged that building the facility at Chalk River could harm, harass, or kill endangered species, including Blanding’s Turtle and two bat species. Yet they chose this site despite identifying safer alternatives.
The court found that this violated the Species at Risk Act, which requires considering all reasonable alternatives—and selecting the option with the least impact on vulnerable species. This victory sends a powerful message: environmental laws must be respected, and endangered species deserve real protection.
The story continues today as the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories decided to appeal this ruling, and our efforts to challenge this appeal are ongoing.
Shut Down the Line 5 Pipeline
Over the past year, we’ve worked to grow a cross-border movement to shut down the aging Line 5 crude-oil pipeline, which threatens the Great Lakes and the rights of Indigenous Nations. We deepened collaboration with Sierra Club U.S., supported Indigenous-led legal challenges, and built solidarity actions here in Canada. From community screenings of Bad River—where we welcomed Bad River Band members to Toronto and Montréal—to Earth Day gatherings on Walpole Island, our work has been rooted in relationship, resistance, and care.
We also supported healing spaces within the Fossil Fuel Divestment Network, helped organize the children-led Great Fish Fold (breaking the record with 86,262 origami fish!), and are mapping legal strategies through the End Line 5 Canada Coalition to stop the proposed tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac. This August, we’ll gather with Garden River First Nation and Indigenous Climate Action for a land-based legal and relational retreat. These efforts are about more than a pipeline—they’re about protecting water, honouring treaty responsibilities, and safeguarding our collective future.
Protecting Wetlands,
Protecting Birds
This year, we have reached thousands of people in municipalities with our bird guide, creating meaningful community engagement. The guide is an ongoing project that helps municipalities maximize their capacity when addressing bird conservation.
Last fall, we celebrated a landmark victory in Montréal’s Technoparc, where critical habitat for migratory birds was permanently protected. It was no small feat—this achievement came only after our community of advocates stood firm, refusing to let one of the last sanctuaries for these birds be paved over. In partnership with Legacy for the Environment and local community groups, Sierra Club Canada supported a multi-year legal and on-the-ground campaign to block the destruction of the Technoparc wetlands—key habitat for migrating birds, monarch butterflies, and countless pollinators.
Sharing Knowledge,
Building Momentum
In February, Sierra Club Canada was proud to take part in the Unrigged and Harbinger media conference in Montréal. We set up our “table for the birds,” where we shared the latest edition of our Québec Chapter’s municipal bird conservation guide, our podcast, and other resources. These moments help grow the movement—and we’re so grateful to everyone who stopped by to learn, share, and connect.
Atlantic Chapter
Advancing Energy Democracy
Our Atlantic Chapter has been advancing a bold vision for the future—one where local people benefit from and help govern renewable energy systems that serve their needs. From strategy sessions in New Brunswick to research partnerships with St. Thomas University, the call for community-controlled energy has been growing louder—and it’s working. Sierra Club Canada’s policy advocacy and participation in public forums have helped drive unprecedented enthusiasm for East Coast offshore wind, laying the groundwork for more just, local energy systems.
We’re now planning hands-on workshops to help communities explore models like municipal utilities, co-ops, and rooftop solar sharing. And in June, we began the hiring process for a new Offshore Wind Coordinator to deepen this work through the Atlantic Offshore Wind Coalition, alongside partners at East Coast Environmental Law and Ecology Action Centre.
Fracking Moratoriums in Atlantic Canada
This year, we celebrated the strength of grassroots and Indigenous-led movements that secured fracking moratoriums in all four Atlantic provinces—moratoriums that continue to stand across the region, with the exception of Nova Scotia, where it was recently lifted. When New Brunswick’s ban was threatened, your support helped re-amplify local voices and keep the issue front and centre with lawmakers. These victories, hard-won over more than a decade, show how community action can shape provincial policy—and protect land, water, and health for generations.
Defending Democracy in Nova Scotia
In March, over 500 people gathered in Halifax to push back against anti-democratic legislation introduced by Premier Tim Houston. Co-hosted by Sierra Club Canada alongside unions, labour groups, and environmental allies—including CUPE NS, EAC, and the NS Federation of Labour—this rally for democracy was a powerful show of public resistance to proposals that would limit transparency, silence dissent, and roll back key environmental protections, including lifting Nova Scotia’s fracking and uranium mining bans without consent from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs. Your solidarity helped make this gathering possible—and keeps our governments accountable.
A Win for the Clean Energy Now Alliance
Also in March, we celebrated a major breakthrough: federal, provincial, and Indigenous leaders announced an investment to double the electricity transfer capacity between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This is a huge win for the Clean Energy Now alliance, which has long advocated for building a connected, renewable energy future in the Maritimes. The expanded grid helps move Nova Scotia off coal, supports community-owned wind, and enables Eastern Canada to lead the way in clean, resilient, public power.
Wild Child PEI
Wild Child PEI continues to offer meaningful and joyful nature experiences for children across the island—including trans and gender-diverse children. In partnership with PEERS Alliance, our Roots and Shoots outdoor program provides a safe, affirming space for children under 13 (and their siblings) to connect with nature, play, and thrive—while offering parents and caregivers non-judgmental support, resources, and community.
Nature Immersion
This past year, with support from the PEI Wildlife Conservation Fund, we saw another successful season of nature immersion programming in Charlottetown and Summerside. Success isn’t measured by numbers alone, it’s reflected in the families who no longer need the program because their children are thriving, and their parents feel equipped and supported. Your generosity is helping build a healthier, more inclusive community—one outdoor adventure at a time.
“By giving parents the best information about supporting their trans child, we give that child the best opportunity to be themselves in a world that can be rather tough at times for trans folks.”
– Anastasia Preston, Trans Community Outreach Coordinator
at PEERS Alliance
Standing Strong Against Bay du Nord
This year, Bay du Nord shifted from being touted as a “benefit to Canada” to what its own developer, Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor, now calls a “cautiously optimistic” project. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of our coalition partners, including EquinorOUT, the instability and risks of pursuing Bay du Nord have become increasingly clear. Despite industry projections that oil would be flowing soon, Equinor has made little progress, and key infrastructure remains undeveloped. The growing strength of the opposition reflects a steady belief: that renewable energy is the true path forward—one that centres community benefits, fair wages, and a welcoming future for all who call Newfoundland and Labrador home.
Meanwhile, grassroots leaders across Newfoundland and Labrador continue to resist extractive projects and are building space for bold, creative visions of climate justice. Through storytelling, art, and community events like the Sacred Threads Festival and upcoming Eco-Justice Labs in St. John’s, local champions are weaving together conversations about resilience, climate preparedness, and mutual aid. These gatherings aim to untangle harmful pro-oil narratives and reimagine renewable energy futures that honour Afro/Indigenous leadership and prioritize social and economic justice for all communities.
National Highlights
Momentum At Every Level
Amplifying Voices Through Media & Storytelling
This year, we continued to grow The Environment in Canada podcast, with special series and holiday episodes that elevated frontline stories and built a living archive of our work. Our two-part podcast on resisting U.S. annexation of Canada sparked significant dialogue and received extensive coverage by the industry news outlet Offshore Energy, where Sierra Club Canada called out oil and gas corporations for their role in bringing Canada into this situation.
We also launched new, misinformation-busting fact sheets—helping members and allies challenge false narratives and pivot public discourse toward proven climate solutions. These resources are already making an impact—cited in op-eds, town halls, and media coverage across the country.
Growing a National Network of Action
With your support, we’ve strengthened our grassroots foundation. We hired a Grassroots Engagement & Membership Coordinator to support chapters in building local capacity through outreach and events. From sustainability workshops in Halifax to nature hikes in Ottawa, our growing network welcomed 50 new donors and 30 new members last summer alone.
We’re now laying the groundwork to host chapter-based events and deepen our support for member-led organizing across the country. We’re thrilled to welcome Chenille to the team, who will help lead these efforts in the months ahead.
Protect What We Love Campaign
Last fall, supporters joined us and climate-disaster survivors on the road to New York and Ottawa, bearing witness to the real impacts of climate inaction at UN Climate Week and on Parliament Hill. Our “Protect What We Love” exhibitions gave MPs across political lines a rare chance to meet wildfire and flood survivors in person—bringing urgency to long-stalled climate regulations.
Shortly thereafter, the long-awaited draft regulations for an oil and gas corporate emissions cap were finally announced—proof that when people most affected by climate policy speak directly to decision-makers, real progress follows. We’ve also hosted multiple emissions-cap town halls to continue this momentum and grow public understanding of the need to regulate corporate oil and gas emissions, which make up about onethird of Canada’s climate pollution.
Policy Advocacy Rooted in Local Solutions
This year, Sierra Club Canada has pushed for bold, local-first energy solutions that work for people and the planet—not just corporate profit. A key milestone was a cross-border meeting with Sierra Club U.S. in Montréal, where the conversation focused on growing Canada’s offshore wind industry and addressing the destabilizing impacts of U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. These tariffs threaten to weaken our domestic manufacturing base at the precise moment we need it most—to build the renewable-energy infrastructure that will power our future. In response, Sierra Club Canada has advocated for redirecting Canadian manufacturing capacity toward clean energy, reinforcing energy sovereignty and supporting local jobs.
The collaboration with Sierra Club U.S. has already yielded results, with the U.S. organization publicly opposing these damaging trade policies. Sierra Club Canada continues to push for a “Made-in-Canada” renewables strategy that centres equity, local ownership, and public investment. By promoting publicly owned infrastructure and community-scale energy projects, we’re helping ensure that Canada’s energy transition is not only green but also just— delivering real benefits to workers and communities nationwide.
“Nation building isn’t just about speed—it’s about vision.”
– Gretchen Fitzgerald, Executive Director, Sierra Club Canada
Rights of Nature & Protecting Living Systems
At Sierra Club Canada, we know that nature is not just a resource—but a living community to which we belong. This vision informs our growing advocacy for the Rights of Nature: the idea that ecosystems and species have the legal right to exist, flourish, and regenerate.
Rooted in many Indigenous cultural and legal frameworks, this concept represents both a pathway to reconciliation and a transformative policy lever. Over the past year, we’ve supported grassroots campaigns to develop Rights of Nature charters for rivers and ecosystems, including advocating for the inclusion of Rights of Nature in Ontario’s Biodiversity Strategy, while sharing best practices nationally. We’ve also explored this vision in depth through multiple episodes of our podcast, helping bring the concept into the public imagination.
Victory for the North Atlantic Right Whale
After decades of coalition-building with fishers, tourism operators, Indigenous leaders, and municipalities, Sierra Club Canada helped secure a federal halt on offshore drilling near Sable Island and advocated for federal funding to remove ghost gear and slow ship traffic in the Gulf of St. Lawrence—a critical summer feeding ground for the endangered North Atlantic right whale. In 2024, early population estimates showed a slight increase in whale numbers for the first time in years, offering hope that protecting this key habitat is working.
Let’s Plant Wildflowers: Pollinator Protection Across Canada
In partnership with Dutchman’s Gold, an Ontario-based company, Sierra Club Canada is helping to plant 10 million wildflower seeds across Canada in 2025. With one-third of the world’s food supply relying on pollinators —and populations of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds in decline—this campaign is a bold, hopeful step. Already, nearly 2 million native seeds have been sent out nationwide, kick-starting new habitat and restoring biodiversity. For every Dutchman’s Gold product purchased, a portion of proceeds goes toward seeding pollinator-friendly wildflowers, helping ecosystems bloom once again.
Youth Art for Climate
In April, Sierra Club Canada supported We Are the Future: Art to Inspire Climate Action—an Ottawa high school-led Earth Day initiative that invited youth to express their vision for a better climate future. Submissions ranged from digital art and painting to short films and posters.
Across 28 works, students captured both grief and hope—from melting glaciers to resilient blue jays. These powerful pieces remind us that youth creativity is climate action—and that art has the power to inspire collective change.
Your Support Makes This All Possible
Revenue Sources and Expenditure from 2024
Every action we’ve taken this year—from protecting endangered species and restoring pollinator habitats to advocating for climate justice and community-owned energy—has been made possible by people like you.
As of May 2025, we have raised $45,846.46 through 202 individual contributions.
Your generosity is the foundation of everything we do. As Leslie Adams, volunteer lead for our Let’s Plant campaign, puts it: “It starts with a seed.”
And thanks to you, we’re watching those seeds—of action, of change, of hope—take root across the country.
From all of us at Sierra Club Canada: thank you for walking this path with us.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank Sierra Club Canada staff, board members, and volunteers who help make this work possible.
Staff
Gretchen Fitzgerald, Executive Director
Kristina Jackson, Finance and Operations Manager
Conor Curtis, Head of Communications
Taylor Farrugia, Development Manager
Chenille Callender, Grassroots Engagement and Events Coordinator Program Leads
Jessica Murray, Line 5 Community Organizer
Kassie Drodge, Community Coordinator
Trista Helgeson, Project Coordinator, Wild Child Edmonton
Hannah Gehrels, PEI Wild Child Projects Manager
Melody Li, Communications Assistant
Our Board 2025-2026
Owen Leggatt Stewart, President & BC Director
Sydney Beres, Vice President & Youth Director
Shirley Barnea, Québec Director
Samuel Eisner, Atlantic Director
Heather McKinnon, Ontario Director
Regan Ratt -Misponas, Prairie Director
Nicole Tomasic, Director at Large
Chloe Sterrett, Director at Large
Karen McCallum, Director at Large
Andrea Fugeman-Millar, Director at Large
Andrea Miller, Director at Large
Kari-Anne Murphy, Director at Large
Juliet Rennick, Director at Large
Matthew Pottruff, Director at Large
Laëtitia Eyssartel, Treasurer
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